Jim D.
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Posts posted by Jim D.
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I have read through this entire thread (and another one on the same subject) but am left hanging at the end. Supposedly Jacques Genin's actual recipe for his famous passion fruit mango caramels was found (in English, post of July 24, 2014). Did anyone ever try this recipe and find out how it compared to the original? Meanwhile another poster (Schneich) came up with a recipe that produced results similar to Genin's but using sorbitol and lecithin. I'm wondering if anyone has followed up on this effort to make a caramel that is very soft yet can still be cut. I bring this up because my first effort at "stand-alone" caramels (not piped into molds) tasted OK (I used some cherry flavoring) but was too firm; I think I overcooked it by 1 or 2 degrees--it's very difficult, I discovered, to get all the caramel in the pot to the same temp simultaneously.
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A reminder to those who signed up for the webinar presented by Decagon Devices on "Water Activity for Candy and Confectionary Products": The event is scheduled for tomorrow (June 9) 9-10 a.m. PDT. You should have received information from Decagon on how to access the webinar.
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Many thanks for making that video, Kerry. It makes the process very clear. You could probably use this on the EZtemper website (an idea that has undoubtedly already occurred to you).
Jim
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Kerry,
Thanks for the experiment. Impressive that the chocolate for that shell was never taken down to anywhere near 29C/84F. In the particular case of Valrhona Opalys, I have concluded (from many unfortunate episodes with chocolate that refuses to come out of an upside-down mold) that Valrhona's working temperature is too low. What brand of chocolate were you using in the photos?
Since the issue of over-crystallization always comes up with making shells over an extended time, do you have any information on the impact of using the EZtemper silk and keeping the chocolate (I am thinking of white now) at 33.5C/92.3F? In other words, does it take longer to over-crystallize or is the time about the same? I can't imagine it would be safe to take the chocolate above 33.5C/92.3F when it starts to thicken.
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Kerry,
We discussed the Valrhona issue in a "Molded Chocolates" thread--which was a merged topic. Thanks very much for remembering to ask the question when you were in France, and in a way I'm relieved to read that it's a "known problem." Oddly, that kind of problem is comforting (meaning I'm probably not the only one having the difficulty). Recently I have begun adding some cocoa butter to Opalys when using it for molding, but I don't like doing that because really it's changing the flavor from what the manufacturer intended--and, in my opinion, no matter what is said, cocoa butter (Cacao Barry in my case) does have a taste of its own.
By the way, have you posted any photos from that Valrhona workshop?
So, when you are adding the cocoa butter from the EZtemper to white chocolate, do you just bring the melted chocolate down to 33.5F/92.3F, add the "silk," then stir for a minute or so, and use it at that temperature? No need to bring it down to the manufacturer's recommended working temp--as one does with Mycryo or any other tempering method? Not that I don't believe you, but it would take a little courage the first time to use white chocolate at that temp. But it does sound promising.
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Yup - you can hold at 33.5 or so - that makes a big difference with white chocolate!
Kerry,
This is a significant figure for white chocolate--33.5C/92.3F, well above the usual figure given for working with it (29C/84F). If it's not a trade secret, can you explain how the tempered cocoa butter is able to make that possible? (You may recall that I have often had a lot of trouble molding with Valrhona Opalys--so much trouble that you offered to speak to the Valrhona folks when you were there this year).
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I use Chocosphere.com. They have a very wide selection and good customer service. If you want a well-known brand such as Callebaut or Valrhona, there are many other sources.
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That's why I suggested the ganache will come closer to what you want. The cream used in a ganache (if you use enough) will keep it from getting so firm. A common ratio suggested for milk chocolate ganache is 2.5:1 (chocolate to cream), but you might aim for something closer to 1.5:1. I did find a recipe online that called for heating the peanut butter and cream together, then emulsifying with the chocolate (that recipe specified dark chocolate--I think I would use milk). If you find the chocolate taste is overwhelming the peanut butter more than you like, you can substitute some cocoa butter for part of the chocolate. I think experimenting is the way to go. I make up 100g batches of a ganache to see what the flavor is going to be like; that way you are not wasting too many expensive ingredients--but you do have to keep a record of what you do.
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Oh! Didn't realize that it was a gianduja.
So I should make a ganache with cream and add peanut butter?
