Jim D.

If you think about the melted cocoa butter that is often called for in ganaches, it eventually hardens and thus firms up the ganache. The silk just isn't quite melted. I routinely use it when a ganache recipe calls for melted cocoa butter.

Thanks very much for your kind words.

I'll give that a try. And while I was just working out (have to do something to get rid of the results of those defective bonbons), I thought of EZtemper silk. That would certainly thicken up the caramel, but (my theory goes) the thickening wouldn't happen until after the caramel had been piped. Your thoughts?

I've found some random postings on this topic but not what I need. I make several different caramel fillings. One is Notter's salted caramel, and I've not had leaking issues with that. Another is a caramelized pineapple recipe from Wybauw, which used to leak quite badly until I started using Kerry Beal's recipe that calls for adding some chocolate. But my apple caramel does tend to leak and I am seeking any hints for solving the issue. I cook the caramel to 234-235F/112-113C. Cooking it much longer makes it quite difficult to pipe into molds later. So next time I'm going to cook it another degree or two and see if it's still pipeable. Last time I tried a technique I saw online: closing the chocolates and scraping in the usual way, then spreading another layer of chocolate and scraping again. This double layer seemed to help (not sure since there are so many possible factors), but still left me with perhaps 6-7 slightly leaky bonbons out of a 40+ total. I also passed a hair dryer over the filled molds before closing them to try to meld the bottom to the rest of the shell. I don't know whether that helped or not. I don't want to add chocolate as I think it would muddy the apple flavor too much. What are the thoughts on adding cocoa butter? One other bit of info: I make lots of other (non-caramel) fillings that are quite soft but have never had any leaking with those. It's just the caramels where the problem occurs. Any ideas would be most welcome.

Who knows, you may inspire a young entrepreneur out there to write a new app: WebImpulseSealer or perhaps a more inventive name. Should be wildly popular with eGullet members facing their annual clean-out-the-kitchen-junk struggle.

A definite possibility. My new impulse sealer arrives today and the bags (3 mil thick, recommended for freezing) are on their way, so I'll be experimenting. When I froze the individual chocolates, I put them on quarter-sheet pans, wrapped them in plastic wrap, then into bag.

Thanks a lot for increasing my paranoia! So far they have traveled to the West Coast, to Maine, and to Texas without any damage. Believe me, I have researched every tray made for confections. The problem was that the cavities were not big enough for some of my products (I have some molds on the large side and a typical tray cavity size is 1" or even smaller--not nearly large enough), so I had to select trays that would work and then get the boxes. My tray holding 30 pieces looks the best (snug fit for chocolates), but the cavities are not large enough for several items and the chocolates have to be propped up against the sides. So I did the best I could without paying the "die fees" for a new size of tray--as I said before, thousands of dollars. If you ever want to get custom boxes, I have tons of information and several places that do good work at reasonable prices--as well as several to avoid at all costs. And returning to scratching and scuffing: The tray cavities have soft sides. The biggest danger is the up-and-down movement, and I put in extra pads beneath the lid to minimize that. As I said, so far there have been no issues.

I have been thinking exactly the same thing. I'll have to start looking for a place to get food-safe ones (if there is a difference). I wouldn't expect it to solve the problem totally, but it certainly could not hurt (actually it's recommended by chocolate expert Peter Greweling). Thanks for the idea.

Yes, that is exactly the plan. Today I had to rush the transition, and I paid the price. A learning experience, as they say.

The size of the boxes is a sore subject: I went through what seemed like hell to have those boxes made. It revolved around the available sizes of trays. I know that sounds insane, but the cost of having specially made trays is in the thousands of dollars, so I went with having boxes made that fit the trays. To get into entirely too much detail-- it all comes down to the fact that the stock boxes I was using became unavailable because the labor strike on the U.S. west coast made Chinese boxes impossible to obtain for nearly a year. I know what you mean about waiting 2 days. I am going through all of this because a local store wants to sell my chocolates and the only place they (it's a florist) have to store them is the flower fridge. So I will supply the chocolates in sealed plastic bags. But I will need the 2 days to move them from my freezer. I know this is all a risk, but actually one year when I had emergency surgery just before Easter, I stored chocolates in sealed plastic bags in a refrigerator for several weeks with no discernible ill effect. I am glad to hear that you think a gradual change in temp works. I have experimented with a frozen box (just as I will supply to the florist), moved it to the fridge, then to room temp. I ate one tonight, and no sugar bloom or any other ill effects. And yes, I do realize that, with my last sentence, I am daring the chocolate gods to do their worst. At least I did have the experience today, for the first time, of seeing sugar bloom--with the chocs moved directly from freeze to room temp.

