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curls

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    REPORT: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Thanks Bob, two weekends of chocolate making fun! That JKV does a great job with the chocolate, once you get the hang of it, it is so much easier to fill molds with the built in chocolate spout (vs. a ladle or spatula).

    We also made a few more bunnies that look a lot happier than that blue bunny. Milk chocolate bunnies are filled with peanut butter, dark chocolate bunnies are filled with raspberry ganache, and hollow molds (pigs and flop earred bunnies) are filled with jelly bellies. It will be a chocolate extravaganza at the family Easter dinner. :smile:

    REPORT: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    So one thing we did on this thread last year was to ask everyone for what they learned that was new.

    I learned so many more ways to get banana flavor into a ganache (use extremely ripe bananas, cook the bananas, add freeze dried banana powder). Now I am ready to try making a banana's foster chocolate or a banana ginger chocolate. Based on what I learned, I am planning to do some more with chocolate decorations (chocolate bowls, chocolate tulips, and chocolate showpieces). Hopefully we can continue to explore this topic at future workshops.

    Again, what a great group of people, what a wonderful time. There are so many ideas and images bouncing around in my head! :smile:

    REPORT: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    I'd love it if we could post recipes from the conference, as a reference. There were lots of things that I tasted and would love to make, but since I could not be in two places at once, I didn't get the recipes. And there were some great fillings that people came up with on the spot, like the raspberry caramel and Bob's whiskey ganache.

    If you are referring to the Jameson ganache, Bob & I concocted that. Base recipe was Grewling's liqueur ganache and we subbed Jameson for the liqueur amount in the recipe plus 6 additional capfuls of Jameson (so, add the whiskey of your choice to taste). We are going to try to get together soon and document the final weight of the added Jameson.

    REPORT: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Flocking is the process of depositing many small fiber particles (called flock) onto a surface. It can also refer to the texture produced by the process, or to any material used primarily for its flocked surface. Flocking of an article can be performed for the purpose of increasing its value in terms of the tactile sensation, aesthetics, color and appearance.

    In the case of flocking a chocolate piece, you chill the piece to be flocked and then spray it with a chocolate & cocoa butter mix (one could probably also spray the chilled piece with colored cocoa butter). This gives the chocolate piece a distinctive, flocked, texture. It really helps if you can see and feel the final result.

    REPORT: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Bob, thank you so much for organizing this event. You did a fabulous job and I had a great time. So much fun to play in a kitchen full of such knowledgeable and enthusiastic people. It was great to see so many new faces this year and to catch up with those from previous events. Every day I learned a few new things!

    I thought that I had many more pictures from our Friday event but it appears that I only took photos at Artisan Confections. Hopefully Kerry, Ruth, and Mette will be able to fill in the blanks. In chronological order, Friday included visits to Albert Uster, Poste, Cowgirl Creamery, Co Co Sala, Ace Beverage, and Artisan Confections.

    IMG_0150-artisanConfections.jpg

    IMG_0151-artisanConfections.jpg

    IMG_0153-artisanConfections.jpg

    IMG_0154-artisanConfections.jpg

    • Like 1

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Prabha, not sure what time we will be at Albert Uster tomorrow morning. Why don't you PM me with your phone number and I can let you know when we are leaving the hotel. That should give you a better guesstimate of our arrival time. FYI we are just picking up some orders at Albert Uster, no demos scheduled for us tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, another Northern Virginia eGulleter!

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Friday looks like a great day! Also the cherry blossoms should be appearing with this warm weather. Wish I could join you but will see everyone on Saturday.

    Susan

    Sorry you won't be able to join us but thank you for reminding me about the cherry blossoms. Hopefully we will be able to swing by the tidal basin or Haines Point.

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted · Edited by curls (log)

    Do to a series of interesting events, the Friday pre-dinner event is a bit different from other years. Since it looked like we had a small group and one large SUV to travel around with, we put our heads together and came up with a tour of interesting sites to visit in Maryland, DC and Virginia. There are two more seats available in the SUV and others can follow along if they can provide their own transportation.

    Based on the interests of the group and the driving route that may be the most logical, we concocted the following plan:

    So, who would like to join us? Either reply here or locate Kerry, Ruth, or Mette Friday morning to claim the last two SUV seats or to follow along. I can bring extra copies of the locations and their addresses if anyone will be joining us in a separate vehicle.

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    I can bring an airbrush/compressor. I hadn't planned on getting one yet, but our local Michael's is clearing out all their airbrush stuff (big time clearance), so I got a Badger Whirlwind compressor and 250 airbrush for a total of about $80. I have an artistic kid, so I figure she can get use out of it even if I find I'm no good at the chocolate decorating!

    For those in the market, you might want to check out your local Michael's. I'm not sure if they are all getting rid of this stuff, but I know all of them in the Richmond area are.

    Jess

    Thanks for the tip Tikidoc. Alas, not every Michael's is running an airbrush clearance sale. I just checked the Reston Virginia store and they are still selling at full price.

    Can buy with the 40% off coupon but will wait and see if I can get a better deal.

    Chocolates with that backroom finish

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Cracked shells and missing outer layers is too critical? Both items would be completely unsellable.

    Naaah... A little clever marketing ('hand-crafted!' 'exclusive, very limited edition!' 'heirloom style'), and jacking up the price to about 250% of the cost of the ones that came out right, would have these bad boys flying out the door. There's one born every minute...

    OK, OK, so you could sell them. That doesn't assuage the misery when, after spending hours making the damned things and thinking they were perfect, you go to pop them out of the mold and they leave behind the top layer of cocoa butter: believe me, I've done it, several times. It sucks. It's not over-perfectionism, it's failure. I throw them away.

    Wybauw would recycle them into caramels - Black Devil's I believe they are called.

    You could sell them at a reduced price as irregulars/seconds. I know at least one chocolate shop that does this and they seem to sell really well.

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Chris - based on the numbers I believe the cost will be in the neighborhood of $150/per, which will include the costs for lunch on Saturday and Sunday as well as dinner Saturday night.

    Fran; there is always room for more! Welcome

    Bob, have you had a chance to figure out the cost for Saturday dinner for guests of the conference attendees?

    Plan: 2012 Candy and Confection Conference

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Thanks!

    My flight back is also from BWI, I'm wondering if it's better to rent a car than rely on public transportation, any thoughts about that?

    Since I'll be travelling for the 2 weeks until the conference, I thought about having a friend send a package with some chocolates to the hotel a few days before the conference. Do you think they will be OK with that? Has anyone tried sending chocolates by regular mail? Or would expediated shipping be better?

    Once you get to the conference hotel there are probably enough eGulleters with cars that you will be able to get back and forth to the conference events but it would be quite complicated to get from BWI to Woodbridge via public transportation. I would recommend renting a car; I am guessing that the cab fare from BWI to Woodbridge (one way) would be over $100.

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