excv_
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Posts posted by excv_
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This week's production! Hand dipped ginger caramels garnished with candied ginger(yes, the chocolate wasn't exactly in the best state on those; I was in sort of a hurry, and I'm not sure what exactly happened. My guess is that oil got mixed into the chocolate from the surface of the centers.), coffee ganache truffles and molded dark chocolates filled with vanilla-flavored white chocolate ganache, in that order. Top right on the last image is a runny caramel bar I made mainly to test out a new mold; not sure why I don't have a separate pic of that one..
I used Peter Greweling's recipe from Chocolates & Confections at home for the caramels, following the directions for spice caramels listed in the book; it couldn't have been more satisfactory. The rest are my own creations- nothing really to call a recipe there, anyway.
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Thank youLovely work, excv! Is that an edible gold flake I see on a few of those? =) Nice touch. I'd be all over those...Earl grey is my fav!!!
and yes, those are gold flakes! I only recently bought some for the first time and I'm totally in love. Really boosts that ~luxury~ feel of chocolate.
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Earl grey chocolate tarts, made with leftover ganache from the last chocolate making session- infused ganache is just the best!
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I didn't know you could freeze it... How long does it last? On this cold note, when you freeze/refrigerate, how do you get it to a workable consistency? Microwave? Room temp for a few hours? I've refrigerated mine and if I nuke it for even 5 seconds to make it workable, it can throw it off and cause it to separate...
I don't know how long exactly it will last since i normally use up my leftovers rather quickly, but since ganache isn't something that easily spoils I think it should be fine in a closed container for a few weeks at least, especially frozen. I like to freeze leftover ganache in one of those disposable plastic piping bags- that way I can just leave it out on the kitchen counter to thaw or put the whole thing into a bowl of warm water(be careful that the water doesn't get in, obviously) to speed up the process. Just snip off the tip and use & secure the open end with a clip if you still have some left.
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I made some mint patties tonight following some of the advices here and I'm happy to say- it's a success! I kept the centres at room temperature, about the same temp as the tempered chocolate- seemed to help tremendously. I kept a disposable heating pad ready, but didn't really need to rewarm the chocolate a lot. I also thinned the chocolate(one I used today was particularly viscous) a bit with some cocoa butter, which made dipping easier as well. Pictures at the confections! thread; go check it out. Thank you all again!
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Peppermint patties & Salted honey caramel. The caramels actually have been sitting undercooked in my fridge since last weekend or so- remelted and 'fixed' it today. Still a bit too soft for my liking, but pretty good.
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Thank you all! The heating pad sounds like a good idea as well, I have a few lying around at home but have never thought of that.
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Cherries and candied ginger- that sounds like such an interesting flavor combination! Ginger is my favorite, I gotta try using it in chocolate too. You should post a pic of those chocolates you made, by the way- they sound totally terrific.excv- Those chocolates are gorgeous! Wonderful job! =) Love the white with the fruits and pistachios. (I just made some dark choc tablets with dried cherries, candied ginger and pistachios.).
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Oh, I get it- I will try that the next time, it sounds like a lot less work than using the double boiler constantly. And yes, I do take the chocolate's temperature once every few minutes or whenever I suspect it's falling out of temper.High setting just blows chocolate around more. Low takes longer, but is more gentle. It will overheat on the surface, but you just stir it in and it all works out. Do you keep track of the choc temp?
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Chocolot-
Thanks for such a kind answer! I didn't know about the centers having to be at room temp- luckily I've never had problems with that, but it's always good to know. I should try the hair dryer trick too; I've heard of people using one to rewarm chocolate, but have never actually done it in fear of overheating. Perhaps on the lowest setting?
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I have been playing with chocolate a lot these days; while I have no particular issues with tempering itself or any other techniques, I never seem to be able to get dipped candies right. The melted chocolate seems to harden too quickly to get anything done properly, and is really difficult to maintain at a safe working temperature without a fancy tempering machine or some sort of warmer. This problem is even worse when the filling I'm using is cold(things like relatively soft caramel/nougat/ganache .etc that are easier to handle when chilled)- the job quickly gets rather frustrating and I often find myself resorting to candy coating then feeling terrible about my culinary skills afterwards. Does anyone else making chocolates at home experience this, or is there something I'm doing wrong?
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What exactly should I do when fixing undercooked caramel- Will cooking it again to the normally desired temperature allow all the water added to evaporate, or is there any specific measure I should take? I know that simply testing the doneness often is the most accurate, but still.
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rajoress:
Thank you for the kind comment, that's actually exactly what I was going for with the molded white chocolates! For the strawberry powder thing, though, I'm afraid I can't help you- I live in Korea and got it from a local shop(it was repackaged in small amounts, so no brand name whatsoever as well). However, a quick google search(just 'strawberry powder') gave me several links to stores selling what looks like the kind I used, so it seems like it shouldn't be so hard to obtain online.
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Franci- Those cakes look so divine, you made me hungry! The pistachio ones are especially beautiful with the color and all, would you mind sharing the recipe?
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My first post on eG! Here are some chocolates I made last weekend. Sorry the photo isn't exactly very clear.
From bottom left to right:
-Dark chocolate filled with runny caramel and chili salt
-Plain ganache, rolled in chopped pecans and topped with pieces of milk chocolate
-Simple molded white chocolate, topped with dried fruits and pistachio nuts
-Strawberry ganache(made with callebaut strawberry callets); the shell is white chocolate mixed with freeze-dried strawberry powder
-Mint flavored ganache, dipped in milk chocolate and decorated with transfer sheets
-White chocolate 'cups' filled with candied orange peels and earl grey infused ganache
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Confections! What did we make? (2014 – 2016)
in Pastry & Baking
Posted · Edited by excv_ (log)
The recipe I used simply calls for a teaspoon of finely ground ginger to be added at the beginning(it makes about a 7x9 inch slab, btw), but infusing the cream as you mentioned also seems like a good idea for a stronger flavor. Experiment with the amount of ginger and find what you like; for the record, I would have liked a more intense flavor simply caramel-wise but the subtleness kind of made it blend in better with the chocolate so. For the type of ginger, I just use whatever I can get at the local market for making ginger-flavored goods; I imagine common yellow/white ginger will work best. The candied ginger on top is what really gives most of the flavor and spice to those, as the caramel isn't all that intense on its own; it's simply sliced ginger roots, boiled for about 45 minutes in syrup and dried for a few hours. Feel free to ask if you need anything else!