Alleguede

February 22

7 hours ago, GRiker said:

@Elle Bee encouraged me to post my trials here. Thanks

I was so nervous to even start I spent hours reading about it and eventually dived in tonight.

I used Perfect Puree Black Current and Boiron instructions. I had about 500g left from another project. I should have used less so I could have tried more variations.

I used Modernist Pantry Slow Set Hi Methoxyl Pectin. This is the pectin they say to use for jellies.

Things didn't got as I expected and in the end I forgot to add the citric acid! This pectin is thermoirreversible, and requires acid to set. I figured since it wasn't really set anyway because I forgot the citric acid, that I would dump it back it, heat it to above 149F (the stated gel temp) add the citric acid solution and pour it out again.

It's been a couple hours already and does appear to be setting a little.

I'll see where it is in the morning.

A couple interesting things to note:

Black Currant Perfect Puree starting Brix was 33.7 as measured by my new Hanna Instruments refractometer. (Boiron table says Brix from black currant is 24. I'm guessing 24 means that's their standard)

I added the sugar/pectin mix, then the granulated sugar, then the glucose. I microwaved the glucose for a few seconds to make it easier to pour, when I went back to the stove the mixture had thickened considerably. Decided I should test the brix and temp. I found the brix to already be at 80.7 (target was 75) and the temp was only about 185 or so, instead of the 225F target. At this point I forgot what I was doing and decided I was finished and poured it out, forgetting to add the citric acid as mentioned above.

I just got a new aW meter off Aliexpress and decided I would use it to test the water activity of the finished product. If I used it correctly, I ended with a measurement of 0.70.

My goal is to add some fruit to a two layered bon bon.

I'm skeptical that this PDF will end up being firm enough to cut. But I'm not really after PDF that is cuttable.

Since I'm wanting to put it in bon bon anyway, does it really matter if it sets or not?

I'm not sure what happened that the brix was already so high but the temp wasn't anywhere close to the target temp. Any ideas about why that happened?

I'm out of black current but have a few others, I'll have to keep trying.

black currant/cassis is a very tricky purée it’s a berry with a big amount of fiber but also acidity. It dries out very rapidly and appears on the refractometer high but it doesn’t have the right gelifying power.

on a purée like that, maybe do 50% cassis and 50% apple juice. You may also want to check the pH of your liquids before mixing. Too much acidity prevents the gelifying of the pectine not enough as well.

if your pH are similar at the start then the recipe doesn’t really change through your flavours.

February 22

After a few years here is my few main mistakes:

1 - start of strong on marketing if you can’t do it find someone to do it online presence/branding is key.

No need for fancy expensive packaging but branding, is key

2 - don’t start small minded. It’s better to push to sell then to not have enough.
im referring to equipment, material, supplies. I bought some equipment that in 3 months were too small. Or quantities that limited me in growth (molds,rings…)

3 - accounting is super important.

4 - keep track of your SOP, processes, system,…

5 - surround yourself with the skills you don’t have. You wont have time to learn as much as an expert does. But pick the right expert you are comfortable with

February 22

If it has been 24/48 hours most likely not

February 22

Please get rid of that top layer.
take 2 g of sourdough, mix with 10g of flour and 10g of water

If it goes up, tomorrow start again and refrigerate. Feed it again in a week

February 22

On 2/13/2025 at 6:35 PM, Chocolot said:

Hey EGulleters,

The workshop signup is online and ready for you. $310. There is a limited number of spots, so when they are gone, they are gone. Signup at https://chocolot.com/products/eg-workshop

Dates are May 16-18 in Austin Texas. We will be at TCF Sales. in Cedar Park. We will have access to Enrober, tempering machine, guitar, and panner. We will not have a sprayer, so we will concentrate on nonspray decorations. Hotel is Hampton Inn in Cedar Park. You may stay where ever you choose. You might be able to negotiate a better rate even at the same hotel. Our group rate is $125 per night.

room link: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/rooms/?ctyhocn=AUSPNHX&arrivalDate=2025-05-15&departureDate=2025-05-20&groupCode=CHHCHC&room1NumAdults=1&cid=OM%2CWW%2CHILTONLINK%2CEN%2CDirectLink

Once you sign up for workshop, and pay, there is no refund. You may sell your spot, but we can’t refund.

