[Confections! What did we make? (2017 – )]

17 hours ago, minas6907 said:

Heres something I've been wanting to do forever! Soft sugar panning! I finally got the courage to do, much thanks to @Trufflenaut. Heres what I've done so far. The first and second pictures are store bought spice drops. These so far came out of any sugar panned item thus far. The second picture is twizzlers pull and peel, again with the same coat. I initally wanted to actually pull the individual strands and cut them, to have a ton of small centers to pan, but when I realized that was a massive pain, I just cut the licorice sticks to size. It didn't come out the same...I think the syrup was too cold...not totally sure here, but there seemed to be extra mositure there. The last picture is some black licorice, the recipe came from Chefsteps. I don't totally like the amount of gelatin in them, but really, its not bad, and I go totally crazy for anything that is anise flavored.

 

Ultimately, I wanted to make a larger slab of licorice, dice it, and pan it. Looking for something along the lines of Good and Plenty. So I did that today...it didnt come out super well, next time I'm going to adjust the syrup. These feel like there was too much moisture in them, even though I measured it with a refractometer. Soooo, it would seem that I started off well and am just getting worse. I'll post picture of the new licorice dragees when they have a few days to sit.

 

And just as a reference, @Trufflenaut pointed me to a text called Confectionery Science and Technology. Fortunately, Amazon had a used copy for a reasonable price. It has a very detailed instructions for soft and hard sugar panning. My next project was going to be hard panning some chocolate lentils....but I realize I may need to scale back, I might try for a Jordon Almond for now.

Wow!!!  They look fantastic and smooth!  Hopefully, I’ll learn to do this one day.  What is the texture of the coating like?  Is it crumbly and crunchy?

[Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake]

19 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

 

First experimental batch of Turkish Delight. This one uses the thin boiling starch. Flavored with a bit of vanilla and 1 drop of rose otto. 

 

This is very cool Kerry! I’m excited to hear about how it turns out!

[Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake]

15 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Anna - what recipe have you been using for turkish delight so far? Wondering if we could do a comparison of recipes with thin boiling starch vs regular cornstarch.

 

 

Hi Kerry,

I used a recipe from Sweet Confections by Nina Wanot, which uses regular cornstarch. I cannot tell when I was done stirring.  So far, they have been undercooked, I think.  They were really soft and did not hold shape.  I would like to try the recipe with thin boiling starch, but it is hard to source.

[Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake]

On 3/19/2018 at 7:37 PM, curls said:

Hi Anna! Glad you are going to be able to attend this year. I haven't had a chance to figure out what I would like to work on during workshop time but I'll come up with a few things before I get to the workshop. Will probably practice one or two of the things I learn at the master class. 

 

Aside from panning, what would you like to work on? @Kerry Beal Anna (Eat.Choui) mentioned an interest in learning to pan -- does the NOTL college have the appropriate setup for panning?

 

I would love to gain some experience with the melanger.  I am very excited about that!  I also would like help with Turkish delight. I’m sure I’ll think of more things or join in on what folks are working on.

[Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake]

HELLO!!!

 

I’m Anna from Socola Chocolatiers and I am really excited to be attending this year and seeing all of you again and meeting new faces.  

 

What is everyone planning to work on during the workshop time?  Is there a chance I can learn panning?  I saw pictures of the Kitchen Aid attachment in action on another thread and it got my brain thinking  .  This would give my arm a rest!

 

I would like to get a dipping bowl too

[Peanut Caramel?]

This is a very, very "un-technical" recipe. I would make this peanut butter rice crispy recipe:

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

4 cup rice crispies

Combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and let boil for about a minute. Then take off heat and stir in peanut butter. Then pour over rice crispy treats.

But I would have leftover peanut butter mixture. This leftover mixture gets poured on to parchment a left to cool and i would wrap them up in parchment squares like I would for caramels. It's good and chewy and peanut buttery, but very sweet.

Maybe you can start off with this recipe minus the crispies and refine it even more?

[Macaron: the good and the bad]

Is there a proper way to reduce the sugar content(to make them less sweet) without losing texture for the macaron shells? I went with the French meringue method and reduced the powder sugar, filled and let them sit in the frig overnight, but the outer shell is really thin and delicate and would get squish really easily.

[Why freeze after baking?]

Thank you for all of your responses!

It is probably just a quirk.

Sethro, a number of interns have questioned the quality of this place because we do take a few "shortcuts." But since this is the first time I am working at a cake bakery, I assumed it may be normal practice. In the bakery's defense, they do know what they are using and how to use them well. I wish they would explain why, but I guess that's why it's an internship and not school. This place does excel at frostings and and fillings and making cakes look pretty

Again, thank you!

[Why freeze after baking?]

Hi JeanneCake,

All cupcakes are put in to the freezer immediately when when they come out of the oven. All baked goods go into the freezer and used within about 3 days. So they stay in the freezer until needed. And the freezer is bigger than the refrigerator. Is this a normal practice in a cake bakery? I used to work in a cafe awhile back, but the pastries and sheet cakes are usually made and and served the day they are made.

When the cakes are cut, layered, and finished, they are quite delicious. So, I'm assuming quality is retained and not lost during freezing.

[Why freeze after baking?]

When we bake layer cakes, we usually let it cool before placing them in the freezer, but for cupcakes, we don't. I guess I'm a little thrown off by it.

[Why freeze after baking?]

Hi eGullet,

Just to introduce myself, my name is Anna and am starting a career change to baking. I am currently interning at a local bakery that specializes in cakes.

A few days ago, I prepared and baked off a variety of cupcakes and was told to throw them right into the freezer after taking them out of the oven. My supervisor did not know why we have to do this, but it's the process that the bakery takes and we have to follow. Is there a reason behind freezing cupcakes that came straight out of the oven? I always thought it would produce a soggy cake if the cake was not cooled to room temperature before going into the freezer. Thank you in advance.

[Vietnamese Baguettes in SF]

You can get the mini baguettes at Lee's Sandwiches on Larkin St (cross street, Ellis), but the mini baguettes usually come out of the oven after 9am. Sometimes later They also have the regular sized baguettes, if that is what you are looking for. Also, in the Mission, many Mexican panaderias have mini rolls that are exactly like the mini baguettes. Pillowy soft in the middle, with a crusty, yet not hard, crust. There are so many in the Mission that I can't really pinpoint one.