Jim D.

No, I haven't. Valrhona has come out with several whites recently, and I kept buying a kilo of this one and that one (didn't care for Waina), but I finally gave up. I will give Orelys a try. Thanks for the tip. Actually I have never been a huge fan of Dulcey. I just looked up Orelys, and Valrhona tells me it has "hints of biscuit" so maybe I won't need my shortbread cookie bits!

Yes, after reading an article by Peter Greweling on water and fat migration between layers, I have started painting on a layer of cocoa butter between layers, e.g., between marshmallow and a pâte de fruit layer. Interestingly Greweling, who likes using layers in bonbons, does not specify the cocoa butter layer in his books, but certainly does so in that article.

Thanks so much for researching that. My search for "dried molasses" came up with the soil additive--but I didn't go on to page 2 of the results, where the edible molasses powder appears. I will certainly give that a try.

I do something similar when making a cookie layer: I pipe a little caramel in the bottom of the a large mold, then a little gianduja, then add the cookie layer, then a bit more gianduja. Protected from the caramel, the cookie stays crisp. I like your idea of baking the cookie dough a little, then cutting it. I have had trouble with the cookies spreading out (even after I chilled them) so much that they don't fit easily in the mold. I assume your method helps them maintain their size. I really had trouble finding a cookie cutter small enough to work, and as a result of buying several sets of miniature biscuit cutters, now have a large collection of such cutters.

I tested a marshmallow layer made with the eGullet strawberry marshmallow recipe, and it had an Aw reading of 0.67--well below the cutoff point I use of 0.85. It will, of course, depend somewhat on the quantity of water left in the syrup.

I just made 125 of the chocolate chip cookie truffles discussed in this thread. They were based on a ganache with Dulcey, cream, and molasses, plus chopped toasted pecans and the cookie bits described above. I thought the taste definitely suggested a c.c. cookie, and, thanks to the shortbread flavor, tasted better than the ganache had previously. I tried several methods of making the cookie bits, but the best (and least OCD) way of doing it seems to be to cut the (unbaked) dough with a long knife into pieces (roughly squares about 1/4" each dimension). Then I baked those and let them cool, then I placed them on parchment. I tempered some dark chocolate and poured some of it over a section of the cookie bits and quickly used a fork to coat the bits as thoroughly as possible. This is a race against the crystallization clock (perhaps the chocolate should not be tempered?), and it's not possible to coat every piece of cookie thoroughly. In any event I mixed those into the ganache after it had cooled to around 80F (so as not to melt the chocolate). It's difficult to form the truffles with the protruding cookie bits, but not impossible. My results and resulting questions: As I said earlier, the taste is what I was looking for. I do think the dark chocolate coated cookie pieces plus the dark chocolate coating on the outside may be too much. Maybe use milk chocolate for either the bits or the outside? The only disappointment was one of the points of including the cookies--to get cookie-like crunch. For a few days the cookie bits remained crunchy, but after a week or so, they were not. The taste was still there, but not the crunch. Every spot where the bits were not covered in chocolate they let moisture in. I would still include them in the ganache because of the substantial improvement in taste, but I'm back to considering a move to a gianduja so as to avoid the moisture problem entirely. So, as suggested above, a Dulcey and pecan gianduja, plus some chopped pecans and the chocolate-covered (mostly) cookie bits--or I could even add the cookie bits without any covering and some separate chocolate bits, to simplify matters considerably. I am still left with the missing molasses flavor. The recipe does not include any glucose, or I would substitute dark brown sugar for that. Perhaps it could handle some dark brown sugar added to the gianduja, and that would balance the dark chocolate used inside and outside the truffle? But does the sugar have a strong enough molasses flavor? There is actually such a thing as dried molasses (much to my surprise), but it's a gardening product.

Sorry, I'm not going to the workshop.

I had custom injection polycarbonate molds for chocolates made for me by Tomric Plastics. I had found that the demisphere (or hemisphere or half-sphere, whichever term you prefer) is the easiest shape to decorate but that the available molds (at least the ones I could locate) were either too small or much too large, thus the custom mold. The overall mold size is 275mm x 175mm (about 10.8" x 6.9"); each cavity is 34mm in diameter x 17mm in depth (about 1.3" x 0.7") and makes a chocolate weighing approximately 12 grams. The bonbons made in these molds have proved extremely easy to decorate and to unmold. Unfortunately the minimum order was 100 molds, and I am interested in selling about half of them (the molds for sale are new, never used). I would strongly prefer orders of a minimum of 3 molds. The cost per mold is $21 plus shipping (which will be the least expensive rate for U.S. Priority Mail). Payment will be via Paypal. For any questions or orders, please use the eGullet personal messaging system (click on my name).

The Fiddyment Farm paste is what I am now using--just bought a 4.5-lb. container. It's actually greener than the Agrimontana Sicilian paste I had been buying (I posted a side-by-side comparison of the two previously in this thread). The subject of roasting pistachios was discussed previously, and those who wrote said pistachios were better unroasted. I tried this recently and felt something was missing, so ended up toasting them briefly in a toaster oven. Like so many things, it is a matter of personal taste. @Rajala asked about removing the skins. I did this once (Greweling calls for it in his "Pistachio Homage"). To say it is tedious does not quite cover what was involved. They do look good and very green. After you boil them, you do need to dry them before proceeding.