But do you think the theory is correct that sealed items moved from freezer to fridge then to room temp should be OK? If not, how do we ever freeze chocolates safely?

I think the theory of the method I described earlier is that if the chocolates are airtight, then the condensation forms on the outside of the bag and the ill effects are mitigated by moving them gradually from freezer to fridge to room temp. I have had several successes with the method and the chocolates show no ill effects. I think the problem today may have been moving them from freezer directly to room temp (so that I could remove a few) . But I'm just in the learning process and am certainly not an expert.

I have found the Weston to be a great vacuum sealer. I had a steak a few days ago that looked and tasted fresh after several months in the freezer. But I have not found that the Weston seals "very nicely" at all when used on manual. Sometimes it works the way it is supposed to. Other times (too many to make it dependable) I place the bag slightly over the teflon tape but not too far into the chamber, the machine starts the process, I press the button for manual, it runs for a while, then there is a pop sound rather than the whoosh it should make, and often there is a burning smell (the teflon tape had burnt spots until I replaced it this morning). I spoke at length with a Weston engineer last week, and many people have had problems with using the sealer on manual, so many that there are instructions on how to disconnect the vacuum sensor/timer and make it totally and always manual. He was willing to guide me through the process, but I quickly said no when he said that if you are using the Weston as a vacuum sealer and misjudge whether the vacuum is sufficient or not, letting it run too long, you risk burning out some part (don't remember the details because at that point I thought, no thanks). Pastrygirl, yes, the Weston has a manual setting (as I described), but it does not have variable vacuum strength--you can't select 25%, for instance. There is a new model (and isn't there always a new model just after a purchase?) that can do that, and I think FoodSaver has machines that have the feature. Since you and I are concerned in particular about chocolates, I should report that my freezing method does not appear to be perfect. When the chocolates are in their final destination box and are sealed (no vacuum) in a bag, then refrigerated, then frozen, then back to the fridge, then to room temp (as the experts say to do), they are fine--or at least they are so far. But I had frozen a tray of individual pieces and needed some of them, and when I removed the tray from the freezer and opened the bag, condensation formed immediately on some of the chocolates. In Peter Greweling's chocolates book, he says to put the chocolates in a box and use a "gentle" vacuum, but when I tried that with the Weston, the box was crushed (along with its contents).

Thanks for the reply and for the suggestion about Vacuum Sealers Unlimited. I've learned that the chocolates freeze better already in their boxes, and my largest box size is 10 x 10 (and they are 1 1/2" tall), so 13" is about the minimum width for bag.

There have been some mentions of these sealers (which simply seal a plastic bag without vacuuming any air out) in other threads, but I was unable to find opinions that focused on these machines. I make filled chocolates. In order to freeze them for future use, I first tried my Weston 2300 vac sealer but quickly learned that chocolates cannot withstand that pressure, and when they are in a box, the Weston crushes the box. I used the Weston as a sealing-only machine, but it's not very good at that--you have to place the bag exactly in the right spot to keep the vacuum pump from activating and that is very difficult to do consistently. Therefore I am exploring impulse sealers. These simple machines look like the best I can do. They don't get rid of whatever air is in the bag, but they prevent additional air from entering and therefore keep out odors and--worst of all for chocolate--moisture. My first question is whether I should just go with the fairly inexpensive machines (what looks like the standard model is around $150 for the 16" long sealing area I need) or with the Vacmaster (about $400). The latter seems like overkill (in price, in weight, and in storage area required), but it has a 5mm wide seal, which gives a much more secure seal for freezer use than the others, with their 2mm seal. A failure of the seal, and the chocolates would be covered with freezer "snow." My second question is about what bags to get. From what I have read, a 3-mil bag would be best for freezer use. Polypropylene sounds like the material I want--it is good at providing a moisture barrier--but does not seem to come in the bag sizes I need. The Weston bags are quite sturdy, but I'm not sure they can be used in a regular impulse sealer (they might exceed the thickness these sealers can handle or the quilted side might present problems) and would be rather expensive to use in the long run. Perhaps sous vide bags are the answer, but I am not familiar with them at all. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

When I first started using coconut oil, I learned that not all coconut oil sets up completely hard at room temp. The unrefined kind that still has its coconut taste (and is therefore great for making a coconut filling) is quite hard, but the refined and (I think) more highly processed kind (LouAna is the most common brand in the U.S.) does not get totally hard. As it has no discernible coconut taste, it is what is used in various flavors of "meltaways" when one does not want a coconut flavor. Greweling has quite a few recipes for these, which are another way of achieving a buttercream-like texture. It is difficult to tell from packaging which type one is purchasing; I suppose the manufacturers of the processed product don't want to say too much about that.

