Pastrypastmidnight
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Posts posted by Pastrypastmidnight
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I think it’s the real deal. I was, eh. It’s interesting but not something I’m super excited about. It’s pretty.
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Well, today my goal was to make and compare 6 very different approaches to chewy caramels. During batch #3 I had to run out of the room and I asked my teenagers to keep an eye on the pot (it was a Maillard caramel and needed to boil off a bunch of water still) and let me know if it started to darken. I came downstairs to oblivious teens doing other things and black smoke billowing from my pot. So instead of making more caramel, I spent 65 minutes (after soaking with both boiling water and a mix of hot vinegar and baking soda) with steel wool and Bar Keeper’s Friend removing the blackened mess from my pot.
Does that count?
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I think intensity of the filling matters too. If you have a very strong filling, you can get away with a smaller mold because there is more filling to shell—and the stronger flavor carries through the smaller bite.
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38 minutes ago, Chocoguyin Pemby said:
What size molds does everyone like to use? I have bought various molds and have found my personal preference is a mold that is 11g -15g - I find smaller amounts you can't get a good amount of ganache or filling to savour - just my 2 cents.
I like my 9g spheres and my 12g domes best. Spheres for ease of spraying and cleaning, domes for layering flavors.
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Greweling loves his alcohol
I don’t drink at all, so when I use his recipes (and I honestly don’t very often), I leave out the alcohol and use a different liquid. The liqueur is rarely the primary flavor ingredient—it seems like it’s usually there to complement or boost another flavor in the recipe—and if it is, then that’s not a recipe I’ll probably choose to make. You may just have to play around a bit to get your flavor and texture where you want it. I honestly like Greweling more for the theory than the recipes. I do use him more his confection recipes than, say, ganache recipes.
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Welcome!
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29 minutes ago, julie99nl said:
I'm going on holiday for the coming 3 weeks and I'm looking for some books for chocolatiers in electronic format. I've also got a ban placed on me for buying any more books because I have an attic, a shed, rooms and rooms full of every cooking, gardening and fictional book you can imagine.
I've been looking all day for anything by Stephane Leroux, but I've had no luck. I've got Notter, Greweling, and Wybauw in hardcover but I wish I could get any of them in electronic versions as well.Any other recommendations?
Greweling comes as a kindle book. Can you get it in the Netherlands? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00I8XF5MY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1550435893&sr=8-1
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Pastry Chef’s Boutique sells CW2295
I have 10 molds of the 12g domes. I love them.
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12 hours ago, Jim D. said:
I think you have forgotten that once upon a time you were aghast that I was not a big fan of Dulcey. I think it has a chemical-y taste (I know, heresy). I do like the one you pointed me to, Valrhona's Orelys, and I now use it in my chocolate chip cookie truffle. The Cacao Barry caramelized white is much more subtle than Dulcey.
I feel like the Dulcey is much more white chocolate tasting and the Zéphyr Caramel is much more caramel tasting.
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Heat gun and tons of scrubbing.
Alternatively, a floor steamer.
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So... my supermarket had bags of beautiful blood oranges last month. And I went a little bit crazy ;).
Left to right: blood orange pâte de fruit and blood orange infused white chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate shell, blood orange pâté de fruit, blood orange dark chocolate ganache atop blood orange pâte de fruit, blood orange caramel in a dark chocolate shell, and chewy blood orange vanilla bean caramel.
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21 minutes ago, trisme11 said:
So do you mind sharing what is your photography setup is like? Indoor lights? Windows? I am beyond jealous! Gorgeous photos!
21 minutes ago, trisme11 said:So do you mind sharing what is your photography setup is like? Indoor lights? Windows? I am beyond jealous! Gorgeous photos!
These ones were all natural light with the light source behind and slightly to the side. I used a reflector on most to bounce the light back.
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37 minutes ago, gfron1 said:
It can be the same or different. I'll be able to recognize your intention by the dollar amount.
Okay—just registered for the workshop and the class.
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28 minutes ago, gfron1 said:
UPDATED to add Master Class Info.
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Event Dates: May 18-19, 2019
St. Louis, MO Forest Park Community College Hospitality Building Hotel: Marriott Courtyard St Louis Downtown West, 2340 Market Street at Jefferson St. Louis MO 63103
Book your group rate for Egullet Chocolate & Confection Workshop. Guests may also call Marriott Reservations @ 866.661.8954 and reference the Egullet Workshop group rate at Courtyard St. Louis Downtown West.
Airports: St. Louis Lambert (STL) is the major airport; The regional airport across the river is MidAmerica St. Louis (BLV) and is serviced by Allegient Airlines.
Registration Links: Paypal.me link or Venmo link. To ensure your space in the workshop I will need your payment no later than April 12, 2019.
Master Class: Friday, May 17 at Kakāō Chocolate in Maplewood. The morning session will focus on confections (Marshmallow, caramel, toffee and pate de fruit). The afternoon session will continue those sessions and add on 3-D molding (they do a brisk 3-D business). The shop is surrounded by great restaurants so we'll step out as a group for lunch with everyone covering their own meal. The full day of Master Class is $50 and will be limited to the first 15 to register. The owner, Brian Pelletier, will set up two or three stations for us to break into small groups and allow for intensive hands-on activity. This class will be great for anyone wanting to see a mid-sized operation that has been very successful. See their website for an idea of their work.
