curls

You may want to consider getting a standalone vibrating table -- a number of manufacturers make them, TCF has a few https://www.tcfsales.com/products/c72-vibration-tables-remove-air-bubbles/. If you select one of the tables with a grid to the side (and it is the right size & height) you may be able to have the excess chocolate shake into a 3Z temperer. I would also suggest the following -- instead of a new tempering machine: a standalone vibrating table, a melter (great for shaking chocolate into & keeping tempered chocolate in temper), and an EZTemper unit. This combo should be less than $4,000 with all new equipment. Now, if you can locate a used Selmi, that might be an even better solution for your shop. So many variables to consider when making a decision. Be aware that the older Selmis require 3-phase power and that the newer Selmis are built in two different configurations (3-phase and regular residential power).

@PFox if you don't have Peter Greweling's book Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner already, I recommend that you get it. It has a few caramel recipes and offers lots of great recipes and food science.

Well best of luck to your daughter and perhaps you will be able to attend the 2019 workshop.

@Haley, welcome! Beautiful and tasty sounding chocolates. Maybe you can join us at the eGullet chocolates & confections workshop?

@rustwood thank you for your comments, you got me to look at the Kamado Joe again. I did not realize that they made so many changes/upgrades in 2017. I just might get the large Kamado Joe instead of the large Big Green Egg! I like the fact that the Kamado Joe is setup with a split grate, has a pull out ash drawer, and has a lid lift assist. Already figured out that we were going with the large -- talking to other class participants and actually cooking on two sizes of eggs made us realize that most of the time all we would need is a large.

This year's Valentine's Day selection: passion fruit jelly & passion fruit ganache, hazelnut gianduja and feuilletine, muscovado salted caramel. Some in progress photos...

My husband and I are considering getting a BGE and took a class today at Dizzy Pig Seasonings. It was a four hour course covering chili & comfort foods. They used a few large eggs and on XL egg. The menu: chili with brisket cubes, tomatoes, and beans mac & cheese smoked brisket (cooked in a drum smoker using the extra brisket from the chili) stuffed baked potatoes pineapple upside down cakes The bacon for the stuffed baked potatoes was cooked on upside down grill grates. Unsurprisingly, each recipe included at least one Dizzy Pig seasoning blend.

The chocolate is a year old and was stored in sealed ziploc freezer bags. I would have hit it with a stick blender but mine broke and I haven’t replaced it yet. Glad to know that this has happened to other people.

So I've remelted some Valrhona Azelia that was extra from another project and even at 45° C the chocolate has small lumps. If I press a lump against the side of the melter (or between my fingers) it smooths out but I can't remove all the lumps that way. For tonight, I poured all the chocolate through a sieve and pushed the lumps thru with a silicone spatula. That solves the problem for today but I want to know, what caused those lumps in the first place? Also, if this happens again, is there a better way to correct the problem? I have never had this happen before with any couverture (including the Azelia) and hope you can tell me how I can prevent this from happening .

@Kerry Beal just checking on the schedule given your last update. Are you planning for Thursday at Tomric, Friday master class in NOTL, and Saturday & Sunday workshop in NOTL? Just trying to get my lodging arrangements set up for pre and post conference.

Definitely, for larger production go with a paint sprayer or a Fuji! Just wanted to clarify that velveting/flocking can be achieved with an airbrush too.

You can do velveting with an airbrush — I have done it a few times at various eGullet chocolate workshops. Just make sure to use a 50/50 chocolate/cocoa butter mixture (like pastrygirl mentioned earlier).

Something to check into... at one time I think there was a 20 quart Hobart mixer that would also work with a 10 quart bowl. If that would not work with yours, maybe you can trade for the other model.

Best looking breakfast buffet I've seen in years.I hope it tasted good too! Where are you staying?

Maybe it wouldn't be as pretty but it would still be very tasty. I bet it would look beautiful.

@Shelby thank you. It was very tasty and disappeared quickly. The dough is very easy to work with and it was pretty simple to create the star. I definitely recommend trying it.

Finally! I have made Kerry's recipe for Phil's White fruit cakes. Definitely going to make these again! Thanks for the recipe @Kerry Beal. https://forums.egullet.org/topic/128698-phils-white-fruitcake/

Busy holiday season, not a lot of photos to post! Here is a photo of a mixed assortment box (raspberry pate de fruit & marzipan, milk chocolate with crunchy peanut butter, dark chocolate with crunchy peanut butter, mints, and bourbon ganache). Not pictured are the dark chocolate dipped candied ginger & dark chocolate dipped candied orange peel.

pesto star bread - can be sweet or savory - recipe from King Arthur Flour https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/cinnamon-star-bread-recipe Mixed and kneaded with my new DLX/Ankarsrum mixer (formerly owned by the amazing @andiesenji).

For the holidays, finally getting to the party magnet -- the cheese ball!

following @patris's excellent example, my attempt at filled pretzels -- filling of choice, a crunchy peanut butter filling

apricot & raspberry thumbprints made with my new mixer (thank you @andiesenji)

Chilly & snowy morning. Time to make steel cut oats in the InstantPot. :-)

I piped passionfruit meltaways into shelled molds at our last eGullet chocolate workshop in Vegas. Really like them -- even though there is a chocolate shell around the filling. I recommend giving it a try when you have the time. Important note -- the only way that I have successfully piped meltaways is to use the EZtemper silk. There may be another way but if you have the silk, it makes the process super easy.

Stuffed pretzels! Why didn't I think of that? I'm definitely going to steal/borrow that idea. ;-)