Jim D.

I am not so positive as pastrygirl about the opacity of the colored cocoa butters available. If they contain a great deal of white (identified--if you have an ingredient list--as titanium dioxide), they will be mostly opaque. This includes yellow, most blues, greens, and the metallic colors. Since I hate spraying that extra layer of white (which creates a huge amount of cocoa butter sprayed into the air), I am paying closer attention to which colors absolutely need the white. For example, I made a filling with orange flavoring and wanted the shell to be orange; I did not spray with white. I compared two molds, one before filling with dark chocolate, one after. The "before" one was definitely brighter. I also find red problematic; for me it gets muddy and requires white, or at least a light color, behind it. If I am making a red heart for Valentine's, which I will be doing all too soon, I want that red to pop. I don't know what access you have to U.S.-made colored cocoa butters, but a company called ChocoTransferSheets has a line of opaque colors, which contain a larger amount of white, a fact that, of course, makes them lighter in color.

Filling the cavities with colored cocoa butter would take an enormous amount of c.b., and the cost would be prohibitive; the layer of c.b. would probably be too thick, depending on its viscosity when you pour it in. The only alternative method I have ever found (to using an airbrush) is to use a fairly large paintbrush and brush in the color. Depending on one's ability, this usually leaves streaks as the c.b. tends to run and leave empty gaps in the colored shell.

I have been buying from slofoodsgroup.com recently and have been satisfied with the quality. The Tahitian ones are especially fat and juicy. At the moment they have 25 Madagascar beans for $60 ($89 at beanilla.com).

I sent the link to the confectionery course to my friend. I did also find that adding baking soda is a recognized way of encouraging the fudge to set.

A question on fudge: A friend (who does not belong to eGullet) asked me the following question. I am posting it here for suggestions, as fudge is well beyond my knowledge and experience: One of the treats I made for Christmas was a white chocolate raspberry fudge. It was very easy to make, tasted good, but had a terrible, sticky, gooey consistency. I read that adding baking soda would thicken it and give it a more fudge-like consistency. Have you ever had a similar experience? What do you think about the baking soda suggestion? Thanks for any suggestions.

Never having tried bacon in a chocolate, I must ask what texture the bacon has. Flabby (like undercooked bacon)? I would think crispy bits might make for an unpleasant experience--bacon can get very crispy. If I recall correctly, in previous chocolate-with-bacon discussions on eG, it was concluded that using the bacon fat is the best way to achieve the desired result.

As has already been suggested in this thread, you must have oil-based colorants when working with chocolate. Water and cocoa butter don't mix (unless, of course, you are deliberately making an emulsion with them). I don't know what country you are in, but look for "oil-based" before you buy, regardless of whether it is pre-mixed colors or powder that you will mix with plain cocoa butter yourself. You also wrote about backing colors with white. Unfortunately, that is required with some colors, and you really know which ones only by experimenting. It often depends on how much titanium dioxide has been mixed in (since it blocks all colors). Most red cocoa butter, for instance, turns dark red/brownish when dark chocolate is behind it. But yellows, orange, light blue are usually OK without a white layer. I have found, however, that even colors that block most other colors (orange, for instance) show up brighter when there is a layer of white. You can experiment by melting the colored cocoa butter, spreading a little of it on a transparent surface (a piece of clear plastic, for example), letting it set, then spreading some melted chocolate on top of part of the colored area. When you turn the plastic upside down, you will see how the cocoa butter will show up with and without chocolate behind it.

I suppose buying your own cow would be too much trouble?

Yes, similar, but it has more white chocolate (and no plain cocoa butter). I also add some dark rum.

Sorry, didn't see this earlier. Wybauw has a banana and passion fruit caramel that (in my most recent measurement) ends up at .50 Aw. He uses cream plus banana and passion fruit in the caramel. The problem with it is that it is impossible to cook it to a usual caramel temp because it splatters so much and the banana tends to burn. So he calls for adding some white chocolate at the end, which eventually thickens the mixture. The butter tends to separate, but I mix the whole thing in a food processor, and it comes out beautifully and is delicious.

With your expertise in all things baking, you will master this--but perhaps best at a slower time of year! As you already know, you will find all the help you need on eG on tempering chocolate. Chocolate always has its surprises, but once you "get" tempering, it will not seem so mysterious.

