SweetandSnappyJen

Absolutely! I do have one, the best!

Hi folks! I've recently dabbled in running some kid bon-bon making birthday parties and they've been really fun (would NOT recommend for under 12 though:) I'm trying to cut time by tempering the chocolate in advance (pre-party) and then keeping it at 32 in the melter. It's usually a good 45 minutes before the shelling happens, so by that point, the chocolate is incredibly over-crystalized. I'm trying to streamline this process a bit, and so far all I've come up with is about 5-10 minutes before shelling, adding some untempered melted chocolate at working temp. But I'm just wondering if anyone has any other suggestions for doing advance tempering, without having to futz with it until its ready to be used. Thank you! Jen

Hello! With the DeBuyer attachment I got a few years back (only minor dabbling) I decided to really give it a go with three varieties-- pistachio duja covered cherries, coffee hazelnut with crunchies (soft center) and caramelized hazelnuts. A couple of questions for the group: 1) They took FOREVER. I used a hair dryer/dry ice method and it seemed fairly straightfoward but took like, 7 hours. Is this normal? 2) For the hazelnuts, i used some Capol samples for the polish and glaze, this is how they turned out. The bumpy bits were there after tumbling but after the polish/glaze they're still there. Any ideas? Thank you! Jen

Thanks, @curls! I've seen this done and am wondering what the benefit would be of filling the acetate sheet with chocolate beforehand vs pouring chocolate onto the mold directly then laying down the acetate sheet and scraping. It seems like the former would be a lot messier! And an extra few steps.

I can see why you don't use the mold often! I'm guessing beyond making sure everything is tempered 100% correctly, there's a lot of air bubble tapping that needs to happen also. I just love the shape and really want to make it happen! I guess! How depressing:)

Hi folks - I'm trying out a new mold and wondering if anyone has experience with fixing cocoa butter issues after unmolding. Re-painting, perhaps some luster dust, maybe velvet thing? As you can see, lots of CB was left in the corners (I see that this has happened with others with pointy corners in general, but I'm fairly determined to use this mold!) The CB and chocolate was tempered, though it's possible the dark chocolate was a bit overcrystalinzed. THANKS!

I guess, a delicious soup! I think I have the Spectra 11 and a lid sounds incredible!

It definitely worked better, @pastrygirl! I spent the day doing a few other nut varieties (pecans, almonds, pistachio) in larger quantities and while there was still a bit of 'spitting', it ran normally (and cleaned the walls and floor while keeping an eye out:) @Jim D. - I did grind the hazelnuts beforehand, I think I just did too small of a batch. And you're totally right, it's possible this batch of hazelnuts was more oily so that could have contributed. How did you like the Italian pistachio paste?

That's an interesting theory, @pastrygirl! It is indeed humid. But not terribly so. Also, the paste is thinner than usual, but doesn't seem broken per se. After some digging around, I'm wondering if it was too small of a batch. I've never really considered the batch size because I usually do a decent amount. Is there a minimum amount that you tend to abide by? I'm currently doing another and bigger batch (and babysitting it, my poor ears!) and so far so good...

Hi all - here's one! I put some caramelized hazelnuts in, left it for 45 minutes or so, went to check, and it was still running, but a soupy mess all over the walls, counter, floor, and all over the base of machine. This has never happened in the oodles of times I used it. Has anyone else encountered an explosion like this? Thanks! Jen

Thanks, Katie! I have seen Neuhaus around but have never tried them. I'll definitely give them a try!

Thank you so much, Kerry! There are some great tips in here!! - Jen

Hi all! My daughter and I are headed to Belgium this summer, just for a few days, and would love to sample and visit some great spots. Right now we just have Chocolate World in Antwerp on our agenda. I'd love any suggestions on unique (or not unique!) chocolate or pastry experiences. Or places to avoid! Thank you! Jen

Thank you! This is really useful info. So glad your Valentine’s packaging worked out as you wanted. Feel free share a pic!

Hi @gfron1 - it's been awhile since you posted this! I'm working with Silvia right now, and am curious what you paid for in terms of shipping, and how long it took for your shipment to arrive (if you happen to remember..) Thank you! - Jen