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Sweet Impact Mama

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    Andrey Dubovic online classes

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    18 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

    Right up there with "Hold my beer...."

    Have to say that this thread has taken a really fun turn! Thanks for the realistic take on some of these things. 

     

    And I have to agree on the Matcha tea thing. I don't hate it, but it seems to only bring novelty, not enjoyment. Other teas taste so much better. 

    Andrey Dubovic online classes

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    On 6/7/2018 at 7:04 AM, Kerry Beal said:

    As previously mentioned I'm plugging away at my own speed because I'm heading north at the end of the month. 

     

    These two are 'fireworks' - not crazy about the red and yellow ones (doesn't help that I ended up with orange by not cleaning the red applicator before changing to yellow). 

     

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    The filling was browned butter bourbon with a gianduja/feuillitine layer. 

     

    His response "even though you made them in other way from me, I really like the result"

     

     

     

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    Kerry, the black ones are absolutely stunning! It looks like the most delicate, perfect feather!

    • Like 2

    How do they do that? (the bonbon thread)

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    18 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

    No, I do not expect an answer and I understand completely why I won't get one... I know full-well that this is from an online course that is not free that several here are currently taking part in. But with all the impudence that I can muster...

    galaxy321.jpg

    In all honesty, I wouldn't need the answer even if I could have it. I'm quite sure that's above my skill level. But I felt like somebody had to be the smartass that asked. :P :D

    Excellent close-up! These are extraordinarily beautiful, Kerry! (Now I'm going to have to see if I can figure out how to get close to that result through experimentation. :D

     

    Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    On 5/12/2018 at 2:09 PM, patris said:

    @RobertM bubble wrap is a great idea...

     

    The gang is finally all together! I hope you will indulge a final class photo along with a few remaining details.

     

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    With the exception of @Tri2Cook and @Sweet Impact Mama whose bowls will be shipped to them, I will meet the group toward the end of your Tomric visit on Thursday and will take payment at that time. Cash (USD) is preferred, but checks are ok if necessary. If you use Apple Pay or the Cash App, that would be fine too and we can handle that on delivery.  If you will NOT be at Tomric, please send me a PM so we can sort out payment, and I will ask @Kerry Beal to bring your bowls to the workshop. @MelissaH - I know you will not be at Tomric and I think you have my details for sending a check.

     

    One final comment about glaze behavior over time. A few of the glazes (hyacinth and forest green in particular) may develop very fine cracks or crazing. This is a feature of these glazes and does not affect their durability or safety, so don’t be alarmed if you see it happening. All the glazes are microwave and dishwasher safe.

     

    Looking forward to seeing many of you on Thursday - safe travels to all!

    They are all so pretty! Can't wait to see mine IRL. :-D

    • Like 1

    Shells cracking

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Just now, gfron1 said:

    I have never heard of the alcohol technique, although since it was part of the Ecole class it must be common. Whenever I use alcohol I anticipate its evaporation (ie why some use it in pie crusts) so that would be where I would hone in on an explanation, especially since you said you used more than expected.

    It was an accidental method of adding "water." This was several months back. I had posted over in Ecole's forum, asking how to get it to come together. I'd added more cream than I thot necessary and it wasn't working. While trying to fix it, and waiting for answers, I ended up adding alcohol (as a preservative) and it came together all of the sudden. Kerry suggested that it was because the cream was adding more fat and the alcohol better imitated water. The general suspicion at the time was that this chocolate was so much higher in solids that I needed to balance that out. 

     

    Shells cracking

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    11 minutes ago, gfron1 said:

    It might help for you to post your ganache recipe. Generally cracking is because you didn't give your ganache enough time, either as Chocolat says, temp, or possibly shrinkage as it dries out. I mention the recipe because it is also possible that you used live culture yogurt or something else that could be causing activity.


    This was a very basic ganache, using equal parts of cream to 82% dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic. These are showcasing the unique flavor profiles of 

    dark chocolates, so I used the basic proportions and technique of the Valrhona ganache making, taught in the Ecole Chocolat class, and used just enough vodka to get the emulsion to come together. It did take a bit more than I usually deal with, when using 70% or less cacao.  