You could get colored tissue paper, which might look a bit better. As you said you include a pad, which I do as well, I assume people will realize the extra paper is for protective reasons only and probably throw it away.

I have had the same issue, so I add waxed paper (or similar flexible paper or bubble wrap will work) between the top of the chocolates and the pad. Chocolates are sturdier than they look, so I make sure I fill up the space as much as possible so that there is as little wiggle room for them as possible.

That should work. If we really want to see what effect time has on Aw, I could take several samples just after the filling has been made, then put on the lids (yes, the tiny little cups come with tiny little lids) and test them over a period of days. An after-Christmas project.

As Kerry pointed out, the machine cannot read the sample until the it and the sample are approximately the same temperature. It makes sense to me that the sample should be measured when it has crystallized, but, for a filling that eventually firms up quite a lot, it's very difficult to get it into the little cup if you wait, especially since the entire bottom of the cup is supposed to be covered for best results but there isn't supposed to be any of the sample at the top edge of the cup--in other words, the "target" area is quite restricted. I have no scientific evidence about this, but it seems to me that the filling would be at its most "watery" (and therefore have its highest Aw reading) when it is just made. I'll experiment and see if I can get more information.

I was thinking of you but didn't want to reveal your inmost secrets on eG.

Most people use an immersion blender to mix the cocoa butter with colorant. That's what I have done. It takes more effort than it might seem to get them mixed, so I'm wondering if the gentle action of the Chocovision bowl turning would accomplish that. Some people also strain the mixture afterward to get out any remaining lumps. If you use this method, be sure and have a deep container to prevent coloring your kitchen walls.

So you didn't try the seed method? It's so much less messy. Or perhaps you enjoy playing with chocolate? 😄

I agree with what Kerry wrote. I can't imagine a situation where you would need enough colored cocoa butter (of a single color) to use a Chocovision machine (recall that the machine needs extra to make sure the thermometer is covered at all times). You can just follow one of the usual methods of tempering chocolate: (1) raise the temp, then cool the c.b. down, then up again or (2) raise the temp, cool the c.b. down to around 93F/34C, then add seed (you could use fresh cocoa butter for that), then lower temp to 86F/30C, then test the c.b., you will have tempered c.b. Just don't let the temp go down too low or up too high while using it or it will go out of temper.

These are not pro tips, just the way I temper a small amount of chocolate (standard procedure, I think). Here I'm speaking of dark chocolate (temps are, of course, a little different for milk or white). If I am using "used" chocolate, I melt it to over 43C to melt out all the crystals. Then I add some more chocolate (whether it's more used chocolate or new from the bag doesn't matter as any Type V crystals are going to be melted out--the purpose of this step is to cool down the chocolate as quickly as possible). When it is in the 35C area, I add the seed. It's easier if you have a block, but callets/pistoles/fèvres from the bag work. I stir as the seed is melting to distribute its Type V crystals throughout the bowl. When the contents of the bowl cool to the 31.5 - 32 range, I remove the seed. I stir for another minute or so, then test the chocolate for temper. If your chocolate is all "new" from the bag, then you don't have to go all the way to 43. You just heat it up to its working temp (31.5 to 32 for dark), being careful not to get it too far above that or if you do go above 34, make sure there is enough unmelted chocolate to act as seed. This method is a bit more tedious but quicker.

Why not try using seed? Since it rarely (if ever) fails, at least it would restore your confidence. And it's so much less messy than tabling.

Which tempering method are you using?

I have now edited my earlier post with the images to include this dome. A cynical viewer might think CW has used the same image for all its domes! Perhaps they need to add a new category, something along the lines of "difficulty of unmolding."

Now I am more puzzled than ever. On the top row below are the two molds I use, CW 1157 (18g, 29.7mm diameter x 25mm tall) and CW 1433 (15g, 29mm x 25mm). On the bottom row is CW 2207 (14g, 29mm x 21mm), which @pastrygirl and @Kerry Beal use, and CW 2116 (14g, 29mm x 23mm), which @gfron1uses: To me the shapes look the same. But perhaps the 4mm less tall of the third one makes a difference?

But which one do you use?