Jim D.

I am adding my question on making a "dry caramel" to this thread as the subject came up earlier--earlier meaning 2007 in this case! When making a dry caramel (just sugar and glucose), does one have to be concerned with washing down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan? I know this is common practice with a "wet caramel." I have found that by the time I have eliminated as many crystals as possible from the sides of the pan, the caramel has gotten too dark. I end up labeling my ganache "burnt caramel" out of necessity. In the case of an apple caramel, I want a caramel that is fairly light in color (and taste) so as not to mask the apple flavor. So do I just not worry about the sugar crystals, hoping they will be melted when the heated cream is added? Or if it is necessary to keep washing down the sides, how do I get a light caramel? Thanks for any help.

Anna, If the information is handy, could you let me know the issue of CI in which this appeared? I've been using a recipe from the Fannie Farmer cookbook, but the results are erratic and the flavor is rather plain. Thanks.

I have been making the Cook's Illustrated Mostly-No-Knead Bread for some time--the first rise is 18 hours or more, then after a quick folding and slight kneading, the second rise is in a bowl lined with parchment, so that the loaf can easily be transferred to the 500F. preheated pot with cover. Oven temp is lowered to 425F., bread is baked for 30 minutes, then cover is removed, and baking continues for 15-20 min. until the internal temp of the loaf is around 200F. I remove the loaf from the pot and cool it on a rack. The taste is acceptable, and the look of the outside is beautiful. But when I cut the bread, it does not have that crackle that it looks as if it will have. It's actually difficult to cut, as the exterior of the loaf is quite flexible. I think I recall that this same recipe produced a loaf with a crunchy exterior some time ago, and I am not aware of any changes I have made. The second baking period lasted only about 15 minutes yesterday, the loaf had reached 200F., and I didn't want to overbake. Is it possible I am just not leaving it in the oven long enough and the bread is therefore softening as it sits? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I've never found I had to toss out extra crème anglaise. The reference to mayo is in From Julia's Kitchen. Let us know how the soufflé turns out. The best lessons I learned from JC are how to fix things that go wrong. Of course, the crème anglaise will thin out the soufflé base eventually, but since it is thickened by eggs, I would think it would take longer.

You might try heating the mixture very gently while whisking and adding drops of milk to thin it out. Julia Child says it should be the consistency of "a heavy mayonnaise." Unless you need a lot of liquid to do the thinning, I would not bother making crème anglaise for this purpose. As you probably already know, when it's time to add the egg whites, stir in some to lighten the mixture (which should also help with your problem), then fold in the rest (again, all per JC).

Chocomom, Thanks for the links and other help. I appreciate your advice and will give the apple a try. You wrote about using boiled cider. That is basically what the cider jelly is that I mentioned earlier--cider boiled until it thickens (the only ingredient is "apple cider"). Of course it has a somewhat cooked taste, so it's possible it needs a dash of fresh apple purée (or citric acid, often recommended by Kerry Beal on this forum). Jim

Chocomom, I hope you don't mind my asking more questions: I have been working on an apple filling for some time, and also I looked at the Shotts recipe. What did you use for the apple flavoring that he calls for? Others have said that it is difficult to locate. Getting the apple flavor has been a hurdle; purée alone just doesn't make it through the chocolate taste. Another poster here uses cider jelly, and I have bought some of that to try (in an apple caramel). Of course, I agree that cinnamon is (at least for an American) suggestive of apple--there is another thread here that explores other options to go with apple. So can an impartial taster really taste apple in the filling you made? The mold has to be one that has a more or less flat top to be able to add the colored almonds, so that is another issue. On the subject of pumpkin, this is also something I have worked on a lot. I used Peter Greweling's pumpkin caramel ganache, and it was delicious but seemed to be dominated by the caramel. Then I found an Epicurious recipe that was more creamy, and I have now more or less combined the two approaches. I use white chocolate, which lets the pumpkin and spice flavors come through, then mold the filling in milk chocolate (I have been using E. Guittard Orinoco). I must say it tastes just like pumpkin pie (not that dark gluey kind, but a light creamy one). I like large molds, so I'll look for that one you used for the pumpkin. Thanks for your replies.

Chocomom, They are beautiful. So tell us what's inside. Is the top one by any chance Andrew Shotts's candy apple flavor? Looks a lot like it. I also like the shape of the bottom one. Can you tell us where you purchased the mold?

Here's a recipe using fondant: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Peppermint-Patties And here's one from Epicurious.com: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peppermint-Patties-240935 (this one calls for tempering the chocolate)

In some cases bakeries are, of course, using canned filling. Maybe they canned it themselves, but alas, not always.

20 pies in 8 hours in 1 oven? I am in awe. I hope you do have a standing reservation at a nearby rest home. Do you have days when you are not baking? If so, you could use those to make and freeze filled pies, then just bake them in time for market day. I think experts on pie-making all agree that freezing them is fine. This would, I assume, allow for more efficiency--you can prepare the peaches and assemble as many pies as possible, then move on to cherries, apples, etc. This is assuming you also have freezer space. By the way, if you are going to keep them frozen for any period of time beyond a few days, I would also vacuum-seal them first. I am very pleased with my Weston vacuum sealer for keeping chocolate and also meat--no more icy crystals or dried-out meat. The model I have takes bags up to 15" wide. Sometimes, if it's a delicate item, I just seal the bag without using the vacuum. Another source of info on your issue might be fellow baking vendors at the market. I don't know about your farmers' market, but in my city I don't detect any competitiveness and all seem happy to share information. Good luck.

