curls

Got it. Will be interesting to see what Jean-Marie's new toys are 3 years from now! Had a look at your blog posts from 5 year ago, lots of great information!

This gadget can make these shapes (and I think it can make a few more, depending on which "plate" you put in) - should be used with hard candy without a filling but for the demo we used the strawberry filled hard candy

That tool is a Marzipan Roller Boardhttp://www.pastrychef.com/MARZIPAN-ROLLERBOARD_p_1073.html I think gfron1 is referring to another sugar tool that Jean-Marie had custom made... I'll post a photo of that item today or tomorrow if someone else doesn't get to it before me.

Many, many thanks to Ruth and Rob for planning this wonderful workshop! Thanks to all of our sponsors for lunches, samples, and all that you provided. And a big thank you to Jean-Marie Auboine and Melissa Coppel for their instruction and the generous use of their amazing facility. photos of some of the chocolates, confections, and participants

Gfron1's squirrel mold

Thank you Salt Works for all the wonderful samples!!!

I'll post pictures after I get home from the workshop. Not to worry, there are lots of pictures of chocolate and candy.

Andrea, from what I have seen when I have had a chance to get behind the scenes tours at chocolate shops, most of them freeze their product (and have good formulas). They produce a lot of their seasonal items far in advance and freeze. How they determine when to bring them back to room temperature and how much inventory at a time, I am not sure (but this is something that will vary shop to shop and perhaps day by day... just keep records and see if you can spot market trends). Also, I see them using best consumed by dates and including in their literature / flavor guides a note about not using preservatives and suggesting that the chocolates be consumed within a week or two of purchase. I imagine that if you freeze your product (see Greweling's book for instructions on how to do this so that you avoid condensation and cracking) then you can produce when you have time and you will always have "fresh" product ready to be sold.

Jim D. you can also take some classes at Callebaut to learn about shelf life and other technical issues. Chocolate Technology 1, http://www.chocolate-academy.com/us/en/calendar?oper=detail,courseDate=1719 Chocolate Technology 2, http://www.chocolate-academy.com/us/en/calendar?oper=detail,courseDate=1720,course_academy=21

Planning to put the chocolates in my carry on luggage... need to see what will fit best. Packaging will include candy cups and candy pads (with the possible addition of bubble wrap).

Lotus of Siam Thursday, 15 May, at 7 pm. Here's who we have: Rob Kerry Ruth Donna Andrea Jessica Romina Bob Cassidy Willow Robyn Gaylene Dave Hardy xxchef Susan Sarah Still waiting for a reservation confirmation but the request is in with the restaurant.

There's a lot of unofficial side happenings happening. Here's one that I want to make sure everyone has a shot at. Lotus of Siam Thursday, 15 May, at 7 pm. Here's who we have so far: Rob Kerry Ruth Donna Andrea Jessica Romina Bob Cassidy Willow Robyn Gaylene Dave Hardy xxchef Susan Anyone else, please respond by this Thursday (1 May) and I'll try to get a reservation for us. Question for everyone signed up for dinner at Lotus of Siam... are you solo or coming with a guest(s). If I need to add to the reservation, please let me know soon!

There's a lot of unofficial side happenings happening. Here's one that I want to make sure everyone has a shot at. Lotus of Siam Thursday, 15 May, at 7 pm. Here's who we have so far: Rob Kerry Ruth Donna Andrea Jessica Romina Bob the troublemaker Cassidy Willow Robyn Gaylene Dave Hardy xxchef Anyone else, please respond by this Thursday (1 May) and I'll try to get a reservation for us. Question for everyone signed up for dinner at Lotus of Siam... are you solo or coming with a guest(s). If I need to add to the reservation, please let me know soon! (edited to update Erika's status)

So sorry you won't be joining us. Was hoping to get you to go to Frankies Tiki Room with us.

There's a lot of unofficial side happenings happening. Here's one that I want to make sure everyone has a shot at. Lotus of Siam Thursday at 7 pm. Here's who we have so far: Rob Kerry Ruth Donna Andrea Jessica Romina Bob the troublemaker Cassidy Willow Robyn Gaylene Dave Hardy Erika xxchef Anyone else, please respond by this Thursday (1 May) and we'll see if we can get a reservation for such a large group. So far, the count is for 15.

I think Dave Hardy and Erika were also signed up for the Thursday dinner at Lotus of Siam. Anyone else, please respond by this Thursday (1 May) and we'll see if we can get a reservation for such a large group. So far, the count is for fourteen.

Le Creuset's cleaner works quite well. http://www.lecreuset.com/cast-iron-cookware-cleaner

Jim D, yuzu should be fine for a ganache... I just need to tweak my recipe (calculations must have been off).

For peace of mind, you could keep a few of the chocolates that you give as gifts and test them periodically for mold and for taste. For my own tests I have kept some ganache filled chocolates at room temperature for months and I only had mold issues once (with a yuzu ganache). I tend to do this with each new filling type that I make (maybe one day I will get a water activity meter but a guitar cutter is higher on the list). The flavor definitely deteriorates... much faster for some fillings than for others. Definitely let people know that your chocolates don't contain perservatives and they are best enjoyed soon after receiving them or as Edward suggested stick with dried fruits, caramels, nougats, etc..

How much of a shelf life would you like to get out of these bon bons? Some thoughts... If they are for immediate consumption, you should be fine. You could also try freezing the finished bon bon and bringing it back to room temperature when you are ready to serve them. Also, you could try adding more lemon juice or citric acid to your pate de fruit to counter the sweetness. Additional idea, purchase a water activity meter (Kerry and Ruth have them).

Definitely add Dorie's World Peace Cookies to the baking rotation. http://doriegreenspan.com/2009/02/world-peace-cookies-metric-measures-and-variations.html

Very nice bunnies and chickens. Which chicken mould is that?

Pectin or cornstarch may work. Maybe add some cocoa butter or white chocolate to the mousse to firm up the texture (saw a mention of that on cheftalk.com).

I bought a light deli use Berkel a few years ago and I am very happy with it. So sorry to hear about your Hobart; it was a beauty.

Do you have pictures of the truffles you made? Was your chocolate in temper... Was it a uniform color when it dried? Did it have a nice snap to it when you bit into a truffle? You will not get the same level of shine from a dipped piece as you will get with a molded piece. Also, you should not have to put your dipped truffles into the fridge to have them set up. Just wondering if your chocolate was tempered and not as shiny as you expected or if it was out of temper. Also, have a look at the link Lisa Shock included, they will provide a lot more information.