mebinsf

That makes sense. There is no air movement in my kitchen. I'll try a fan on them the next time.

The shells are completely crystalized before I fill them. I always pull out a few to make sure they release from the molds. I will taste the condensation next time. I have tired it in the past but don't recall any flavor. Such a strange issue. Thanks for your feedback. I'm sure we can find an answer.

It doesn’t appear to be any oozing. The ganache is completely crystallized and dry. The condensation appears like tiny droplets on the rim of the chocolate shell. I’ll try to get a photo of it next time I see it.

I allow them to crystalize at room temperature which is usually 68-72F.

I have a problem that has been vexing me for a while. Every once and a while after I've cast my shells and poured my fillings (ganache or layers of caramel, pate de fruit etc), After the filling crystallizes, there will be what appears to be condensation on the chocolate rim of the bonbon. Sometimes it seems to inhibit the bonding of the cap- even after warming with a blow dryer. I use acetate to close my bonbons, but I don't think that makes a difference. It happens on mildly humid days and very dry days. Sometimes it will happen on 2 out of 5 molds and the others are 'dry". I'm at a total loss for what could be causing it. Does anyone else have this sort of thing happen? If so, is there a way to moderate or avoid it completely. It may be a simple novice problem, but I can't seem to find anyone else discussing it. Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I do have a EZTemper. It has made a WORLD of difference. I will look into the Savage. I thought that equipment was for a much larger more industrial scale. I have looked at the Perfect enrober. I know a few people that swear by theirs. This is just such a big investment, I'd like to do my due diligence before committing.

I am thinking about moving up to the big leagues and purchasing a wheelie or spiny (is that a real name?). I'm looking at https://www.tcfsales.com/products/557-dedy-mini-moulding-machine-23-kg/ vs https://www.keychoc.com/products/infinity-x2/ Does anyone have thoughts on these or something similar with a price around 5-6k? We have been growing slowly but I want to make sure it is a machine that will still grow with us over the next few years. Anything will be an HUGE upgrade as it is. We currently use a 12 kg Mol d'art for all of our molding and enrobing. Thanks for your insights.

I was thinking just for the holidays. I think the cocoa powder/ground chocolate it the route I’ll take.

I like the idea of a jarred Ganache. The flavor options could be endless. I’m in the San Francisco area, so excessive heat isn’t usually an issue. I was was hoping someone might have some experience with grating or grinding chocolate. I see lots of chocolatiers and chocolate makers using chocolate vs cocoa powder. I intend to do some experimenting but egullet is such a great starting point.

I can’t seem to find a thread on techniques for creating a drinking chocolate “mix” for retail sale. I’d prefer to use a ground or grated chocolate either with or without cocoa powder. And hints on how to “grate or grind” chocolate without it melting? Freeze it first? I seem to recall reading something about using tempered vs untempered. One seems to melt better and produce a better mouth feel. Any suggestions or hints are greatly appreciated.

So many great suggestions. Thanks so much for everyone's help. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I've been wanting to try an olive oil ganache for some time. I have recently partnered with an olive oil store and I want to create a few different bon bons featuring her different oils. I've never used olive oil with chocolate before. I can't even find a recipe for an olive oil ganache. Do you replace the dairy with the oil? Is the texture super soft since oil is liquid at room temp? Would I need to add cocoa butter to deal with any textural issues? Does someone have a basic recipe or technique that they'd care to share? I generally do quite a bit of research on techniques etc when I'm creating new flavors/products, but this one seems a bit difficult to find info. Thanks for any info anyone can provide.

Do you use the gianduja as a ganache as is for a bon bon centre? Or do you make a ganache from it? I've seen some gianduja that is too firm for a centre. I that changed by your nut:chocolate ratio?

I've been wanting to do a gianduja ganache for some time now. Do most people make their own? (50:50 nuts to milk chocolate?) I have tried grinding hazelnuts myself in a food processor but the result was far too grainy for my taste. Do you use purchased hazelnut paste and mix milk chocolate to create your own? Do you use a premade gianduja from a chocolate manufacturer (ie callebaut or cocoa barry) and make a ganache as you would with traditional chocolate? I see recipes in some of the pro books that seem to go the different routes. If you are using hazelnut paste and making your own, do you have a favorite brand? It looks like they are usually made with sugar (praline paste?). I feel like this subject is actually pretty simple, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around it. Thanks for any hints/tips/ideas.

I haven't been checking the temp on the cocoa butter. I go by the temper test and it "seems" in temper to me. I use the single action, external mix Paasche, the box says H#3.

Hey all. I've been essentially teaching myself the art of airbrushing polycarbonate moulds for my bon bons. I have sporadic luck, at best with success. I test the cocoa butter for temper before I begin. 8 times out of 10 the shells do not unmold, or if they do, various areas of the cocoa butter stick. I make sure the moulds are clean and I polish each area with a cotton ball before I begin. I use a paasche airbrush. I notice that the metal part of the airbrush gets very cold after a painting a few moulds. I hit it with a hair dryer to rewarm it, trying to not overheat it. I can literally have 4 cavities in a row and have 2 perfectly unmould and 2 stick. I'm beginning to get very discouraged. Can anyone recommend any videos? Online step by step instruction? A local resource in the San Francisco Bay Area that teaches the techniques? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

I was wondering if anyone has had experience using a yogurt maker to store/hold colored cocoa butter? Generally speaking, is the temperature enough to keep it melted? Does the cocoa butter need to be tempered before use? I think the temp of the machine might be too warm to hold it at temper but eventually I plan to be using an airbrush ( I heard the cocoa butter will essentially temper itself when it goes through the airbrush). Any benefits to using one over just microwaving the bottles of color as you go? It seems the jars that come with a yogurt maker could hold quite a bit of cocoa butter. I'm still new at using color cocoa butters for painting moulds and any hints or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with these products? https://www.qzina.com/content/colouring-spray-pearl-sheen-red-0 Is it a viable alternative for spraying molds? Haven't made the leap to invest in a pump for my airbrush yet and was wondering if these would work in a pinch? Is there really no tempering involved? Is the product entirely artificial? Seems too good to be true. Thoughts?

I should have clarified. I did find it for an "astronomical" amount. I did see one seller offering it for over $1000. That's ridiculous. I guess I didn't realize it was such a rarity. If anyone has a used copy that they'd like to sell, I'd be more than happy to take it off their hands (assuming a reasonable price).

I have been searching and searching for Jean-Pierre Wybauw's book: Chocolates 2: Ganache: Great Ganache Experience. I can't find a copy anywhere. Does anyone know if it is even still in print? I believe it was only published in 2010. It is (to my understanding) one of the definitive books of ganache formulation and recipe creation. I have his 4th book ,but this one eludes me. Any thoughts on where I might find a copy? My local library doesn't have it and brick and morter book stores are few and far between these days.