We are still working on the agenda, so please tell us what you want to learn. Rodney will be with us for expert advice, but alas, not his pastries.

Do we know what equipment TCF has available to us? Baking, chocolate?

December 2, 2024

On 11/30/2024 at 6:37 AM, Kerry Beal said:

The structural webs are very fine in a dough that has as much fermentation, eggs, butter and sugar as panettone and hanging them upside down until they cool keeps them from collapsing on themselves and gives that lovely soft fluffy texture.

Those hangers are outrageously expensive - but a good machine shop owned by Italians will often work for panettone!

Yeah the softness of the crumb requires a setting upside down.

we bought our clamps from Italy moving on to a flipping rack for space and production capacity.

best panettone we have ever made!

December 2, 2024

13 hours ago, ElsieD said:

What is the price for us Canadians?

Send us an email at info@gouter.ca

will get a full quote if you aren’t in Toronto or gta area

November 29, 2024

4 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

What was the cost, including shipping?

@JoNorvelleWalker the classic is $55and the chocolate is $60. For shipping we’d need to have an address to put in the shipping system.

November 4, 2023

On 10/14/2023 at 7:10 PM, Kerry Beal said:

@Alleguede does. During the development stage we got pannatone from all over the place. We went to Rulli, visited with him and toured the kitchen. I paid an outrageous price for a couple of Roy loaves that I brought back from the states. By far the best was one we got in Italy - Simone DeFeo - Rodney wanted to go and do a course with him.

I'm going to recommend that if you are down in the area closer to the holiday that you let me know and I'll get one of Rodney's for you. It really is one of the best in Toronto - Blog TO

Thanks for the love

oh my… so many messages to read.

panettone is unique. If it’s artisan it needs to Be eaten within 30 days. We try to use the best fruits accessible within our country. Roy’s panettone is great at 95$ very exclusive.

we make at least 200 per year. And ours have very little aging because we don’t have time to mass produce just yet.

we do our best to make a good product within the guidelines. Our sourdough is in the making.

i think Bianca has posted on our instagram the process of making if you wanna watch it.

Member News · November 4, 2023

Arrrfff, it’s already been a month. I bizarrely still reach out to my phone to say hi, check in or wanna vent.

Anna was my sibling - yup- many know the story but I showed up much later in the adoption but how lucky was I. Surrounded by these 2 fantastic ladies at the reach of a text.

I was immediately taken in as the young one and man am I/was I loved. 🥰

I’ve been selfishly heartbroken. Not because Anna has left us. She is in a better place now - and I know she is and this strong - amazing - courageous person will leave such a void in our daily lives as Kerry’s closest friend and mine.

To be fair i’m not sure - the more I think of it, which of the two was truly the instigator in all of the adventures and troubles ☺️. The adventures of Anna and Kerry - they have lived together would make many envious. I am truly grateful to have been a part of it from the day we met and have gotten closer by the end. There will be many pages of text to account of that.

I loved the stories I often would hear about. A new toy, a new food, a new adventure or more troublemaking 🫣. I would often get 2 versions and have to make sure which was which. Regardless I loved both of them.

Anna will always remain a part of our/my adventures. Mine, Gouter, and our family (Right? Kerry!)

Anna, ❤️ you forever and keep an eye on us.

Rodney

It may be a bit messy - as you know the official grammar corrector is not accessible at this point.

April 24, 2023

Oh and yes you can start the process again but I do suggest heating them up and adding some chocolate. Because you need to have them back to the initial state prior to process.

April 24, 2023

Hi

first off I am in total awww that you make your own glazing agents.
i would not tempt that myself.

