
ChocoMom
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Your Daily Sweets: What are you making and baking? (2014)
ChocoMom replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking
Okay....this is the first image I've posted on here. And, its my first attempt at Heston Blumenthal's Exploding Chocolate Cake. Did this for my sister-in-law's forty-something birthday, using raspberry instead of passionfruit. (I'm feeling a little inadequate here, with all the BEAUTIFUL desserts you all have posted!!!!) -
Heston Blumenthal's exploding chocolate cake: Popping sugar pre-popping
ChocoMom replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking
I just made it this week for my sister-in-law's birthday. This was done entirely on a whim, so I ended up buying cotton candy pop rocks (gasp!) and using them instead of the unflavored ones. It worked. When I crushed the biscuits, and added the sugar and butter, I waited a bit so the butter was entirely absorbed by the biscuits and it was cooled off. I mixed the pop rocks in half of the biscuit crumbs, patted it into the pan, then sprinkled on some extra pop rocks (entirely for fun), and then sprinkled more crumb/butter mixture on top- just to make sure the rocks were sealed in there nice and securely. I just put it in the fridge while I finished getting the chocolate mixture ready. Then, I spread some cooled chocolate mixture over it, froze it, and then finished the rest of the steps. I flocked it using my Wagner paint sprayer, thinned the chocolate with coconut oil. Garnished with dark chocolate curls that I brushed with hot pink lustre dust. The other departure from the recipe was using raspberry puree instead of passionfruit. We don't seem have them available where I live. (Plus, my SIL LOVES chocolate and raspberry.) The look on her face was priceless when she took her first bite of it, and started popping like mad in her mouth. Totally worth the work and the mess, IMHO. :+) -
Please help me recreate my Gram's oatmeal date nut bars
ChocoMom replied to a topic in Pastry & Baking
Hi, I knew both my grandmas had recipes for something along that line. Just found them last weekend in the barn. Neither use oatmeal. But, I suppose, with some adjustments, it could be worked in. I'm skipping one of them, as it is labeled "Date-Nut Torte" and doesn't sound even close. But here is the other....a very old Grandma Schultz recipe ... Date-Nut Bars 1 C general purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/8 tsp salt 3 eggs 1 c sugar...(Does not specify white or brown- but I'd assume its white) 3 T cold water 1 C chopped dates 1 C chopped walnuts Sift flour, and measure; then sift with baking powder and salt. Beat yolks until thick and creamy; gradually add sugar and water and continue beating. Fold in flour mixture, dates and walnuts into egg yolk mixture. Beat egg whites with a flat wire beater until stiff. Fold into first mixture, and pour into buttered pan (16 y 10.5)Bake at 400 for about 15 min. Let cool. Cut in bars, and roll in powdered sugar. HTH. Good luck with it!!! Andrea -
When I did this, I failed miserably the first time around--but learned a couple lessons: The second time, used 1 pt cornstarch; 2 parts cake flour. Sifted twice. Baked it on low heat for 6 hours, and left it to sit overnight. It was very very dry. (I baked two pans since additional starch is needed later to sift over the top. Then, made the imprints in the starch/flour mixture. Make certain there are no cracks inside the imprint you leave in the starch. That made all the difference in the world. Once you've filled the cavities, sift more of the baked flour/starch mix evenly over the filled cavities. I let it set for 24-36 hours before I dared to turn them over. None cracked. (I was surprised!) After I flipped them, they set for another 12 hours. I brushed them gently with a pastry brush, then dipped in 72%. It was a time consuming pain in the neck, but I had an order for them. I finished each piece with a tiny flake of gold leaf in the center. All that work...might as well make it look cool, right? I also did them using a magnetic mold, small square cavities, with a transfer sheet. The tempered chocolate is heavier than the vodka syrup, so if the chocolate lands in the middle of a filled cavity rather than covering the whole thing all at once...it splurts out all over. I used an enormous spoon and was able to cover two rows of cavities at a time. I tapped the mold gently, then scraped it. All of them turned out fine- no leaks. Just be sure to get the chocolate over the whole cavity all at once. Hope that helps...Andrea
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Here is what I went through on the second attempt with the PdF: I added the tartaric acid to the puree, yes. I had read (can't remember where) that it would help the thickening process, and I happened to have some on hand. One source said malic acid would work also. (I did not try that, and I didn't have any at the time. I also had citric acid somewhere in my canning room, but I was too lazy to go find it at the time.) But the tartaric acid brought out the raspberry flavor extremely well. Since I added extra cornstarch into the sugar, I believe the acid also helped compensate for the bland flavor that cornstarch tends to produce when added in as a thickener. (This was more of an experiment at the time, and I did not measure properly when I did it. Otherwise, I'd be more precise.) No, I did not freeze it over night. I think the recipe had said to chill for 20-30 min, but I think I actually set it in the freezer unintentionally rather than the fridge- for a couple hours. (I get distracted a lot.) Once I remembered to pull it out, I added the ganache layer; froze it for a few hours (its only supposed to be an hour..but--life happens, so it sat there a while longer.) I added the foot; and honestly, it did not need to freeze for another hour. Just a few minutes, until it was solid. Then, I measured, cut, and let the cubes set overnight to dry. I have a separate kitchen solely dedicated to making confections, with a dehumidifier and separate AC unit. Temp stays around 65-67F; humidity is less than 30% in here, so any dewdrops/condensation disappeared very quickly. In 12 hours, they were completely dry to the touch. The next day, I proceeded to enrobe them, and then swipe pink luster dust across the top, diagonally. The last couple times I've made this, I used the Roxy & Rich pink quartz cocoa butter for the décor. It produces a lovely, vivid finish on the dark chocolate. All that being said, the cooking temp is really the key factor. Mine went a little above the 107C mark (accidentally). Keeping the mixture constantly moving so it did not burn was a challenge for me. I will say, that this one is truly worth the time and effort you put into it, so don't give up! I was extremely surprised at how quickly these flew out of the case. HTH...
