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I'm making some chocolated for Valentines Da, and so far I've been really happy with how they are turning out (thank you EZTemper). A couple of friends of mine work part time at a local cidery, and they asked me to make some chocolates for gift baskets they are offering for Valentines Day. This one does not photograph super well, it's more sparkly in real life. It's filled with apple caramel. This one is bourbon and dark chocolate ganache. I think this is the first time ever I have had multiple molds in one day without a single chocolate that didn't stick!!! I'd love to take the credit, but I think the EZTemper is responsible. Regardless the people at the cidery were thrilled.

I think it may have been from the previous trip to Las Vegas. I load recipes I like into a program called "Paprika" and didn't note the date. I'll PM you the recipe. Not sure of the protocol for posting...

I only have an n of 1, but the French style caramel worked. It was a recipe I had in notes from Las Vegas. The only unusual additives were the cocoa butter, and a little citric acid, I assume for tartness, since the recipe is for a fruit caramel. The recipe was cream, sugar, and glucose cooked to 110C, then add fruit purée (or in my case, apple jelly) and butter. The recipe called for bringing it up to 118C then adding the cocoa butter and a little citric acid. To make a pipeable caramel, I just brought it back to 110C. It was a perfect consistency for piping once it cooled down, and it wasn’t at all greasy. I let it sit overnight in the molds before capping off, and so far no leaky caramels. I did have several rejects due to colored cocoa butter sticking (I suspect having the 12 year old polish the molds may have been the problem) but no leaking. The flavor is quite close to the original, but creamier in both taste and texture, not as much a flowing caramel as my original recipe. It’s much softer than a cut caramel, but somewhat set, not the “run down your chin” kind. This is the same recipe Curls used for the cassis caramels, I think.

I justot mine. Downloaded the app, but all I see are recipes. The “one top” button supposedly at the bottom is not there. Help!

I had a BUNCH of leaky ones last time I made it, but admittedly, I had not done any chocolates in a while, so user error was a distinct possibility. I have noted that that recipe does tend to sometimes get a bit oily, so when I made some caramels (not in chocolate) for a gift last night, I used the French caramel recipe I had from Las Vegas, using the apple jelly (warmed so it wasn't chunky) in place of the fruit puree. The flavor was very similar to my original, but with more creamy flavor and great texture, and the final product, although firmer than I would use in molded chocolates, was not at all greasy on the outside. I think I may play with cooking that recipe to a lower temp (current recipe is 118C/244F) to get something pipeable that would remain at least very soft and possibly slightly fluid in the bon bon. I'll let you know how it goes. If anyone out there has used the recipe I am talking about, the French one that has a small amount of cocoa butter, in molded chocolates, what temp do you take it to and how were your results?

Glad to see the apple caramel is still on the menu, Jim. Did you find any secret ro preventing the leaks?

Thanks. It's a farmhouse-style house out in the boonies. The kitchen is pretty big (although I suspect you city dwellers would think most anything out here in the sticks would be big). I think the previous owners, who built the place, ran out of cash when it came to the fixtures and finishing the kitchen and bathrooms (mismatched light fixtures, even within the same room, pressboard cabinets, no tub in the master bath, etc.) So we pretty much ripped everything out of the kitchen and started over, and we are slowly working on updating the other stuff around the house. It has been a slow, gradual process, and I anticipate we will be at it for a while. Next project is solar panels...

Nope, sorry, we are in VA. But it you want to see one locally, call Lacanche - they routinely contact local owners to serve as "ambassadors." I was able to see one locally after they made such a contact for me. I have the 18K burner with the French top, 2x11K burners, a 15K burner, and a 5K burner. Most of the time, to heat up a pot of water, the 15K burner is more than sufficient and pretty quick. If I am heating up a really big stock pot (or if it's cold outside and I want to warm the kitchen a little), I would go to the 18K on the French top with the center part removed to expose the flame. For long simmers, such as making stock, I use the French top with the center part in place, and it still heats up pretty fast. I had thought about skipping the 11K burners (and going with 3x15K, a 5K and the 18K) but I'm glad I didn't. Even "low" on the 15K is a lot of heat, so I think I have the best of all worlds with my current set-up. I already had warming drawers in the kitchen (they came with the cabinets), so I got dual ovens, both electric with convection, a full size and a small vertical one. The smaller one is handy for making smaller dishes or a half a dozen cookies (from the freezer) because it heats up fast and does not warm the kitchen. There is a storage drawer on the bottom.

Because I love my Lacanche...

