Jim D.

Not to get too far into the weeds (the weeds being the specs I need, which are peculiar to my packaging), but the relevant specs of the large dome (CW 1157) are 30mm diameter and 25mm height, 17g weight. The flattened dome (CW 2207) specs are 30mm diameter and 19mm height, 14g weight. My regular packaging (which was made to fit my largest piece) is 38mm high, so no problem there. The cavities of the various trays (where I am mostly subject to what the market provides) allow for a maximum 34mm diameter piece. All is fine there, BUT for weddings and similar events (my biggest restaurant wholesale customer has now taken to giving away 4-piece boxes of chocolates to their "VIP" guests and increasingly to guests who are displeased with some aspect of their dining experience--the "bitch boxes" I call them), I had to find other boxes, and the only attractive boxes I have found are less tall, so that the large dome just barely touches the lid--not a good thing. So my specs for the potential new flattened dome are diameter less than 35mm, height less than 22mm, weight 17g. I am not a designer, but those parameters should allow for increasing the height of the new mold by a mm or two and increasing the diameter by whatever it takes to allow for 17g. That should still allow for a flattened dome design. As we get closer to a half-sphere, the bonbon gets easier to release. The filling layers in this potential mold will be larger in diameter but shorter in height.... I guess I did get into the weeds, but nobody needs to read it. And eGullet may be the only place on earth where one may post such detail without being locked up.

I'm sorry. I misread your post. You are correct; the two molds have different specs.

Those two molds are not the same. CW calls 1157 a cone, whereas 2207 is a "flat cone." They differ in volume (17g vs. 14g). And 1157 is taller, and that is what makes the difference between them--and, so it seems--causes the difficulties in molding and unmolding. I did see that CW makes custom molds. In fact they made the custom half-spheres Tomric made for me. I would certainly have them do this (who would know better how to make a larger version of one of their own molds?), but the previous process took longer than I have.

Yes, but IIRC 😝 don't you have Selmi (keeping everything in temper for all enternity)? I'm interested to see that from you. White chocolate is so difficult to use for shells. The first couple of molds, you get the see-through effect. Then, without warning, the chocolate turns to sludge and comes out of the mold only with intense pounding. I am frustrated that most white chocolate manufacturers give their couverture a lot of drops for fluidity. I suppose if they told the truth, nobody would buy their product.

At Chocolat Chocolat it's ART6024, a smaller version. One of those molds is arriving tomorrow, so that I can see it. If I think it will work, they would special-order the larger version, ART1728 (17g). I think this won't work because it is too close to being a half-sphere (which I already have), but I thought it was worth a try. Laurianne at CC was very helpful in photographing all the molds "in contention" and agreed that photos of molds don't correspond very well to seeing them in person.-

I already let the tall chocolates sit extra time before dumping. I now work on two molds at a time; fill both, let them sit, start working on the first, by then the second has sat longer. The trick, however, is not to let them sit too long--which I did once and learned a lesson. The problem is that it is impossible to know how long is long enough, and meanwhile the bowl of chocolate is crystallizing more--it's a constantly changing scenario. One knowledgeable person suggested that I needed to make one mold, let it sit a bit, then fill it all over again and empty again. That is more than even I am willing to do. And I do let the molds sit for several hours before unmolding; I haven't yet done the overnight routine. I neglected to mention another idea that @Chocolotmentioned, and it is one that has been discussed at some length by @Kerry Beal and others: the domes with nearly vertical sides tend to form a kind of suction that makes unmolding particularly difficult. That insight is what led me to consider CW 2205 with its sloped sides. I've got one more option before custom molds: Chocolat Chocolat is shipping me a Cabrellon mold that looks promising. Another suggestion someone had (you can see I have tried to do my homework): Switch chocolates because Felchlin couverture (according to this person, a view I do not share) is particularly fluid. Very expensive--yes, very fluid--not as far as I can tell.

Yes, it is. I also have the next smaller version, CW 1433 (15g), but it isn't large enough for some fillings. And yes, I could cut the amount of each filling (though piping a crunchy layer is a very tricky proposition).