- are your dragées perfectly smooth before doing the glazing agent. Bumps or gaps will have a very hard time filling with glaze.

one of the things I tend to do is adding a bit more glazing agent at first to make sure all my dragées are coated properly. It does have an impact further if the dragées do not have an even layer.
problem happening with cold air is that the humid part doesn’t evaporate too well if it’s very cold air bLowing it.

Gum Arabic just to make sure is perfectly dry as you add the next layer

So mix all that first then bump till fully dry then spin for 10 min ish per layer of glaze. If they are still sticky then the coating « rips off »

at this point I don’t recommend cold air. Just air. Because your a/c air may be blowing moisture back inside.

when you hit the shellac stage (I do 0.2%) absolutely no cold air because the shellac is mixed with alcohol for a quick dissipation. If any moisture is blown in the tumbler then it will make the shellac sticky and keep « ripping » off of getting hit.

i find 18/20c is a good temp.

what I see (photos are a bit blurry) is that there s not enough drying and spinning on the overall stages.

i m not here often so if it’s easier feel free to message me on Instagram rodneyalleguede 😁

November 9, 2022

Hi,

so to respond to your question so good is not necessarily chocolate based magazine. It’s generally the elite of the sweet world that is chosen by the editors. Who is the attraction of the season in pastry, cakes,…

i would suggest saving your money and buying proper publications or subscriptions like Kris’s Harvey, Melissa coppel, the new Callebaut editions,…

i hope this helps.

January 24, 2021

Hi Chris,

the way we do it, is you swirl a strip of 4 cm by 25 cm long. The tighter the less developed it will go.

it will slightly pull longer as your swirl it. Close the two edges together and bring the sealed piece over itself on the other half to create your eight.

don’t make the holes too big and let proof. Once proofed the shape should remain but no gap in the boucles should be there. Fill with very dry jam or frangipane and fruit amd bake immediately

January 25, 2020

Hi,

i have the book - it’s really good. One of our friends has taken his class and he is really good at what he does great panettone section as well as brioche, much less on croissant. You can also find good stuff with Johann Martin, the new bellouet and conseil book.

once you get a few ideas the rest follows. I heard of a school in San Fran for croissants work. Because truly 90% is the ensemencent that will make the croissant layers remarkable

February 25, 2019

So now batgirl has gone back to her land of pasta (for now), the American didn't get delayed (unlike me). Batman is sleeping still before she goes and shows off in toronto and me I'm delayed 2 hours for now. So I m catching up on my missed days.

So as Kerry mentioned 4 days of show 2 focused on trade 2 for chocolate lovers. Well needless to say we killed it. We did demos,and chocolates OK not any chocolates raspberry or hazelnut or strawberry mango. People loved it.we also pulled a 72% Saint Domingue out of the blue. Let me tell you it was bomb. 💣

Anyway like Kerry told you guys as always all kinds of people all kinds of talks the usual chocolate crowd like the owner of the previously great chocolate life or the editor of dessert professional but a few of Kerry's buddies but as you noticed I ain't Kerry.

So the first night of the fair - we had a gala dinner. Let me tell you food this exceptional I had not eaten in a very long time. It was uniquely memorable with an unpaired experience. I do t think there's a better way to say it. It was mind blowing. We started off with hors d'œuvres and a glass of prosecco - by hors d'œuvres we are talking carrots and tortillas with dark chocolate sauce 🙏

Followed by smelly ahi yellow fin tuna with 4 dots of I'm not too sure

Next as you can see on the picture pheasant with a micro mini gratin and a manjari sauce yummy!

The b vegetarian had a thin beet carpaccio very tasteless and a pumpkin filled with veggies or what looked like it. But they forgot to cook the pumpkin

Dessert was prepared by a master pastry chef with chocolate, pineapple, and not too sure of the rest.

And some mini desserts for the fun of it.

Please eat with your eyes.

Notice my couffin style bed (very much creepy at 5 am)

Morning3 we ended at a group breakfast. Met the people from lareeka (they build expensive wrapping machines if anyone has 100000€ to give me)

Got to meet marketing of Tony chocolonelly. So we decided to check it out.

Oh my God look at the pictures. They have a custom line (full) where the

February 25, 2019