Those very definite statements are, of course, your opinion.

I sell my chocolates wholesale (in this case, I sell them to a shop that then offers them--at an increased price, of course--at retail). I have an Aw meter (the Pawkit model from Aqualab, now named Meter Group). Shelf life is a big concern for me, and I don't make any fillings that have an Aw reading above 0.85--in reality, all are well below that figure. What I do is to put the individual boxes in plastic bags and seal them with an impulse sealer. Then the store keeps them in a cooler for sale. Each box has an insert giving handling instructions--to let the box, still in its plastic bag, come to room temp before opening it. I provide one free box for display, which can be opened, covered with plastic wrap, and left out on the counter. I also provide a folded card printed on heavy paper showing the various flavors in a particular assortment; on the back of the card is a list of the ingredients in that batch. That is left on the counter beside the display box. This has worked quite well. The only part of my procedure that others might not like is that I sell the chocolates on consignment. If, at the end of approximately a month, there are any unsold chocolates, I remove them, and the store pays me only for what it has sold. I know this means I occasionally lose some money, but I think one's reputation for the product is more important than a few dollars. After a few times at this arrangement, I can now estimate how many boxes will be sold and don't often have any to reclaim.

There is no question that Wybauw is recognized as an expert in chocolate. I have never heard anything but high praise for the classes he conducts (there are many references to his teaching on many eGullet threads). He is an acknowledged authority on extending shelf life and provides Aw readings for his recipes. He also offers a large number of recipes for the chocolatier, far more than Greweling or Notter or, in fact, any other book I have seen. I think that many of us are always looking for new ideas for making chocolate centers, and he includes plenty of those, some "normal" ones, some "out there" (I made his ganache with saffron and hated it). But all that being said, I agree with the criticism of @minas6907. Yes, the book does read as a translated work; usually it's easy to figure out what was meant, but we need an editor here. One of my biggest criticisms is that, at least in Volume 2 (I have 2 and 4), there is no index. A cookbook without an index? That drives me crazy every time I search for a recipe. There is a comprehensive index for all the volumes in the fourth one, but for a long time I had only the second and so was index-less. In addition, the amounts made by the recipes vary widely. If you use a spreadsheet or another program to adjust recipes, you can work around this issue. I very much appreciate that he offers so many flavor possibilities, but some of them simply do not work. I made a rhubarb and kalamansi bonbon, and there was absolutely no rhubarb taste (the rhubarb was mixed in milk and dark chocolate, so how could there be?); the kalamansi gave it an overall sour taste. It prompted me to reach for my usual response to such ideas: what was he thinking? did he actually try this? I always question myself when I am making something that I don't like from a recognized expert in the field: is it something I did wrong? But not in that case, or in the case of the saffron. I think some of the recipes also are not balanced, by which I mean there is too much liquid for the amount of chocolate, a situation that leads to problems with crystallization. I should add that I have found that to be the case with some recipes in Greweling and Notter as well. To end on a positive note: I use a number of Wybauw's recipes often: banana & passion fruit caramel, pineapple caramel (although it has required some significant adjustment), black currant (which people love), cardamom coffee (another crowd pleaser). plum (I always make it for Christmas, and I have adapted it to use figs instead of prunes on occasion), orange & spiced honey, and pistachio & hazelnut (I should add that those are not Wybauw's titles as I find some of his not helpful for remembering what the recipe is all about--for instance, the banana & passion fruit caramel is titled "Fruity"). During my slower season, I look through the two volumes I have and try more of his ideas, so I am not through yet!

There is certainly no argument with the fact that Chocolot's boxed chocolates look great. The reason I switched from cups to tray is ease of packaging, especially at a busy time of year. Separating the little cups from one another is time-consuming. If you make small or round chocolates, putting them into the cups is easy, but larger square or rectangular pieces take some effort, thus more time.

My Easter chocolates for 2018. First, the eggs: Clockwise, beginning with the red egg at top: strawberry pâte de fruit & strawberry buttercream, coffee ganache and rum buttercream, crispy hazelnut gianduja, dark caramel with Maldon sea salt. Then the boxed selection: Top row: (1) dark caramel with Maldon sea salt in dark chocolate, (2) coconut ganache & lime cream in white chocolate, (3) orange caramel with balsamic vinegar in dark chocolate. Middle row: (1) dark chocolate ganache with raspberry purée & rosewater in milk chocolate, (2) ganache flavored with Earl Grey tea in milk chocolate, (3) black currant ganache & crispy hazelnut gianduja dipped in milk chocolate and topped with a toasted hazelnut. Bottom row: (1) Morello cherry pâte de fruit & pistachio gianduja in dark chocolate, (2) chocolate chip cookie truffle dipped in dark chocolate, (3) mango pâte de fruit & mango ganache in dark chocolate.