I have had so many issues with the tall 17g CW domes (sides too thin, difficulty unmolding, cocoa butter stuck in mold) that I need a solution. I can get the sides thicker (and had more success unmolding), but it takes an incredible amount of extra time--to keep rotating the mold with the crystallizing chocolate--that Christmas production will take from now until 12/25. @Chocolotsaw my post elsewhere and suggested it was the height of those molds and their straight sides (gravity causing the chocolate to flow down, no matter what one does). I also use CW 2207, which is a flattened dome and causes fewer problems, but I do a lot of 2- and 3-layer bonbons and need space for those layers. So I had the brilliant idea of having a larger version of CW 2207 made.

Reviving this topic: Has anyone had recent experience having custom polycarbonate molds made? I used Tomric once, and it took forever (international shipping was the culprit for much of the delay as the company had them made in Europe). Tomric has now switched to using a manufacturer in Turkey, and the lead time remains unacceptable (I need these for Christmas production). So I turned to the only other U.S. source that I know of, Micelli. They are the only company that makes injection molds in the U.S., so their lead time is relatively brief. The problem is that my initial conversation with the staff member in charge of molds left a lot to be desired. He seemed not really to be interested in my business at all (he didn't even ask for my name). I was left with the concern that any issues with details, measurements, etc., would be a hassle. The website gives the impression that making bar molds is the chief product, and bars are quite different from bonbons. I have this odd assumption that a manufacturer is supposed to fulfill the (reasonable) requests of a customer. Too much money is involved to treat the process casually. Does anyone know of another U.S. or Canadian manufacturer?

I'm very sorry to have missed your question. I have this model (the stainless steel holders are great). I don't use mine all that often, but when I do, it does a fantastic job. I have made pistachio praline paste, almond praline paste, cashew praline paste, and a few others, the most unusual being "Orelys" blond chocolate. I use quotes because quite suddenly Valrhona quit making its Orelys chocolate. I have several recipes (many involving pecans) that really depended on it. Thanks to @pastrygirl's ingenuity in figuring out the proportions of ingredients and her generosity in sharing her recipe, I was able to make a remarkably close clone of Orelys. The ultimate test: yes, I would buy it again.

I have found similar issues with my method of calculating how much of a particular filling I need to fill x number of molds. The calculation works very well with something like a ganache, but with the (difficult-to-predict) reduction involved in a caramel, it's another story. From measurements I did with various recipes, I concluded that the resulting caramel is about 40% of the original weight of ingredients. But that is really just a (somewhat educated) guess.

@ChristianD, thanks for the instructions you provided in your last post. It's what I was missing from the app as it exists. I was pleased to find the Felchlin chocolates I use in your list, but didn't quite know what to do after that. Many people who don't own Aw meters will be happy to see your estimates, but, as I think @Rajala implied, there is no substitute for an actual measurement with an actual machine. Thanks for allowing us to experiment with the fruits of your labors.

In the continuing discussion of whether to temper colored cocoa butter, I thought this post from May 31, 2024, on Instagram from Sosase Chocolate might be of interest: I was especially intrigued by the poster's discussion of using silk (particularly "if I use too much silk, it will crystallise too quickly during spraying)."

The ganache spreadsheet to which I referred in the post you mention is available on my website: https://www.santiagochocolates.com/ganache.html But I need to add that I have not found that spreadsheet all that useful. I actually developed my own using dBase software. There is other software discussed by Kerry Beal on eGullet, but I don't have have a link to that; a Google search on balancing ganache will lead you to other software options. Chocolate Academy has a (free) video on the subject. Another option is to sign up for Kalle Jungstedt's course that includes his method of balancing ganaches. The issue with all such methods is that they depend on the particular ingredients you use. For instance, the compositions of 60% and 72% dark chocolate are substantially different (especially the amount of cocoa butter each contains). Another way of dealing with being fairly sure your ganache will be balanced, have a decent shelf life, and also taste good is to use recipes from reputable sources (such as Peter Greweling, Ewald Notter, Jean-Pierre Wybauw, Melissa Coppel, and the aforementioned Kalle Jungstedt).

Thanks very much for the Amy Levin reference. I like the look of what she does in that post, but I agree with you about the stark transitions in her colors. I think many people who use the marbled effect use an airbrush to spread the colors, but I have not had success--the colors never spread enough unless I use a large amount of colored cocoa butter--and that makes a huge mess. I also agree that getting the right order for light colors is crucial. I have some success using a finger (as Amy does), but it's a hit or miss proposition (some are beautiful, others turns brownish with all the colors mixing too much). I must say that Monde du Chocolat's Easter eggs are incredibly beautiful.

