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Posts posted by Louise nadine brill
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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 😊
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On 11/22/2021 at 10:40 PM, lironp said:
🤣🤣🤣 We have a nice purple splatter all over now, my husband is ready to kill me!
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.
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On 1/7/2022 at 10:53 AM, Lauren S. said:
@Louise nadine brillwas going through this post about your Peach PDF, have you tried adding a supporting fruit like apricot? I know Boiron has an amazing PDF chart that i use as a rough guideline. I know you can use their peach puree on its own, but I find with delicate flavors that can lose their flavor integrity when cooking it can be beneficial to use a supporting booster fruit. Some fruits like Pineapple, Lime, etc have to be supported due to the acid amount or enzymatic activity, like bromelain, but in doing so you use the base fruit (usually apricot or peach), cook, then add the other purees closer to the end of cooking. They turn out less jammy/oxidized/caramelized and the flavor pops more.
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 😁😁 -
On 1/1/2021 at 3:06 PM, Kerry Beal said:
A rather hilarious post on a chocolate forum I follow by one of our eG members - @Louise nadine brill - thought here would be a great place to share it.
Haha...i am just seeing that you posted this here 😂😂My Dad is a card.
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1 hour ago, Jim D. said:
@Louise nadine brill, glad you found the diagram. It was indispensable. I think you will be pleased with the Grex. If you want any info on exactly what I ordered, I would be glad to furnish that. You will find Grex tech support among the best anywhere (or at least I did). They are not experts in spraying cocoa butter, but at least they are aware that it is being done and have some knowledge of what is entailed. Although I have a Fuji setup for large production, I mostly use my Grex. I can state one thing: The amount of cocoa butter used is much, much less with the Grex. I know those bottles are only $20, but when one is addicted to the array of available colors, those $20 mount up.
I will be very interested in hearing about the peach. As I reported at some length, I tried everything I could think of (even to roasting fresh peaches with brown sugar and buying peach liqueur) without success. I was just thinking about it today at the farmers' market when I picked up some peaches, hoping the guy from the orchard wouldn't remember that I told him about all my experimentation last summer. At least those roasted peaches did make a nice tart.
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“. -
On 1/23/2018 at 6:37 PM, Jim D. said:
@Rajala, I am very pleased with my compressor and the Grex airbrush with the 0.7mm nozzle. It's not perfect, but it's better than my previous setup. I would love to have the Fuji spray gun system, but I saw it in action last year and it would be overkill for my production. Do I think I might someday want something more? No, I don't. If I ever changed my mind, it would be to get the Fuji (don't look at their website--you'll end up moving to a larger apartment to make room for it). If I were doing velveting, I would probably buy an inexpensive paint sprayer.
Compressors fill with air with the maximum noise (the California Air Tool one I have is not loud at all, especially after you get used to it), then shut off while you continue to use the air until the pressure drops to a preset point, then the motor switches on again and compresses more air. The 2010 compressor motor, with its smaller tank, would have to run more often. I would estimate in my setup the compressor maintains usable PSI for several minutes (not just a few seconds) before the motor kicks in again--but during the whole process there is always a supply of compressed air for the airbrush and I never have to wait for it to get back up to usable PSI.
I have uploaded the diagram (note that it was provided by Grex and so uses their part numbers) to my website:
http://www.jamesdutton.net/chocolates/airbrush_setup_diagram.pdf
Found it! Of course it was on the very next page...right after I finally posted my request. 😂
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On 11/19/2017 at 6:05 PM, Jim D. said:
Well, if you have some experience with compressors, it would probably be easy. As I stated previously, I am a mechanical novice. I watched some videos online about setting up a compressor., but it was Danny, the guy at Grex tech support who went above and beyond--he took that photo showing the connections (he must have taken over all the space in the tech support area that day) and gave me a list of all the connectors I would need, which ones Grex makes, which ones I needed to buy elsewhere. He also explained teflon tape (I said I was a novice) and which connectors needed it. I have the link to that photo and will send it to you via an eG PM.
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. 😊
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@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?
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3 hours ago, curls said:
Great! Thanks!
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2 hours ago, Jim D. said:
Since my pineapple experiments posted earlier (the ones you found), I have continued to work on my fruit caramel recipes. The white chocolate approach does work, but if someone wants to get the "pure" caramel-plus-fruit taste (no chocolate), there is no way I have found to avoid the strong possibility of scorching when using the normal method. I now add flavoring after the caramel has been completely cooked. You may not like or even approve of this approach, but at times I can be practical, and it's the flavor I care about (plus not having the ugly separation issue, even sometimes when using an immersion blender). I was present a few days ago when one of my customers ate a mango and passion fruit caramel, and her comments on the taste cemented my decision to use this method.
So I cook the caramel (to be piped) to the hardball stage, where you would normally cook a caramel to be cut, then remove from the heat and add the butter with a blender. If there is a bit of separation, I don't panic because I know it will be fixed later (see below). Then I add flavoring, and for this I use Amoretti's "natural artisan" flavorings. According to the labels, these are mostly fruit with various types of sugars added, but the key is that the fruit purée has already been reduced--so no scorching. In addition to the two I mentioned, I have used apricot, cherry, raspberry, and pineapple. I find the flavors of these ingredients strong and authentic; the downside is that they are expensive. Using them has the additional advantage that it adds to the water content of the caramel, thus making the emulsification of the butter easier--I have not had a single case of separation since I began using them.