Official Dinner: Saturday, May 18 at The Chocolate Pig. As soon as I finalize payment details I will add it here.
*Note that details are subject to change. We have two key chocolatiers in town in the midst of major professional changes and so if either is able to participate we're going to grab them!
Do we register for the master class separately? Or do we just tack that on to the workshop payment?
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Some recent experiments from me
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Yuzu Caramel (first time making anything with yuzu)
Cara Cara Cardamom
Hazelnut Praline with a caramelized hazelnut
They all tasted amazing (especially the hazelnut)! Usually I don’t have a problem not eating everything I make, but I’m struggling guys ;).
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On 1/25/2019 at 3:57 PM, Jim D. said:
@Pastrypastmidnight, that's very useful information to have in this thread. Do you have the model number (there are a couple of Minijets)? Sata is expensive but has a great reputation. And have you actually used it for splattering?
Melissa Coppel uses a 3000, I think. It starts with a 3. But that’s an old discontinued model, I believe. I think there’s a 4000-something now that’s the current model.
We did use it for splatter in a class I took last summer.
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7 hours ago, Jim D. said:
If I told you how many times I have said "How'd I not think of that earlier?" you wouldn't be able to count them.
I should clarify about the HVLP gun: Much to my disappointment, the inexpensive one I bought did not do splatter successfully. It had a pressure regulator, but the splatter was unacceptable. Perhaps some of them do, but I would suggest research before you invest. There is only one HVLP gun I know of that states that it does splatter, and I doubt you are ready to invest in a Fuji system. Many people on this forum have Wagner spray guns, so you might check on that brand (I don't know where you are located). It's difficult to get accurate information from spray gun dealers because splattering paint is considered a defect in guns (there are tons of Youtube videos on how to avoid this "problem"). Unfortunately even if you get an HVLP gun for its speed and heat retention, you may still have to go back to your toothbrush for splattering--which, as you probably already know, can work very well (it's a matter of technique--I don't do very well at it, I must confess).
The SATAminijet does do splatter as well.
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1 hour ago, Pete Fred said:
Dunno if Bruno Albouze was one of your fails or not. Recipe and video here. I tried 55, 60, 70 and 85% cocoa solids, and all worked well... but I can't remember which I preferred. 🙄
I haven’t tried that recipe—thanks!
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Does anyone have a chewy chocolate caramel recipe they love? One that holds its shape but can be cut on a guitar? The recipes I’ve tried have either been not very chocolate-y or suuuuuuuper stiff. Like, I bruised the palm of my hand cutting them stiff :(.
Or or even if you can just point me in the direction of some theory, that would be great!
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Just an FYI, Melissa has posted a few IG stories and live videos from Andrey’s class he’s currently teaching at her school.
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On 1/10/2019 at 9:18 PM, pastrygirl said:
Wires are gonna break, don't freak out, it's only 2 screws, you can handle 2 screws.*
*I mean, of course it's a drag, especially when you break multiple at once, and do that multiple times a day when you don't have time for it, and the ends of the wires are sharp and now you're bleeding and the 15mm frame is the worst because the screws are so close together, but other than that, it's only 2 screws. Should I find my youtube tutorial?
Baby’s first broken wire (messed up my chablon in one corner and it was too thick).
I’d love to see that video if you can post it, please
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34 minutes ago, Jim D. said:
I know just what you mean. The pleasure of getting those perfect squares (after years of jagged pseudo-squares) cannot be overestimated. But it is balanced by dread of a broken wire. I've done it once (gianduja too firm), and now I watch and test the filling to be cut like a hawk (I also now add coconut oil to gianduja to keep it softer). Fortunately those many, many test cuts cannot be seen once enrobing takes place.
How was the pear flavor in the caramel? Pear is so subtle that I can't help wondering how detectable it was.
How do you test cut?
The pear was too subtle. Or the cardamom was too strong. I used the same amount of cardamom that I use in my orange cardamom ganache and it was too much. It’s a work in progress
. Still yummy. I’m going to try again. I have a container in my freezer if the pears I grew this summer and then puréed. Hopefully I’ll get it right before they’re all gone.
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On 1/9/2019 at 8:56 AM, pastrygirl said:
Speaking of Callebaut, has anyone tried their W2 white chocolate? Not sure if it is a new or longtime formula.
My regular supplier is out of my regular white, saw some W2 at Restaurant Depot but it was best by this April so I passed, didn't want to take a chance on unfamiliar chocolate that is also old ...
I think W2 tastes gross. I like Zéphyr pretty well, and Opalys is my favorite tasting white.
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I’m finally back in my own kitchen making things again. I had shells I painted and made in November before I took a part-time job for the holidays and just never had time to finish them until after the New Year. And I got a freaking guitar cutter and if I wasn’t terrified of breaking the wires I think I’d be cutting everything in my kitchen in to perfect little squares all day long
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blackberry
Peanut butter pretzel
Peppermint fondant and fresh mint ganache
sour cherry and lemon thyme
pink grapefruit
pear cardamom caramel
mango passionfruit vanilla caramels
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Vent about your screw-ups
in Pastry & Baking
Posted
They both tried. They just didn’t make very much progress. ;)
I actually put it on the floor for most of the time so I could use my body weight and gravity to actually get through all the burnt mess.