What if I added things like butter or maybe cocoa butter would that make a difference?
I really want it to stay runny.
As pastrygirl said, you can either make a softer gianduja (a higher ratio of peanut butter to chocolate) or use cream and chocolate to make a ganache and add peanut butter. I think the gianduja will give a more intense peanut butter flavor, but the ganache will probably come closer to the texture you want. I would try a small amount of each to see which you prefer. Once you find out (keeping a record of your ingredient weights), it is easy to scale the recipe up to the quantity you need.
As for adding butter or cocoa butter, butter will add a little firmness but not a lot, but although cocoa butter will at first thin the mixture, it will end up making it considerably more firm. Many ganache recipes call for adding cocoa butter because it adds firmness without contributing (much) flavor. I don't think that is what you want.
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Thanks, Kerry, for the information. When you say the "technology is used currently in industry," could you give some examples? Are you, for example, referring to something like mass-produced chocolates?
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Ruth,
Does the machine hold the (almost-but-not-quite-melted) cocoa butter at the right temp forever--or at least as long it stays inside the machine? Any harm done by removing a little "silk" and then returning the container to the machine? I'm thinking of situations where a user works on many different projects (lining molds with chocolate, making ganaches, closing molds, dipping chocolates) and might wish to keep the cocoa butter ready over a period of many days.
As was pointed out in another thread, this is very much like Mycryo, but by the time one brings the chocolate down to the right temp, the Mycryo is rather difficult to dissolve--I often have to use an immersion blender to get those last grains of cocoa butter to melt.
And speaking of Mycryo, why didn't Callebaut think of this?
Jim
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Chris,
Perhaps someone on eGullet with a smartphone will record the seminar and then send it to you. I would, but I don't have a smartphone.
Jim
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I received an e-mail from Decagon, maker of the Pawkit (which some on eGullet own) as well as other water activity meters, about a free online seminar the company is offering, and I thought other eGullet members might be interested. I checked with Decagon, and it is open not only to those in business but also to hobbyists (when registering, the latter can enter "self-employed" or "hobbyist" in the Organization field). Decagon also said that the seminar is not specific to a particular water activity instrument but focuses on how water activity can be used as a tool for product formulation and quality control. Here are the details:
Water Activity for Candy &
Confectionery ProductsMost candy has a well defined "moisture sweet spot"—an ideal range where texture properties are perfect. And surprisingly small changes in water activity correlate with big differences in a candy product’s texture.
Attend this seminar and learn:- The relationship between texture and water activity in a wide variety of candy products
- How to identify a candy product's "moisture sweet spot"
- How to use water activity to maintain consistency and quality in your product
- Presenter: Dr. Brady Carter, Senior Research Scientist, Decagon Devices
Date: June 9, 2015 9-10 AM PDT.
Those interested can register at this link.
Click here for the terms under which this event is listed in eG Forums.
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Somewhere on this forum I have a post discussing the issue of whether to make ganaches ahead of time or not. At that time I said I was making all the ganaches, then vacuum-sealing and freezing them, and melting them again when ready to fill shells. Incidentally, I could be wrong, but I don't see that melting the ganaches adds a lot of air if one stirs gently. Now I wish I could erase that post. Although the system worked very well for workflow and chocolates were ready to distribute in a shorter time, gradually I discovered that the ganaches (especially those made with white chocolate) tended to separate and/or become grainy in texture. They just were not of the same quality as freshly made ones--or so it seemed to me.
Therefore I reverted to what I think is the method most chocolatiers follow, namely, making the ganaches "on demand." But with experience I have reduced the amount of time the whole process takes. I should add that I am working on a small scale (unlike what it sounds that you are about to do)--I make 12 different fillings, with about 40-50 pieces of each. From decorating the molds to boxing the finished product now takes me 10 days. I do not worry at all about leaving the empty shells in a cool place for even as much as several days. I spend a day or two decorating, then mold all the shells (dark, milk, white) over a two-day period. After that, I begin making ganaches, about three a day. Of course the slabbed and dipped items take longer, especially if they have more than one layer. I leave a day toward the end for any necessary redoing of molds or fillings, then a day for photographing the individual pieces and boxing them. I should add that I don't kill myself (almost, but not quite), so I don't work 8 hours a day--this is still a hobby for me.