One other hint I learned from Kerry Beal (who else?) is to add a pinch of citric acid; this cuts the sweetness substantially. With your pineapple and coconut experiment (which sounds very promising), I think citric acid would be a must for the caramel.
On caramel emulsification in general: @teonzo posted a comment explaining the science that helped me. So when caramel separates, I now realize that it is just like a ganache in that more liquid is needed. Therefore I cook caramel beyond the soft ball stage so that it can be thinned out if necessary; I have also reduced the quantity of butter I add (and detect no taste difference).
Jim D as always - very generous with your knowledge and experiencce - THANK YOU! I will explore all of your suggestions. I appreciate your time. 😁
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Assuming Kerry’s recipe is on here somewhere.
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On 7/12/2016 at 8:12 PM, Jim D. said:
Thanks, pastrygirl, for the various suggestions about the pineapple caramel. I have now made three versions and can clearly taste a winner.
In version #1 (made in a panic last week and based on Kerry Beal's passion fruit caramel recipe), the pineapple is the only liquid added, and the resulting caramel is cooked briefly before being mixed with white chocolate and cocoa butter. It turned out somewhat soft but (to me) acceptable for a piped caramel.
For version #2, I used my regular caramel recipe for a bonbon filling (thus moving away from the rather large amount of liquid Wybauw calls for) but substituted pineapple purée (barely chunky, mostly liquid) for the cream. As previously it took a long time to reach temp. When finished it had a faint but detectable scorched taste and smell (though I stirred constantly). There is just so much sugar in pineapple that avoiding that hazard seems difficult, at least for me.
In version #3, I divided the liquid between half pineapple purée and half cream. I used the same recipe as for version #2 but added just the cream to make the caramel. I let it reach almost the end temp, meanwhile heating the pineapple. When I added the pineapple, however, in spite of all my efforts not to let the temp drop too far, it did, and the caramel again took a fairly long time to get back to temp. When I thought about it, I realized why: The caramel was around 230F, but since I could not get the pineapple above the boiling point, it was bound to lower the caramel's temp. Again, there is a very faint aroma of scorching, but it's probably not something most people would notice. The flavor is quite good, since the pineapple was not cooked so long.
Conclusions: In none of the three attempts did the caramel separate (the problem that started this pineapple lament). Unless it has something to do with Wybauw's high liquid content, I still have no clue about that. Version #3 is certajnly acceptable, but I think version #1 (with the white chocolate) has the best taste. Its color leaves a bit to be desired (it's quite light in color, so the "caramelized pineapple" name I have been using for this filling might not work any longer--perhaps I could cook the caramel to a darker color before adding the chocolate), but to have a recipe that works consistently and has good flavor is crucial.
Ooh! And i should have read a little further! I will be trying your recipes. Thanks!
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On 6/24/2016 at 5:01 PM, Jim D. said:
Well, it happened again. I made Wybauw's caramelized pineapple. All was well, but as it cooled, the fat from the cream (I assume) formed a pool in the pan (no butter had been added at this point). I have made this recipe 3-4 times without incident. With an immersion blender I added the butter and some additional pineapple. Again all looked well, but I came back later to find it separated once more. In desperation (what did I have to lose?) I put the solid part of the caramel in the food processor. I added the fat little by little; it mixed in a bit but not enough. I then added skim milk (the trick I have used for fixing ganache) and processed some more. A very nice caramel formed--and stayed formed. The problem, however, was that the skim milk had made the caramel too loose. At that point I was afraid of heating it again (which would have been the obvious thing to do), so added some cocoa butter (from the Eztemper machine). It thickened enough to give me some hope, but it was very soft. I put a little in the freezer to see what would happen, and it did get reasonably thick. So I went ahead and piped the stuff into shells. I will probably refrigerate it for a while to see if that helps. The only consolation is that the caramel tastes delicious, but overall not a happy day in the caramel factory.
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.
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4 hours ago, jimb0 said:
Ah nice. If you ever have to do large quantities, I recommend the steam juicer. It's just a set of pans with a silicone hose that drains into a separate container, and you can keep adding fruit until it's full (as it obviously compresses as the juice drains). Works really well for clear, concentrated juices.
Couple of years ago I ran a bunch of cactus pears through it - which would have been kind of impossible to juice, otherwise - and it made for a really awesome jelly.
Good to know! Thank you 😁
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8 hours ago, jimb0 said:
Have you ever tried a steam juicer for this purpose?
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.
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3 hours ago, pastrygirl said:
I've always assumed that the fruit gets leathery and weird and the chocolatiers are ok with that. You'd have to fully enrobe the pieces in chocolate to keep them crispy.
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 😬.
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1 hour ago, Chocolot said:
I asked Wendy at Socola. She showed me the little pack of moisture absorbing stuff she puts in each package to take care of the problem.
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!
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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?
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On 5/20/2020 at 4:29 PM, Kerry Beal said:
When I have some that don't come out - I put them in the freezer for 3 minutes before knocking them out.
Same here. Freeze and bang.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Gold-colored cocoa butter
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
Verrry lat to the party but Chef Rubber’d Gold from their Jewel line is close to the chocobutter, i use both.