Thanks for the kind words about the chocolates and my website. I envy your trips to Santiago. I would be happy to provide the recipe for the mousse. It is the same filling I recently wrote about in the thread on buttercream. It is basically Peter Greweling's orange butter ganache but with a few additions: Mix 110g softened butter and 40g fondant. Temper 360g milk chocolate and 120g dark chocolate, then add to the butter mixture. Add 50g orange juice concentrate, 20g orange liqueur (I use Grand Marnier), and (the next two are my additions) about 6 tablespoons of orange blossom water and 2 teaspoons of orange zest. Beat the mixture until it acquires a mousse-like texture and lightens in color. Pipe into molds or spread in a frame. Notes: I really like the orange blossom water because it gives a little twist to the usual chocolate-orange combination, but, of course, it is not necessary. The amount may seem large, but it took that much for the taste to come through. The zest considerably brightens the orange flavor. I know that I criticized fondant in that buttercream thread, but there isn't so much of it in this recipe. The shelf life issue was also discussed in the buttercream thread. I do not know for sure whether beating this filling reduces its shelf life, but its water activity is low. If one is concerned about the effect of the air introduced by the beating, the butter ganache is delicious without this added step.

I use Kerry's basic recipe. I heat the fondant and temper the chocolate (I don't think the latter is necessary, but I just melt some new chocolate slowly so as to keep it in temper), and yes, the butter needs to be softened. I mix them all with an immersion blender, but a food processor or mixer would work. I think the flavoring is the key to this filling as I get a kind of super-sweet, chalky taste/texture from fondant (maybe that's just me), so I add a lot of flavoring (whether it's vanilla or various kinds of liquor). This same technique also works for fruit fillings, such as strawberry or raspberry (again, with credit to Kerry). As for fluffing up a ganache, I do this with a butter ganache. I mix the butter, the chocolate, and whatever flavorings I'm using, then beat it with a hand-held electric mixer until it gets a mousse-like consistency. My water activity measurements have been quite low (an orange-cinnamon-ancho chili flavored butter ganache came out at 0.52). Although butter ganaches have a long shelf life, perhaps the mixing in of air does shorten it (I have also read that somewhere), but I have never had an issue with spoilage. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable will speak to this point, which is an important one as I am not entirely sure whether something with a low Aw can still have an impaired shelf life. Of the two approaches, I prefer the taste of the butter ganache.

I know that I should say nothing in this thread, but I am sure you will get some acceptable answers (you already have one) to your question. But I cannot resist saying that (IMHO) there is really no substitute in taste for a crust made from butter. If you have a food processor, you might try Julia Child's recipe (the one in From Julia Child's Kitchen). I make some minor alterations to it (such as mixing in the water with a fork), but it is fine the way it is. With very little practice you would be able to whip up a great crust in a short period of time.

If all the seed has not melted when you get to the working temp (you mention 89F), you should take it out. This can be difficult if you have small pieces (such as I think yours are). A slotted spoon would help get it all. It is easier if you have a large chunk of the seed to start with--perhaps after you get some of your chocolate properly tempered, you could use a piece of that. Just a thought.

Bentley, Beautiful and delicious-looking as well. Did you use an airbrush for that great yellow color? Do you mind saying a little about how you did the shell?

Did you have to stop fairly frequently to heat up the brush and chocolate? That is the problem I have far too often; I have to stop maybe 10 times in the course of spraying a mold. I'm using a Paasche. I think I need help (about airbrushing, I mean).

Your public anxiously awaits the results. If you tell me it went perfectly and you produced beautiful chocolates the first time, I think you should be banned from eG.

I have had situations where I had to hold chocolates for customers for a long enough period of time that they (the chocolates, not the customers) would have deteriorated and have kept them in the refrigerator without an issue. Some luck may have been involved, but I sealed the chocolates (in their individual boxes) in plastic bags. I used a vacuum sealer but without any vacuum (because of what it does to the chocolates--not a pretty sight). When I take them out of the fridge, I leave them still sealed for some hours before opening the bag. So if you have access to a (vacuum) sealer, you could try that. At the moment I have some sealed in bags in the fridge, waiting to be transferred tomorrow to my new chocolate freezer. I will reverse the acclimating process when I take them out and hope for the best.

Some variations came from exchanges with Pomona's staff. I lowered the amount of pectin to get something less firm than a traditional PDF. I tried adding the dried fruit, which gives a stronger flavor and also means less pectin is needed (but the method also works without the fruit--I made cherry with just juice the first time). I did not continue to post the results of my experimentation this past summer since there did not appear to be any interest on eG in the minutiae of my trial and error attempts on a rather arcane subject.