All things considered, I am happier with this method than with making the fillings in advance, but I am concerned with shelf life more than I was before. I have read what Wybauw has to say about this issue and have bought a water activity meter to be sure ganaches are at least starting off with a decent shelf life. Of course, in the final analysis, one can't control how long those who get the chocolates take to eat them or how they store them. Actually I still have some that I made for Easter, and although the fillings are beginning to decline in quality, they still appear--as of last night--safe to eat.
I'm not sure this information will translate to your more commercial situation.
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I too recently made the Greweling pistachio marzipan (I love his name for the recipe, "Pistachio Homage"). I think pistachios naturally have a kind of flat taste, so I was not surprised at the final taste. Maybe a little salt would be helpful? Or perhaps some sweetener? I too was concerned for the survival of my Cuisinart. I was about to give up when, all at once, the marzipan came together and looked the way it is supposed to look. I like the piece, but--maybe this is heresy--I'm not sure it is good enough to justify the amount of work involved. It does look great. I had never peeled pistachios before, and it made a huge difference in the appearance.
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I looked through this old thread for some mention of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Praline Brioche Cake but did not find any. If anyone has made this cake, I would appreciate suggestions about the brioche part. Although the finished cake is delicious and always looks more or less OK, I have never had complete success with the brioche. Whether I bake it as she directs as a single layer in a springform pan or in two cake pans, it always rises, tests done, then after being removed from the oven, falls. Inevitably I have to trim it rather severely to get a nice cylinder that can be frosted.
In the most recent effort with this cake, it was on an unexpectedly warm day and the brioche rose more than the double that Rose mentions. For the second rise just before baking, the brioche rose just as it was supposed to, and during the baking it rose and browned beautifully, tested done with a skewer, then promptly fell into a mess on the counter--a great sinkhole in the middle. I was able to rescue it by trimming the edges (and by cheating a little with extra frosting here and there). Could the first over-rise have been the issue? This cake is so good that it is worth trying to solve the problem. By the way, I have altered it a bit by either slicing a single layer in two or using two layers and then spreading some apricot jam--a great combination with the hazelnut buttercream and toasted hazelnuts around the outside.
Any brioche help would be appreciated.
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Ruben,
I am anxious to try your lemon curd ice cream but am reluctant until I solve the problem with the Cuisinart of having a substantial amount of the base freeze on the side of the bowl. It is very difficult to remove this frozen edge, and its texture is not pleasant--which makes the effort you put into keeping the ice cream smooth and not icy close to pointless. I tried your suggestion of pushing the plastic blade/mixer/dasher against the side of the bowl, but this interfered with the rotation of the bowl--to an alarming degree (the motor sounded "stressed"). With my efforts at making ice cream so far, I have just waited for the frozen part to melt a bit and then used an immersion blender to mix it into the rest of the product; this is clearly counteracting the whole point of making the process as fast as possible. Any other ideas?
Jim
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I can tell you that new Pawkits (with a supply of testing cups plus shipping across the U.S.) are about $2,000.
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I think I hate you. Everything done wrong, and perfect nougat results. I'm afraid you cannot be the poster boy for this forum, where meticulousness is the name of the game.
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gfron1,
I would be interested in knowing to what temperature you cooked the syrup for that nougat. I had a mess the last time I made nougat. My thermometer read the correct temp (in Notter's recipe, 311F.), but the nougat never firmed up enough to cut. Yours looks perfect.
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I use E. Guittard Orinoco for most of my milk chocolate work (ganaches, molding, and dipping) and really like it. It's also invariably (so far) easy to work with--it does not get overly viscous even in extended use. In the milk chocolate field, I got some Valrhona Jivara and their newer Bahibe as well as some Felchlin Maracaibo Criolait and did a taste test that included Orinoco. The Orinoco and Maracaibo came out on top, with Jivara third, and Bahibe a distant fourth--and the E. Guittard is the least expensive of the group. On the other hand, I did not care for Guittard's Soie Blanche white chocolate.
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I've never made the mint meltaways but love the look and assume the mouth feel must be wonderful. I have a jar of organic coconut oil that is solid. My question is - do you heat the solidified oil up to liquid and if so, any special temp or just cool it until cool but still liquid? (excuse me if this is in the directions, I'm at work planning my nights of chocolate making this week!) Also, has anyone made these with any other type of oil? My mom loves mint but not coconut so not sure if she would eat them...