I would strongly echo what @pastrygirl says about looking at packaging early in the process (written from some bitter experience ) because there are some decisions you make that can't be undone without considerable expense. If, for example, you want to use plastic trays (inserts) to hold the bonbons inside a box (which I highly recommend--as opposed to individual cups--for ease of assembly), there are only certain sizes that are manufactured in bulk. Whatever size tray you choose in turn determines what size chocolates you need to make (or can make), and that, of course, determines what molds you can use. For example, after buying far too many molds that make small chocolates, I got into making many bonbons with layers, and those are very difficult to make in small chocolates. So I moved to larger individual pieces. You can see that that decision affects the trays you will need. If you have custom trays made (which I have done once), it is very, very expensive--who knew that those clear plastic boxes that hold produce cost so much? So I would recommend looking at the packaging companies in some detail to see what is out there. There are lots of recommendations on eGullet, and I can provide some when you get to that point (I spent much of a summer researching this). It's far easier to get a "system" that includes boxes and trays that match, but then you need to look out for box height not being tall enough to hold your bonbons--just adding a toasted hazelnut to the top of a piece eliminates a lot of boxes out there! I ended up having custom boxes made because of the issues of height (not tall enough) and cavity size (not large enough) in stock boxes. I think packaging is crucial to the "look" of your product. That takes us back to the guitar size topic. It's linked to a lot of other issues, as has been said in this thread. As for using the guitar, there is a long thread on this. I recommend you read it if you haven't already. It even includes a link to a helpful video from pastrygirl on replacing guitar wires--a dreaded topic for all users of guitars. Having the right texture in what is being cut is crucial, and once you replace a guitar wire, you will know why!

If you want 1" squares, you need the 5mm. That base can utilize any frame with spacing of wires in a multiple of 5mm. Of course, to be exact, the 5mm squares aren't exactly 1"; they are 0.984252" 20mm and 35mm frames also fit that base and make a very nice size of bars.

I must confess I had to look up what a "cl" is and discovered it that is less than 1/3 of a fluid ounce. That's practically nothing. I am quite surprised that so little cocoa butter works. But I imagine that cleaning out the container is quite a job--compared to the little cup on an airbrush. Is there some setting on the HVLP itself for lowering the pressure and/or doing splatter, or was this just experimentation on your part? I don't think manufacturers of HVLPs probably foresaw this use of their product!

Thanks for that intriguing idea. So he dipped the head of the airbrush into the CCB? Did you see if he lowered the pressure? I'm glad you mentioned Savour because it reminds me that I am going to sign up for the videos when I have some free time in the near future. Do you think this video is part of the Savour online courses?

@Rajala, and @julie99nl: Do you have a link to a photo of the type of HVLP gun you have? I began a look on the Wagner site but was overwhelmed by the selection. They mostly appear to be the siphon type.

Good point. So the HVLP does not have a needle? I'll see if I can find one that has a paint container with a small capacity--perhaps a wild goose chase?

I already have a 0.7mm nozzle on the Grex (the largest they make).

Thanks for that information. I don't see any reason why my Grex airbrush (or any airbrush, for that matter) can't do the same. I have a pressure regulator installed between the hose from the compressor and the airbrush itself, so changing the pressure is easy. I will have to try again. I tried the spraying with a wooden stick or spatula between the brush and the mold to create splatter, but it is erratic (I have seen it done successfully in person, so I know it's just a matter of technique). I think the drop-cocoa-butter-from-the-bottle-and-spray-it-into-the-mold technique would be something that would take (for me) a lot of practice. Sad to confess, but the best I have done so far has been with a toothbrush.

I just read through this entire thread. You said you got an HVLP paint gun and also mentioned at one point that you had ordered an airbrush, but never said what brand it was. I bring this up because I am wondering whether you used the HVLP gun or the airbrush for the splatter. I have seen the Fuji in action, and it does splatter quite well. But most (if not all) paint guns have a rather large container for the paint. The ones I have seen would take a great deal of cocoa butter just to have enough to cover the bottom of the container. That is what kept me from buying one. So if you used the paint gun for the splatter, could you describe what amount of c.b. you used for the job? If you used an airbrush, I would love to know how you made it splatter. I am finding with my new Grex gravity-feed airbrush, I am using much more c.b. than I did with the siphon-style Paasche airbrush I used formerly. I can't quite imagine using a paint gun for just a few molds, considering how much c.b. it requires and how difficult it must be to clean out the container.

How did you get the nice even splatter on those molds?

Thanks, @paulraphael, for the link to the very helpful article. @Pastrypastmidnight, I don't know where you live, so can't say much about where to buy chocolate. My impression, though I don't know for sure, is that the manufacturers don't sell directly to customers. In the U.S., Chocosphere has an extraordinary selection; they sell both retail as well as wholesale to businesses (that's where I got the prices I mentioned). They also repackage many chocolates so as to sell them in smaller quantities. If you are a business, you have many other options for wholesale purchases, but these are often regional companies that sometimes require large purchases.