pastryani

I'd like to make Butterscotch with actual Scotch, but don't know which is the best Scotch to use. When I've asked Scotch aficionados they say use the "cheap stuff" because the subtle notes that you'll be paying more for with the expensive brands for won't come across in a candy/caramel form. This sounds like it could be true... thoughts? That said, what is a good option that's not super pricey but also doesn't taste like gasoline AND that would work well/complement a caramel? Thanks!

Preserved lemons (with salt)!! Soooo deelish!

Wow so pretty! That strawberry compote is SUCH a bright red - do tell how you kept it from getting "jam-colored" which is a much darker, duller shade?

Bananas Foster bonbons (Bananas, Spices, and dark rum).

Yep I've tried freezing, but it still didn't come out as anything resembling a ball (maybe it was just a particularly soft ganache). I have to say that with the exception of straight up chocolate, I can't imagine that anything with cream in it wouldn't leave some kind of residue. And if there's residue, that means that each cavity needs to be cleaned out well, which almost makes it not worth having perfect little spheres. Almost.

My guess is the paper loaf pans are for people who want to bake and gift the loaves in the same pan. It's doesn't seem like it's meant to be a way to make loaves just for personal consumption. For what it's worth, it does look like these can be composted after use, as opposed to just being thrown away.

I have a few of those "Truffly molds", which are basically silicone molds for casting little balls of ganache. I've tried using them but the ganache never pops out like a perfect ball (likely due to the consistency, guessing my ganaches are too soft). Anyone have any experience with these or similar molds? If so, what does the ratio have to be for them to cleanly pop out?

Thanks @Jim D. for all that info. And wow those suckers are pricey. Too bad there's no lab where you can just take your ganaches to get them tested.

How do you measure water activity? Besides cutting into a bonbon every day to see if it has spoiled? Is there some device that can test your ganache?

Seconded! It sounds like shelf life isn't an issue here as long as water content is controlled (and booze is added!). Now I just have to try it and see what side of the cheese/chocolate fence I land on.

Thanks @AnythingButPlainChocolate - I'll have to try this. Have you made it? I'd really like to know the shelf life on these. Even though it's been boiled I worry that they'd spoil after a day or two.

Are you cringing yet?! I was looking for interesting flavor combinations to use as fillings for bonbons, and came across a goat cheese and pear bonbon. I'm actually not sure what I think of this pairing - while it's delicious in a salad, I'm not sure how I'd feel about it in a bonbon (and who knows, it might work really well!). But moving on, does anyone know how to put cheese inside a truffle and have it be shelf stable?

I'd love to try it, but 2.5kg is way too much - too bad there isn't a sample size.

Wow @Lisa Shock thanks for such a detailed description. I didn't know that carnation extract was even a thing! (or bacon, for that matter!) Thanks @Jim D. I'll try out Kerry's recipe with frozen strawberries. I've tried compounds before, and some are definitely better than others. (p.s - I'm always tempted to add more puree, but will heed your advice and try to control myself)

I've read about the wonders of freeze dried fruit here but have yet to try it! How do you make your own extracts? (I make my own vanilla with the beans and various boozes, but how do you do that with fruit given that fruit is perishable? Also, if you stick a few raspberries in vodka, will that make a strong enough extract?

Yes I've tried white chocolate (with strawberry in particular) and found a very muted fruit flavor. Perhaps because they were fresh strawberries as opposed to a Boiron puree? PDF would certainly deliver a fruity punch but I was thinking of something more creamy. Sorry I should've specified - molded chocolate (I mostly dream of chocolates these days). Glucose is an idea... guessing it would be some fondant, some glucose, and puree? I'm wondering how did "Pot of Gold" used to do it with their strawberry and orange creams? I don't remember them being outrageously sweet but then again, that was a different time and a different palate.

That's less sweet than the usual fondant fillings? Silly question I know, but I'm looking to get a fruity filling and find that both caramel and chocolate-based fillings either change or mute the actual fruit flavor. And while fondant allows the fruit flavor to come through, it's cloyingly sweet. So is there some kind of "fondant filler" out there?

The description says it's a combo of books 1-4. If anyone out there has this, can they verify that it does indeed have ALL the recipes from those books? Here's the link to it: The Ultimate Fine Chocolates

This looks DEEElicious, I want to reach through the monitor and scarf it down! Will have to try this out.

Thanks - I'll definitely try this method out!

I should've read this thread earlier. Long story short, I *finely ground* whole coffee beans in cream and found myself straining a coffee/cream SLUDGE (NOT easy, took forever, and the saving grace was when the bowl slipped from my hand and 3/4 of it fell out). With the remaining 1/4 that was left, I finally got the cream to be free of coffee granules and made the ganache, and the flavor was really good and strong (much better than instant coffee or trablit). So the question is, would you get this same great flavor from coarsely ground coffee? And @gfron1 - will steeping whole beans impart a strong flavor anywhere near that of ground coffee?

I've often thought about this. I've made marshmallow before but never temped it - at what temp does marshmallow come off of the machine (which I believe is the only point that it's pipeable)? If you wanted a flat surface and a dry graham cracker, you could stick in a cocoa butter-coated (or chocolate-coated) piece on top of the marshmallow and then seal, but your bonbon mold would have to be pretty deep. I'm anxiously awaiting what lebowits' has to say.

Thanks all. So from these answers can I assume that if you don't reheat the bottle that they'll last longer? The way I've been using them is to chisel a little out of the bottle and melt in a separate container. They're kept at around 68-70F year round. Also, does 2+ years mean that it's likely that sometime between the 2-3 year mark that they're likely to turn? Or are CB colors like sugar sprinkles, which (in theory) wouldn't ever really spoil assuming you kept them away from humidity and heat?

I know that plain CB can definitely go rancid in the same way nuts do, but what about colored cocoa butter? Freezing nuts extends their shelf life but I don't think you can freeze cocoa butter... right? I'm trying to decide if I should get a couple of bottles of CB to fill out an order, but I know that it'll be a while before I use them given that I already have a bunch.

Wow, so 30g in a 1kg batch of caramel was enough to give it a banana-y flavor?! And was it a regular caramel with no added banana puree?