Kerry, But how would it taste? I can't quite imagine that replacing the dairy taste of cream with oil would be palatable. What about using butter--or would that overwhelm the purée's taste? I know that butter ganaches often end up with a weak fruit taste.

I guess I forgot about all the alien things floating around a kitchen (not my kitchen, I prefer to imagine). Even when the truffles are sealed in chocolate, I would not be comfortable with the possibilities (though I have to add that sometimes I am not comfortable with those who take a month to eat a box of 15 of my chocolates--all made from experts' recipes--since anything will mold given enough time, even, as I recently discovered, refrigerated, bottled, very acidic salsa). But I do like both of your alternative ideas, especially including some Dulcey, something I have been wanting to try. But the flour + liquid issue would still be there. Maybe just Dulcey, cream, butter, toasted pecans, and cocoa nibs--would that convey the chocolate chip cookie taste, or is the baking of the cookie an essential element of the taste? I've never used nibs. Are they somewhat bitter, like a very high percent dark chocolate?

But I can't find anything in the ingredient list that is at all unusual for a chocolate filling except the flour. Do you see any reason for refrigeration--except that the recipe doesn't call for tempered chocolate?

Interesting, but the only ingredient they could implicate--and that seems to be just a last guess--is the flour, and my roux idea would make sure the flour is cooked.

I am always looking for new fillings for chocolates and came across one for cookie dough truffles on Ecole Chocolat's recipe page. It calls for chocolate chip cookie dough rolled into balls then covered with chocolate. Not my cup of tea perhaps, but I think it might go over well with my "audience" (especially if I add some toasted pecans--after all, I am in the U.S. South). This is a dough with flour, melted butter, cream, brown sugar, cocoa nibs, etc. (no eggs). Given flour's unpleasant taste when uncooked, I am suspicious. Before I order cocoa nibs and start experimenting, I would appreciate some advice: Do you think it would work if I first made a roux with the butter and flour, then added the other ingredients? And do you foresee any shelf life issues with this filling? Any help would be welcome.

I had a curious problem with my KitchenAid, which is now probably 20 years old. After it was in use for a long (but not hugely long) time it would drip oil/grease into whatever I was mixing. I contacted KA and got a very unsatisfactory answer: "Don't worry, the grease is food-safe." It was a gift, and as I had no idea where it came from--and didn't really use it that much--I just went on using it, watching carefully if the mixing time was substantial. The dripping has mostly stopped now, but occurred again a few weeks ago. So my recommendation would be to watch for this issue. Regardless of how safe the grease is, I suspect you don't want it in your baked goods--or, in my case, in my Montélimar (white) nougat.

This is probably not the kind of thing you are thinking of, but I made chocolates using Jean-Pierre Wybauw's recipe for a saffron ganache. Although the spice was used only to infuse the cream--and only a tiny amount was called for--I absolutely hated it. I do realize that it is undoubtedly my unsophisticated palate that is at fault, but all I could think of was iodine. Maybe a cheesecake would be better--with the tiniest quantity of saffron. I have lots of saffron in my cupboard (once worked with a historian of Spain who brought it back directly from Spain in great quantities), but at this point I restrict its use to seafood and some Indian dishes.

I love the look of that praline. Do you mind telling how you got the stripe effect?

RWood, I would love to know what the fillings are for the pieces you photographed--when you have recovered from the experience, that is. Jim D.

I too would recommend Ewald Notter's The Art of the Chocolatier in addition to Greweling. Notter covers most of the same information, but I find it always helpful to have two points of view. And I think Notter's recipes for ganaches are definitely intriguing, a bit more "outside the box."

Matthew, So how did the pina colada ganache turn out? Did you have the same experience I did--the ganache was very fluid at first, then became very firm? And did the pineapple flavor come through successfully? Jim

Matthew, As I understand it, there are two types of coconut oil, deodorized and non-deodorized. With pina colada, you want the coconut taste, so it's the second type. I am sure cream of coconut could be substituted or coconut purée. Yes, coconut oil is waxy--in fact, when it is cold, it acts just like a container of wax. But when mixed in a ganache, this quality disappears. As for the pineapple, I pressed the pineapple between paper towels and then processed it. I started to strain it, but all I was getting was liquid, so I just used it as it came from the food processor. It could be reduced, of course, but in my experiments I tried canned pineapple, and the flavor was significantly less, and that's what you would get if you cooked the fresh pineapple. In general, I have found that many of the commercial frozen purées have more of the consistency of juice, so I left in the pineapple pulp and don't have a problem with the texture it adds. I just returned from the party where the pina colada chocolates were served, and they seemed to be a big hit. I don't think the "pina colada" name hurts! Jim

After some of the items you have made, a compliment from you means a lot. For the pina colada, let me refer you to a recent posting of mine asking for assistance in understanding what was happening: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/63097-ganache-tips-techniques/page-17 -- it is post #492 and includes the ingredients. My results are not perfect, but I am still working on it. As Kerry Beal suggested in her reply to my post, the coconut oil is probably the key to the issue. Jim

I made some chocolates for the high school graduation party of a friend's daughter. The total for the batch was about 225 pieces. The hazelnut and the lemon were specially requested. The image is of a guide I made to tell guests what they were eating. Usually I try to decorate the outside to suggest what the ganache is, but in some of these I decided just to go for a festive look.