Another vote for the Lacanche. We have a Saulieu and it was the best kitchen decision we made in our remodel. I especially love the French top. You can do low simmers on it, or you can take the round center part out and pop in the wok ring, and it becomes a super high heat wok burner. The build quality is great but the technology is very simple, so repairs should not be complicated, if you ever need them. Their US office is also in NYC, so less shipping cost and easy access to parts for you. This is a range built to last a lifetime. And they are absolutely gorgeous, and will be the star feature of the kitchen. One place that we saved some money was with the cabinets. We got ours from Green Demolitions. They buy high end cabinets being removed from homes for redos (usually when a new owner with different tastes moves in). They only buy stuff that is in ver good shape. You have to spend some time looking through plans to see what will fit in your kitchen, but we ended up getting a killer deal on solid wood cabinets, and they included a bunch of high end (Miele, Sub Zero, Viking) appliances like warming drawers, dishwasher, wine fridges, under counter fridge drawers, etc. in our package deal. That allowed us to go a bit higher end on the range and on the granite (Madagascar labradorite and Volga blue). I would estimate we saved $20-30k on cabinets (over using locally purchased semi-customs, not full customs) and got a number of appliances (some of which we love but would not have sprung for otherwise) as a bonus. Oh, and as the name implies, recycling perfectly good cabinets is a good environmental decision.

A friend of mine is thinking about coming. I’ll let you know as things firm up.

Vacation days scheduled! I’m in.

Yea! I was worried it was going to conflict wuth a horse show I wanted to go with my daughter to ride in, but that is the following weekend. Time off requested. Is there a facebook group yet?

So, do we have dates for 2018?

My Cuisinart 14 cup finally bit the dust yesterday. I need a new food processor. I like to make big batches of food to freeze, so large bowl capacity is a must (12 cups or more). I've heard some negatives about the new blade on the Cuisinart that make me a bit concerned about just getting another Cuisinart, but I'd love to hear opinions. I get a lot of use out of my food processor, so I'm OK with spending a bit if it's going to last (I got about 10 years from my last one).

Gah, I was afraid of that. I have the slowest internet in the world. This is gonna take a while.

Does anyone know if the website will stay up, or is this just the print version? If the website is going away, I have a bunch of recipes I'd like to save before it happens...

We recently upgraded our kitchen (it was terrible when we bought the house) and put in "new to us" cabinets (bought high end used cabinets from GreenDemolitions for a fraction of the price of new, and splurged on an expensive but VERY solid and VERY simple range (LaCanche) that I expect I will be passing along to my kids. Sometimes it's worth shelling out some extra for quality, then keeping it for a lifetime.

In the US, biscotti is often sold dipped in chocolate. Not traditional, but quite common here, especially at coffee shops.

They were filled with a peanut butter gianduja made with about 80% milk chocolate/20% dark, and a little salt. The dark and the salt were to cut the sweet a bit, but they are for my kids so "too sweet" was not a major concern.

I thought they were Chocolate World, but I was wrong. This is the link to the mold. They are about a 4 ounce mold. My kids were absolutely thrilled when I sent them a picture of the dragons. http://www.chocolat-chocolat.com/home/chocolate-molds/chocolate-molds-cabrellon/p17670038.html

Spoke to MelissaH. Count both of us in for Thai.

I spent the day getting chocolates ready to bring to the eGullet workshop this week. Clockwise from top, all with dark chocolate: rosemary sea salt shortbread with rosemary caramel, toasted coconut with coconut caramel, apple pie caramel, and guava and jackfruit caramel. I had initially planned to try to dip the shortbread, but it was far too crumbly (and I was tired), so I just drizzled with caramel then chocolate.

Absolutely on both counts, unless you are planning to just make enrobed chocolates. I'm a small step above a beginner, so take my comments with that grain of salt. Initially, I got some of the cheap-o plastic molds and was unhappy with the results. Polycarbonate molds (well cleaned!) make a big difference. And your idea of getting a versatile mold is a good one. Spend some time looking at the "showroom" thread - LOTS of the most beautiful examples of chocolates made by people on eGullet use fairly simple molds like domes, half spheres, and teardrops, using a variety of techniques to add color. As someone who still struggles with perfect temper, I can tell you that the simple molds are easier to work with, and easier (and less frustrating) to clean in the event that they don't unmold perfectly. At some point, you might also invest in a simple magnetic mold like a square or a heart, if you want to play with transfer sheets. I have been lucky enough to go to the eGullet workshop for each of the last few years, and I can't recommend it enough. There are always members who will take you by the hand and help you with basic things such as tempering, working with molds, and decorative techniques. There is tons of chocolate to play with, which is a luxury if you are not wanting to buy a lot at a time. I have always come back inspired by the amazing creations the eGulleters come up with every year. Makes me wish I had more time to practice! I know it's late to plan for it this year, but I would highly recommend that you plan to go to next year's workshop.

I'm in for everything except the master class.