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Hi mrk. I've done this Shotts' recipe several times with great success. I did not use G Pectin. Opted instead for apple pectin. And, added a bit of tartaric acid. I made my own raspberry puree, also. I cooked it exactly as stated in the book, whisked the heck out of it. Seemed a little too soft the first time, so I did another round, adding in a wee bit of corn starch into the sugar to help firm things up. Worked like a charm. I might have froze it a bit too long, but, had no major problem with it. It definitely needs to sit overnight after you cube it, so it has time to develop that little "skin" before its enrobed. (I'm trying this with thimbleberries this summer. Can't wait until they're ripe!!!!) The only criticism I received on this came from several customers, and that was "the wasabi wasn't strong enough". ??? I tried explaining that the flavors are supposed to compliment one another, not compete. But, apparently these customers really like "pow" and competition. So, I used 1/4 tsp of the real wasabi powder (maybe a smidge more), activated it with a few drops of water, and solved the problem. Had the same criticism on Shotts' South of the Border recipe. The oil just did not do the job. Ended up infusing habaneros- seeds and all- right into the HWC, straining with cheesecloth, and finally got it right---according to the hot-n-spicy-pepper loving crowd. (Grab some chemistry goggles if you decide to go that route, btw. I learned the hard way.) I'd give the PdF another go, check the temp, and whisk until you can whisk no more. HTH.. Andrea
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There is a shop in lower Michigan called The Baker's Nook. I could not believe one shop had so much to offer! Now they have an amazing website you can order from... www.shopbakersnook.com They carry lots of Wilton items, but also pre-made gum paste flowers-- darn near every type, color and size. Since we moved from lower Michigan to the UP, and have limited selection of items here, I've used this site to order wedding cake supplies, flowers and decorations, and short-notice cake projects- when I don't have time to get it all done. They also have ALOT of candy making supplies. Pricing is quite reasonable. HTH
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Thanks so much for the help! I will take a look!!
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I'm wondering if anyone has experimented using pale ale in a ganache? In addition to my own shop, I've also been making truffles, etc. for a local establishment and the owners requested something utilizing a pale ale. This is a new one for me. The Guinness truffle (with pretzels and beer nuts) flew off the shelves so fast, that they now have a calling list for it. I recently finished the R&D phase, and taste testing on another using Red Jacket Amber....turns out that it too, is a hit. The amber had a subtle caramel undertone...and worked quite nicely in milk chocolate. I am lost on the pale ale, though. Any thoughts, recommendations - or warnings- would be most appreciated! (We do have a local brewery, and their 'beer chemist' offered to work with me on developing chocolate-friendly brews....so I could tap him for some help. But, I'd like to give this a run right now, using something that is already out there..so I know what to aim for if we do collaborate on some chocolate/beer pairings.) Thanks so much for any help on this! Andrea
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Mina and Mette....your chocolates look nothing short of amazing!!! WOW! I am still relatively new at using the airbrush..but I love it! And the finish on the green bon-bon is gorgeous! Right now, I am waiting for the raspberry-wasabi filling to dry, then dip later tonight. (See Andrew Shott's book...Making Artisan Chocolates, p 144-45) I still don't know the equivalent of "a pinch" from his book, but I love the book regardless. Might just be that I have small hands, so this recipe needed way more than "a pinch" of wasabi powder in the ganache. I've sampled it over and over just to be sure. After I complete this raspberry one, the Vanilla/Espresso two layer truffles are next on the hit-list. I'm going to try those using the chocoflex mould. Has anyone ever used the chocoflex before? Just curious to find out if it has to be treated any differently than other moulds. I do most of my truffles entirely by hand--so I'm not experienced with moulding ganache. Any help/advice would be most appreciated!