Recently I brought up the subject of the taste of coconut oil (there is one kind that tastes strongly of coconut and another that does not). You might be interested in that discussion (especially replies 12 and 13).
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Matthew,
Thanks for your kind words. I will certainly try the roasting method for rhubarb, just as soon as it appears in our farmers' market. I appreciate the suggestion.
Jim
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A photo of chocolates I made for Easter (with the recipe sources where applicable):
Row 1: Layers of Mexican vanilla (Notter) and cardamom coffee (Wybauw), molded in dark chocolate. Layers of pistachio gianduja and pistachio marzipan (Greweling), dipped in dark chocolate. Layers of blackberry jelly and orange-infused dark chocolate (Notter), molded in dark chocolate. Kalamansi, molded in white chocolate. Rhubarb and strawberry (Kerry Beal of eGullet), molded in white chocolate.
Row 2: Cherry and toasted almond (Greweling), molded in dark chocolate. Banana and passion fruit caramel (Wybauw), molded in milk chocolate. Three layers of gianduja (white, milk, dark) (Greweling), dipped in dark chocolate. Layers of crispy gianduja and black currant (Wybauw), dipped in milk chocolate. Milk and dark chocolate infused with Earl Grey tea (Greweling), molded in milk chocolate.
Row 3: Caramelized pineapple (Wybauw), molded in milk chocolate. Apricot, molded in white chocolate.
A few comments: I was so looking forward to trying my new Mexican vanilla beans, but alas, the flavor is not much different from "regular" vanilla. This adds to the observation that what most people think of as Mexican vanilla extract (and buy so inexpensively in Mexico) is not truly vanilla at all. With this ganache I learned (once again) that cardamom is a very powerful flavor, and it's all too easy to overdo it.
Greweling's pistachio "homage" (wonderful word!) is a major undertaking. First, there is the peeling of the pistachios (something I didn't even know could be done). Then I thought my old Cuisinart was going to give up the ghost when I was mixing the marzipan, but it held up, and all at once the marzipan comes together with the right texture. And then there is the last moment when you are directed to "affix [a pistachio] with a very small dot of chocolate." Nerves of steel recommended.
The tall octagon-shaped piece (with blackberry and orange-flavored dark chocolate) did not come cleanly out of the mold. Since other pieces using the same batch of dark chocolate unmolded without a hitch, I am thinking something was wrong with the temperature of the colored cocoa butter.
The kalamansi piece was my first use of this fruit. It's interesting, very close to yuzu in flavor, would probably pair well with other flavors.
I keep trying with rhubarb, but it's very faint, especially in combination with strawberry. I found the purchased rhubarb purée quite weak in flavor, so this time I had made my own, but still there was little flavor. Kerry Beal (from whose recipe this is derived) must know something about rhubarb that I don't!
The cherry and toasted almond filling is a winner. Greweling slabs it, but it works fine with piping--as long as the cherries and almonds are chopped finely enough.
The piece with layers of white, milk, and dark gianduja is delicious, but again, like the pistachio, a lot of work. The look of the three layers is great, but I think next time I would make just two layers--for the simple reason that a three-layer piece with a decoration on top barely fits into the boxes I use.
The black currant and gianduja combination remains a favorite. It's amazing what the addition of a little feuilletine does for texture.
The apricot filling, which is an idea of mine based on many other apricot recipes, is delicious, but the texture is a bit odd. It never really sets up as most ganaches do. I have checked the Aw, and it's no worse than regular ganaches. The apricot flavor comes from dried apricots cooked in apricot purée, then blitzed in a food processor, plus apricot brandy and some French "apricot essence" recommended by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It's still a work in progress, but worth the effort.
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Jacques Genin Caramels
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
chanjying,
Thanks very much for that response, exactly what I wanted to know. Someone in this thread said that supposedly a reason that Genin has not opened a U.S. shop is pessimism about the quality of American butter. I will get Plugra or Kerrygold (which are, I think, "European-style" butters, though probably far from the best French butter) when I make the attempt.
I have always wondered about the distinction between passion fruit juice and purée, as the "purée" I have purchased has always been quite thin (many ganache recipes call for reducing it by half to increase the flavor).