Louise nadine brill

Verrry lat to the party but Chef Rubber’d Gold from their Jewel line is close to the chocobutter, i use both.

Just thought I’d throw this put there…If anyone has a KA panning attachment, Fujii spray system, or guitar cutter that they’d like to sell - I am interested! I’m located in Georgia, USA. Thx 😊

Liron! How nice to see you here 😁 I am surprised we didn’t run into each other here before the FB groups were started. My bonbon education is almost all from egullet University…particularly from @Jim D , @Kerry Beal, @pastrygirl. We talked about how jealous I was that you got the Fujispray…and I am curious how you resolved the overspray and or cocoa butter cloud issues. I have managed surprisingly well with my Iwatas and Grex but during high production times I am forever cursing them, for clogging up. I’d also love to know which setup you bought. I know @Kerry Beal had created a chocolatier’s list with the folks at Fujispray several years ago. Wondering if it is still the same.

Lauren - thank you so much for this advice! I have never tried this before and it makes perfect sense. I will definitely giving this a shot after Valentine’s Day rush is over 😁😁

oh yes, please - I’d Very much appreciate a list of what you bought soup to nuts - whatever i need to attach it to my CAT air compressor. I have to admit that i have a terrible setup with my Iwata. I have the last coupler right at the base of the airbrush and I am still on the 1/4” hose. I know it’s bad, very uncomfortable - but It works...and i am scared that if I disassemble It - I’ll never get working again 🙄. I did, early on, buy a LVLP Sprayit gun and the cocoa butter cloud was like a dust storm....All i could think was “aaarrgghh precious precious cocoa butter..how much have i just wasted?!”. It was from your informative posts that I decided to stop coveting the Fujispray, at least for now, or until I can afford to lose that much coca butter to overspray 😁. My quest for a perfect peach bonbon has been arduous as well. I make a lot peach jam every year and it tastes great - so, i was really surprised at how much Peach flavour was lost when making pate de fruit (which would be an obvious way to try and inject fruit flavour into your bonbon). On this batch, I spiked my PDF with some amoretti flavour, and also added some to my bourbon ganache. Of course, I added too much. 😫😫 However, it’s worth another go. Maybe just add some to my PDF and leave it at that. Maybe there is a reason we don’t think of “peaches and chocolate” the way we think of “raspberries and chocolate“.

Hey Jim D...i was trawling back through these comments trying to find the photo that you posted, and that you reference here, of the airbrush setup..hose/connectors/moisture trap but haven’t seen it yet. I took a screenshot of it last year, and of course, I cannot find that either. I am exactly like you when it comes to these things. It’s a small miracle that I overcame my fear of my CAT Compressor and somehow cobbled together a working setup with my Iwata Eclipse. I’m thinking of buying a Grex airbrush so came looking for that very informative photo. Can you send, or link me to it, point me in the right direction? Also - thanks again for amoretti tips..I just sealed some bourbon and peach bonbons - will let you knw how they taste once completed. 😊

@Jim D. great advice on these for caramel - thank you! Delicious and no stress 😁 i was wondering if you have tried using these in a ganache? Or any other application besides caramel?

Great! Thanks!

Jim D as always - very generous with your knowledge and experiencce - THANK YOU! I will explore all of your suggestions. I appreciate your time. 😁

Assuming Kerry’s recipe is on here somewhere.

Ooh! And i should have read a little further! I will be trying your recipes. Thanks!

I should know enough by now that the FIRST thing I should do before trying a new technique, or a new recipe..is search the egullet forums. I’ve been wanting to do some fruit based centres for my bonbons but hesitated because of concerns about AW levels. I figured the safest way forward was to use commercially available purées that have been vetted in published recipes. I was finally able to get some frozen purees that didn't cost an arm and a leg to ship (thank you Albert Uster) and confidently dove straight in to....Wybauw’s Pineapple caramel. Results...same as yours. I saw a tiny hint of separation while it was still on the hob so i just stirred like a maniac - and thought i took care of it. As it cooled in the pot it was getting quite thick so i transferred to a pastry bag ready to pipe once it was cool enough. Disaster. Loads of separation. I tried to squeeze out the oily butter and forged ahead. Ugh. I was trying it in combination with a white chocolate coconut layer so this batch will be consumed as a test of the flavours. Although, if caramels with fruit puree are this vexing, i may not do it again.

Finally had time to give hologram chocolates another shot. Improvement - but i still think i need a different pattern of refraction grating to get that even, all over rainbow.

Completely unrelated to the Ocoo. This is one of my favourite kitchen gadgets...the Chef-n-Stem. Stems strawberries quickly, easily, and with minimal waste. It was a game changer for dealing with pounds and pounds of strawberries for jam.

Good to know! Thank you 😁

No, i haven't - but I think that is essentially what this setting is for on the Ocoo. It saved alot of time and hassle compared to my normal method of extracting juice.

That’s what i thought too! The part about having to enrobe them...but then you lose all that aesthetic appeal! I was so surprised at how quickly my bag of freeze dried strawberries went limp. I opened the bag once and then sealed it shut! I guess i will have to do some practical testing...I was just loathe to do it bc those little bags are so dang expensive 😬.

Ahhh. I thought about dessicants..I use them in my bags of English toffee. I didn’t think they would be up to the task of keeping freeze dried fruits crunchy - so that is good to know - thank you!

Any advice out there on freeze dried fruit for bar inclusions? I see so many gorgeous bars with piles of freeze dried fruit on the and I keep wondering how the texture is kept crunchy? I opened a bag of freeze dried strawberries, resealed it, and a week later all of the crunchiness was gone - I cant imagine that they stay texturally pleasing Once they’re exposed to air on a chocolate bar. I am planning to give it a go - people are doing it, so it must be possible😁 - but wondered if egulleters had some tips for me?

Same here. Freeze and bang.

Finally success. Produced crystal clear juice and pectin was intact. Will be good Stock for making beautiful clear jellies. Made me realise this thing probably makes excellent consomme.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Tried the black garlic again. It is hard to describe the flavour - there is definitely some deep umami going on..reminiscent of shiitake mushrooms, but burnt. I washed everything out with a tiny bit of bleach in a sink of water and am now waiting for my third attempt...apple essence. Different setting, much shorter cook time . The apples cook and release their juice into the larger pot. I’ll test pectin level in the juice. If it works then it will be a nice, quick, easy way to make my pectin stock. Will report back.

Blarghhh! Yech. Ok...I am going to stop with the black recipes now. Once again, it looks black..like the pictures say it should but it tasted horrible. I only had a nibble bc i don't want to eat a ton of garlic right before bed. Will try it again tomorrow, with suspicion.