tikidoc

Will try to post pictures a little later. We recently renovated our kitchen (mostly done - the cabinets and granite are in) so I had not baked in quite a while. Yesterday, I made a big batch of pão de quejo (Brazilian manioc cheese rolls - gluten free, for those that care) and some chewy lye bagels (plenty of high gluten flour, so obviously I don't care). The bagels stuck to the pan they proofed on, so they deflated a bit and looked a little ugly, but they taste wonderful.

Thanks for the heads up! Reservation made!

Any word on when we can pay? I don't want any chance of missing out. I have already taken vacation time...

Old? Any idea when we can pay?

I have no idea, but it makes more sense to me that it would be based on solid chocolate. Shell thickness can vary a lot, so the amount of space left for ganache would also vary.

Is that just white chocolate in a piping bag then? Looks almost like there is a little green tint...

Is there any more info on the date? I have to start working on call schedules for spring, and I need to block the weekend of the workshop so I don't end up on call. The tentative date is still May 15-17, correct?

I also do mine dry. And agree on the rest. I make flan the day before it is to be served so that all of the caramelized sugar dissolves. I like a lightly sweet custard with lots of yummy sauce, so I usually use more sugar in the caramel than the recipe calls for.

I used a soft paintbrush to apply the dust to the clean molds. Then I sprayed in a light layer of a pearl white behind it, then shelled with dark chocolate. I honestly wasn't sure how much of the dust stuck when I sprayed on the white (it's barely visible) but obviously enough did. Thanks! And I have been quite pleased with the colors from chocotransfersheets.com. They seem to be just as good as the Chef Rubber ones, but I think they are a little cheaper.

Andrea, Purple is Chef Rubber's purple amethyst. Green is Chef Rubber's green crystal. Silver is Chef Rubber's silver. All 3 are from their Jewel collection. Gold is Mercury's Gold from the Cosmic collection from chocotransfersheets.com. Jess

I'll check and list the exact colors. The luster dust is from Chef Rubber.

A friend of mine came over to learn some chocolate-making today. This is what we came up with. Some are white chocolate pomegranate raspberry, and some are dark chocolate bourbon and bacon.

I'm in for the conference. Master class depends on how appropriate the topics are for a non-master...

Close to home again, so I'm in. I have a friend from work who is an enthusiastic baker of sweet stuff, who wants to learn about chocolate, who will probably come with me. So count me for a definite one, tentative two.

I found a description of the Valrhona method for ganache, in which it looks broken before it emulsifies, complete with pictures. Since I did not do the Master courses, I found it helpful. Looking forward to trying it. http://courses.ecolechocolat.com/lobjects/curriculum1/oldcurric/pp_mod_4/recipe_ganache.htm

Gorgeous Rob, and very appropriate mold.

Yes, humidity was the main problem. It thickens up fast. I tossed in a little bit of cocoa butter and that seemed to help. And worked as fast as I could! We fired up our AC for the first time on Thursday, so I was initially afraid that I was going to be trying to make chocolates in 80+ degree heat. Luckily, we got it fixed Friday. As for durien, it's pretty hard to describe. The texture is sort of custard-like and very luxurious and creamy. The flavor is quite sweet and rich, and I think it is delicious but my kids hate it. And yea, it smells... strange. I think "fetid" is an overstatement. The chocolate mellows the flavor, and enrobing the sliced ganache pretty much eliminates the smell. I get durien at a local Asian grocery. They usually have frozen durian available, and occasionally the whole fruit. I pretty much just use the frozen because the fruit is huge, and I'd end up having to freeze most of it anyway.

It has been a while since I made any chocolates, so was in a bit of a panic about getting some done over the weekend for the upcoming workshop in Las Vegas. Despite heat and humidity, I got lucky on the tempering and I was pretty pleased with how they turned out. This one was decorated by my kids! They had a blast. It is apparently supposed to represent something in the computer game "Portal II." And this was mine (for Vegas) Not sure why that picture is so big... It is filled with a piña colada white chocolate ganache. Not pretty enough to post, but I also made dipped chocolates for the more adventuresome in the group - a durien and dark chocolate ganache enrobed in dark chocolate, as well as cabernet jellies. So what else is everyone taking to Las Vegas?

I recently bought some tapioca flour to make a batch of pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese puffs). I enjoy the texture (yes, I like mochi too) of the puffs. So I started looking for other recipes using the tapioca flour. What I have mostly found is a lot of gluten free recipes using tapioca flour. As a rule, they are trying to recreate wheat flour recipes as closely as possible, without gluten. I am not concerned about being gluten free, or converting wheat based recipes to gluten free recipes. I am looking for recipes that use tapioca flour because that is what is used in the recipe (not as a replacement for something else). Ideas?

I usually order a couple of the larger jars, and the shipping is not so bad. I use it in a lot more than just caramels. It's wonderful on toast or pancakes, and also in pork marinades (I mix with a little maple and soy) and dipping sauces. It's really yummy stuff.

I use this stuff for cider caramels. The reduction is already done. http://woodscidermill.com/PRODUCTS/CiderJelly.html

Just ordered my copy (again). Amazon had cancelled my previous "pre-order" over a month ago. Bummer. Too humid to mess with chocolate right now anyway. It's a soppy mess here in central VA, and you have to be wetter than we are!

I make my bagels with 25% Kamut (Khorasan wheat), so a non-traditional grain, and I still get great browning using lye. Loving your blog. I have spent a little time in Ecuador (as well as several other places in Central and South America) and lived in Panama for a year, so I'm getting the travel bug reading your blog.

Mine should be delivered today (arrived in my local post office at 1 am). Hooray!