tralfaz

Thanks, I just ordered it.

I'm an amateur learning about piped chocolate decorations. The videos I've watched seem to favor compound chocolate because it's more viscous and doesn't need tempering. I did find a video that suggested adding water one drip at a time to couverture to make it thicker and less likely to spread. Are there other tips besides practice, practice practice? Other things I should think about? Other ways to change the fluidity? I know adding cocoa butter will make the chocolate thinner, adding clarified butter or oil will "doctor" the chocolate and make it more pliable. Any books? A recommendation for Wybauw's Chocolate Decorations? Any suggestions would be helpful

I just saw a video of a caramel made with fruit puree (Great Australian Bake Off season 7-Darren Purchese). It used roasted banana puree added to what looks like a typical caramel. Anyone here ever done this before? I'd be afraid of burning the fruit in the process but the contestants seem to have success.

I misspoke (mistyped?). Looking back at my notes I see it was dark cherry juice concentrate 1:1 with water. The recipe I used was 12oz drk chocolate, 10oz coconut oil, 4 fl oz cherry conc. 4 fl oz water. It's a weird recipe loosely based an old Dilletante Chocolate recipe, in between a cream and butter ganache. Maybe since I'm amateur and only make for immediate consumption I don't pay attention to water activity and use high amounts of liquid.

How are you grinding up the dried fruit? My two cents about fruit juices, definitely test as you go. I used Knudsen Dark Cherry Juice (not conc.) in a non-dairy ganache. Even after enrobing, the cherry flavor overpowered the dark chocolate.

I tried using fresh, juice and dried mango for a ganache and the dried definitely turned out the best. I'm just looking for a short cut. I wonder if freezing the powder would extend the quality. On the other hand, I already know what works.

Anyone have experience using these as a flavoring for pastry or candy making? Are the flavors true, are they easy to work with? Any suggestions or comments?

Thanks Jim D. for the info. I'm pretty far from getting custom boxes, but it's good to know my options. I'll have to break some bad habits going from amateur to pro. Since I hand shape or cut my centers, one type will be 1" balls and (shaking my head) I made some triangle cheesecake things that were just so tall and so awkward to stuff in the box. They looked good on a tray though. But you pointed out good stuff. Don't make things that won't fit in the box. I used to own and operate a pizza joint. I know the practical stuff. If I do go from hobby to retail I'm going to make some choices. I do have a soft spot for good boxes. Ever had chocs from Kreuther in NYC? The box itself is awe inspiring. The photo doesn't look like much, but the box is a piece of art. What's inside is pretty darn good too. BTW back in my crafty pre-arthritis days I used to make fancy little boxes out of card stock. The right package adds to the whole experience.

Thanks pastrygirl. Thant's quite a list. I hunted around here for a post and couldn't find much, so this is a great help. I don't have a permit but I'm considering possibilities. I'm planning to "retire" next year and I'm exploring options.

Any suggestions for good quality, sturdy boxes and packaging for candies and bonbons? Most of what I find online tends to be lightweight and kind of flimsy.

Candy melts are a candy product made with palm kernel oil or other vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter. They look similar to chocolate but are easier to work with. They won't taste the same as chocolate and can't be labeled chocolate (or white chocolate). Basically they are less expensive to produce and less fussy to handle.

I'm behind on all the DIY choco-hacks. It blows my mind to use a dehydrator to melt chocolate. But that makes perfect sense. Low temp, long time. I found a thread from 2 years ago, very informative. This is exactly what happens. The baffle doesn't really do anything except keep the machine running. p.s. as a side note, when I hand dip, I'm dipping with my hand. Most of what I learned is from an old chocolate book from the 80s (Dana Davenport from Dilettante, pastrygirl should know that name). It's very chatty, not nearly as technical as Greweling, but has some fine recipes.

My little Martellato arrived today, thanks for the suggestions. Jim D., have you ever pulled your Rev 2 apart before? Mine turns just fine without the flexible scraper on the baffle, but the scraper seems to push the bowl down so far that motor gear teeth aren't meshing up properly with the large bowl gear teeth. I've tried trimming the scraper with only partial success. I'm not sure why this started happening after years of occasional use. I suppose I could use your method and just use the Rev 2 for tempering and dipping while melting in the melter. I think the scraper really only keeps the chocolate in the front half of the bowl.

Thank you Kerry for all your help. The past few years you have always offered great advice here at egullet. I've ordered the little Martellato and have a stock update request for Croquade. I'm also keeping an eye on a larger Martellato in case I decide to push myself. I've been full time in a production kitchen for years and about to "retire". I'm in a small tourist town with one chocolatier and a tiny bean to bar maker (and NO bakery!). I might try the farmer's market and see where it takes me. Next year

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. That little one from Martellato would be an upgrade from what I'm using now. And it looks even bigger than my old double boiler. Do you know why Croquade doesn't ship to North America? Disco or tariffs? That one looks wonderful. And yes, microwave and a bowl works, but I live in a cool climate (these days I can't complain) and I need way to hold the chocolate at temp. My old method with a heating pad is... imprecise. But I certainly could melt the next batch à la chef mike while dipping in the melter. Looks nice. They're on ebay for $500+ I see a lot of table top water bath steamer style melters. I'm a little concerned about the water. Maybe they work fine, I'm just a little hesitant. Anyway, thanks everyone

I'm thinking about getting a chocolate melter. I've never used one before, but it looks fairly easy. Any recommendations for something around $200 USD? I've used a double boiler in the past and can temper. I have a Chocovision Mini Rev that's not working right now and I'm trying to fix it. It only holds 1 1/2 or 2 lb so I'd really like to get something larger. I've dipped 30-50 dz pieces with it before, but it's awkward with such a small machine. Anyway, does anyone here have experience with small, cheap chocolate melters? I'm just a hobbyist so $600 or $1000 is out of the question.

Hi, I'm a chocolate hobbyist who occasionally thinks about going pro. Can anyone tell me what congealed invert sugar is? How is it different from liquid invert sugar and what use does it have compared to they regular liquid type? Right now I don't use invert sugar in my ganache, but I understand it's hygroscopic and helps aw and shelf-life. So why pick congealed over liquid?

Well I ended up folding spun sugar into the meltaway. It felt a little like mixing glue and steel wool, but the final product works. The texture is really nice, light foamy meltaway with a subtle tingling crunch. Much more delicate than crushed candy/caramelized sugar. I spooned out little lumps before it set, it really can't be piped. It's very sweet, so it'll work best with a meltaway that isn't very sweet such as bittersweet.

I'm a chocolate hobbyist letting my mind wander. I want to add some texture to a whipped meltaway center. I'll probably try it tomorrow but I'm wondering how it might work or if there are any pitfalls. Maybe crushed spun sugar or praline powder. Maybe crushed crêpes dentelle or cereal, maybe crushed nuts. I may try to roll the centers in the crunchy things or go simple and just fold them into the centers. I'm hand dipping. Anyone ever try using inclusions in a couverture?

Thanks for this tip. I was trying to add graham cracker crumbs to a ganache, which of course didn't work. I just tried making a meltaway base and it seems the perfect soulution.

My friends call me Astro.

It's very tempting.

I should also mention here I have a perverse interested in the fine line between sweet and savory chocolate. Along the lines of chocolate hors d'oeuvres. Thai green curry/coconut/white chocolate . Mexican Mole truffles. Including onion and garlic. So far nobody has liked these but me. But I also like regular chocolately things too.

Uh, does it have a huge, 2 story "cabin" with a fireplace big enough to stand inside?

Hah!