    The ganache was  preformed into balls,  and frozen in air-tight containers. Then thawed as needed, via 24 hours in fridge, then 24+ hours in my wine cooler at 54 degrees. Then brought up to room temp before dipping. I dipped them in the 70% version of the same brand of chocolate. The cracking happened within 8 hours of dipping. No transportation happened. The ganache is still really smooth, but is there a chance that some form of dehydration happened, that caused them to shrink back from the shell? 
     

    The viscosity of this chocolate may have played a part. I'm noticing that the shells are thicker than other chocolates.  

    Sorry if any of this is fuzzy or confusing. My brain is in a fog still from late night Mother's day order prep

    Shells cracking

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    Hi!

     

    For some reason, I'm having trouble with my hand dipped 82% dark chocolate truffles. The truffle is made of that chocolate, and then I'm trying to dip them in 70% dark. For some reason, even tho it seems to be tempered properly. I've never run into this problem before. The chocolate I'm using for dipping works fine for caramel dipping. And I've tried doing this with both a "base coat" and without. Same issue both times. As it sets, it cracks right along the top. 

     

     

    Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted · Edited by Sweet Impact Mama (log)

    16 hours ago, patris said:

    Dipping bowl update!

     

    One has made it all the way through the process and last week it came out of the glaze kiln  - @tikidoc, thank you for picking this glaze. I rarely use it in my own work but seeing it on your bowl has made me fall in love with it:

     

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    The last three were trimmed today and are resting on my studio shelf waiting for their final clean-up before their first firing:

     

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    All the rest have been at least thrown, trimmed and dried. Some await their first firing, and some were ready to glaze today. Hopefully they will be glaze fired in the next week or so. The photo below shows all the stages of production - thrown and untrimmed (left front), trimmed and bone dry (left rear), and glazed and ready for their final firing (right). The glazed bowls here belong to @curls, @tikidoc, @Diana, @MelissaH, @Chocolate mom, and @Eat.Choui.  Hard to tell whose is whose as they look right now, as the color of most of our unfired glazes bears no resemblance to the color of the fired product. Anyway - just thought some might enjoy a peek into the process. Looking forward to delivering them!

     

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    Any chance mine is in there?!?!? :D


    Also - which color is that blue one?!?! Kinda sad I didn't request it. Lol!

     

    How do they do that? (the bonbon thread)

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    1 minute ago, pastrygirl said:

    This is not one that I'm eager to replicate, but still one that I can't figure out what tool(s) they used ...

    Some of the scratches are centered in the white but then there are white lines without scratches.  Parallel lines

    make me think dipping fork, but the scale is wrong and who would do that to their molds? 

     

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    They might be trying to put the white on with a little sculpting tool. It's a bit odd looking. Can't figure out if they meant to have the cuts through the white or if that was just accidental.

     

    • Like 1

    Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2017 – )

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    16 hours ago, Pastrypastmidnight said:

    You just made my whole night :) . Give the lemon and pepper a try—it’s really yummy!

     

    So, funny thing. I just got access to the Ecole Chocolat Graduate forum and I’m binge-reading old posts and just read, like, 3 of yours and I totally thought, “Man! I like this girl. I think we’d be friends.”  Then I came over here and found your sweet comment :) . 

     

    Based on the whimsy you put in your creations, I think we just might. Welcome to the Ecole Chef's Table. :D I'm finding this group to be a bit more active and interesting! 

     

    • Like 2

    Freeze Dried Fruit Powder

    in Pastry & Baking

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

    As they are by definition dry, I don't think they would add any moisture whatever to the filling, so the water activity (Aw) is unlikely to be affected. The biggest culprits in my experience are with ganaches that have too high a proportion of cream to chocolate and with what are essentially water ganaches, where a fruit purée is substituted for cream.

    Right. I'm more wondering if something needs to be done to keep them from drawing what little moisture is in a truffle to themselves, and causing the truffle to dry out too quickly. 

     

    • Like 1
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