Does anyone have an idea why this hole appeared in my sandwich loaf? It is an all-whole-wheat recipe (mostly white whole wheat, some regular WW, based chiefly on one from marysnest.com). Baked to a temp of 200F. A somewhat wet dough, which I treated like a no-knead type of bread. I'm searching for a whole wheat loaf that takes a minimal amount of time to prepare so that I will make it regularly. The hole develops from time to time, but not always. Thanks for any help.

Before the workshop, someone requested that the "watercolor effect" of Monde du Chocolat be demonstrated. Did that take place? Achieving that effect reliably has always eluded me.

I have not tasted it, but Chocosphere has it in a 1kg bag for $26.29.

Thanks for the details. I am in awe of the amount of work you did for this design--and of how beautifully it turned out. I'm afraid my customers will not see an egg anywhere near this level of artistry.

@Saltychoc, a beautiful collection of chocolates. I especially admire the decoration of the blue and gold eggs. Do you mind telling how you got this effect?

Here are a couple of recipes that might be of interest: https://lucysfriendlyfoods.com/2020/12/19/pomegranate-and-grenadine-pate-de-fruits/ https://www.julescooking.com/single-post/how-to-make-pate-de-fruit-best-candy-ever Neither recipe is exactly a "professional" Boiron-style recipe, but they are interesting because they don't use any other fruit.

@Saltychoc I bought the Opalys from International Gourmet Foods. They have locations in various parts of the U.S., and the northern Virginia one is fairly close to me. This means the chocolate is delivered by truck, which is a good thingy primarily because I don't have to worry about melting during the warmer months. Shipping is "free," but of course I'm paying at some point. The refrigerated truck also means that I can order frozen fruit purées, but I don't know whether they have the same 12-tub minimum that AUI has (I buy my Felchlin from AUI, and again, shipping is "free"). Prices are lower at the wholesale division of Chocosphere (the only place I have found 3kg bags of Valrhona for less than $100), but shipping chocolate from Oregon to Virginia is another issue--and I just learned that Chocosphere has new owners, so who knows what that will mean?. Pastry Depot in Atlanta has just gone all wholesale, but their prices are higher than Chocosphere's.

I think she is very good in her teaching style, but the method of cooling seems incredibly fussy and time-consuming. I too use a cold water bath, and if I am impatient, add some ice to the water.

My rep at AUI said to expect a big jump in the near future for Felchlin (we didn't discuss other brands, so I don't know about that). I've also ordered what is for me a huge amount of Valrhona Opalys.

Yes, I have continued with experimentation. I am reasonably sure the heated warming tray was the cause of the missing colored cocoa butter. I was able to replicate the problem with heat; it did not occur without heat. If the tray's thermostat were more reliable, I think this would be the perfect solution, but it's not. So I returned to wiping the freshly sprayed molds upside down on shop towels, and the difficulty of removing the CCB returned. I followed Kerry's information on not adding too much silk and started going through the annoying procedure of weighing the CCB, using a chart to add 1% silk. Alas, the issue continued. I find it puzzling to watch countless videos of people turning their sprayed molds upside down and effortlessly wiping off the CCB. But it's one mold, and they are usually employing an airbrush not a spray gun. Next attempt: It occurred to me that even a tiny amount of silk may be contributing to overtempering and thus CCB crystallizing almost immediately. So I started using the ancient tempering method of melting the CCB, lowering its temperature to 27C, then raising it to 28-30C. I didn't have a lot of molds left in the current batch to give this idea a real test, but it seemed to give better results. With reputable chocolatiers not tempering their CCB (see above in this thread), I also was less careful when using the heat gun between molds, and that also seemed to help. Since a huge majority of chocolatiers do temper their CCB, I am not yet ready to abandon the practice. As @RanaMN pointed out, a Fuji blows a lot more CCB through the gun and creates unique issues. If I recall correctly @Chocolot uses a scraper on her molds after she has finished spraying them. Scraping makes a huge mess and sometimes removes chips of color below the tops of cavities.