ptw1953

@Rajala The sun is out here as well in Edinburgh; first time in yonks, and I am inside trying to make chocolates . 'twas ever thus for me. I will fill them with the salted caramel I have made, and hope I transport them successfully to Spanga... Philip

@Kerry Beal @Jim D.Thank you both for your kind words. You have given me a confidence boost. I hope I don't have to tell my daughter-in-law that I have attempted to paint her national flag . I used 3m Scotch artists tape, for the lines, and rolled, some half a dozen times, with the shaped end of a wooden child's paintbrush, to (almost) ensure there would be no bleeding underneath the tape. I had to order the tape from the USA, as it seems no-one in the UK stocks it. I ordered more, but they sent me some lime green fabric dye instead. Very strange...

Hand painting is not the best way to go when you have macular degeneration in both eyes... Cannot wait until my compressor arrives, and then get practising with the Paasche H series airbrush.

@Lisa Shock @Avachocolate Good tips there from you both. Many thanks, Philip

@Avachocolate thank you for the prescient reminder that airport security are generally dumplings. Point noted, and will buy the small disposable gel packs. Much obliged. @Rajalawe are looking forward to seeing our family again, and enjoying our time Solna and Spanga. Long live the Swedish summer... Philip

Small cooler bag ordered, and hand painting in progress. Many thanks to you for your reply Kerry. Philip

Hello to all chocolatiers, from this wannabee. I am flying to Sweden on Thursday the 31st, to visit my son, my daughter-in-law and my grand-daughter. I had intended to take some chocolates for my daughter-in-law, decorated with the Swedish flag. I did these for a Swedish friend, who is, sadly, terminally ill, and they were well received by her. I decorated those ones by hand. I have my Paasche Series 4 airgun ready but, as yet, no compressor (compressor arriving on Wednesday). It will be a bit of a struggle to make the chocolates that close to departing on a 3.5 hour flight to Sweden, so my question is: 1. If I make the chocolates, should I transport them in my cabin luggage, and not the hold? 2. Will this form of transportation cause any grief to the chocolates? All advice gratefully received. Regards to all, Philip

Many moons have passed since this topic was first posted, then resurrected; what a good topic. Does anyone, who first posted, have any updates on the process/outcome of their experiments? Philip

@curls, @pastrygirl I thank you for your answers to my question.

Ha, ha Chris; you are spot-on. Organic cacao are actually vegan buzzwords, and so is more expensive than cocoa butter. Nothing more than that. i hope all is well in Oz; Melbourne has some top-class restaurants and chocolate places, I hear... Philip.

I cannot send a PM to you. Says that you cannot receive them. I must be doing something wrong...again.

Will do Kerry...

My photo is bad; the colour is not as yellow as shown here...

Hello to you curls, As requested...

I offer my greetings to all who read this post. I haven't yet got round to purchasing the EZ Temper to make the best cocoa butter silk, but was interested to attempt making silk using purchased cocoa butter with a cobbled together contraption. So I immediately, and with great haste, ordered some cocoa butter callets from Amazon.uk (I know, I know...), and made 200g of silk. Success was mine. Then I decided to make another batch, just to use up the remainder of the callets. Brought them out, and found that I had used cacao butter callets, and not cocoa butter callets. Being a fully certified, and paid-up, idiot, my impetuous mistake comes no surprise to my wife and family. My question is; should I bin it, or can it be used in the tempering process? p.s. my wife has offered to purchase me the EZ Temper for my birthday and Christmas combined. Can't wait, but will not tell her of the shipping costs to Scotland until she is about to purchase...