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What to make when it's sweltering? Trying to think of heat-proof confections for the summer. Every week I make 7-800 little bite sized treats that we give with the bill at the restaurant. Truffles were great for the winter, but it's getting too warm in both the kitchen and the dining room to produce and hold truffles. Last summer I made pate de fruits, which hold up well, but which I'm pretty sure gave me a splatter burn every single time I made it. Too much pain. Ive been working on some gelatin gummies that I like and that don't hurt, but they seem to get droopy in the heat as well. I've been adding agar to help the texture, maybe more agar and/or cook the syrup to a hotter temperature? How do hard candies hold up? Nougat? Humidity can be an issue but I'm more concerned about heat. Cookies are an option, especially easy to pipe or slice and bake. Amaretti? Has anyone tried cutting shortbread with the guitar? Candied nuts seem a little too simple - what else besides chocolate would make them special? What are your favorite treats that stand up to heat?

My wife will be in Geneva for a couple of days and is tempting this chocoholic with a box from Geneva's finest. Where should she go? Cheers! Dan

Hello All! I am new to the eGullet community, here to pose my first question: I really enjoy the look of handmade plaques to decorate dipped chocolates (I have posted an example picture below, but for reference Thomas Haas and Theo Chocolates use such decorations). Yes, they are time consuming and probably not worth the effort on a grand scale, but for small batch production I think they are a beautiful detail. I have been cutting the little squares by hand, which takes a dreadfully long time. I am considering a caramel cutter – one like a rolling pin with a bunch of cutting disks attached. Has anyone tried this? Do you have a certain time-saving technique that you like to use? I’d love to glean from your wisdom, if you have some to share. My apologies if this topic has been discussed elsewhere already. I tried searching the forums, but it did not yield the results I was looking for.

I find myself heading to Zurich next week on business and will have about 72 hours in the city. So between client meetings, dinner, etc, I will be on a mission to find excellent chocolate products. Does anyone have any recommendations? There are a few threads going back to about 2006, but nothing recently. Have you been to Zurich? What made you swoon?

Still being a novice baker/pastry chef, I'm basically confounded by the array of chocolate available in the baking isle: bittersweet, semisweet, milk-chocolate, white chocolate, cocoa powder (of which there are two types: "regular" and dutch process), and I don't know what else. I've begun to educate myself a bit on the different types: - Bittersweet has no sugar added and is nasty to eat. Presumably only for baking with other ingredients (like sugar!). - Semi-sweet has some suger added and isn't pleasant to eat either. Similar uses to bittersweet I'm guessing. - Cocoa powder: I know dutch processed is supposed to be smoother or less alkali or something. I don't know if cocoa powder is bittersweet or semisweet or something else and why you'd choose one over the other. - White chocolate: just the fat from chocolate. - Probably several other types I'm forgetting or not aware of. I thought there was a kind that had its fat removed - perhaps that's dark, or bitter/semi-sweet chocolate. Then there's also chips (for cookie-type recipes only?). That's about the extent of my knowledge! Bittersweet and semisweet seem really similar to me - I don't know why you'd use one instead of the other (or if they're interchangeable). Any chocolate experts (or anybody who knows more than me) who can help fill in my gaps about the uses of each type of chocolate? Any other types/forms of chocolate/cocoa? Thanks!

Reeses surely does not have the corner on the market! What are your most decadent dessert creations using these two ingredients? Cakes, pies, bars, cookies, mousses, bring it on!!!

I was at Alinea in Chicago last week and very much liked the dessert that centered on a spiral of choolate. I'd like to try to make it myself, and conveniently there's a recipe in the Feb./March Pastry Art and Design. Unfortunately, there's a key ingredient missing. Before I waste a lot of good chocolate experimenting, I thought I'd check here and see if anyone happened to know the ratio of chocolate to cream? Thanks in advance, Andrew

I'm making white chocolate modeling clay using following recipe: 1. melt 10oz white chocolate in a bowl placed over hot, not boiling, water. 2. remove from heat and stir in 1/3 cup corn syrup with rubber spatula. Blend until syrup is incorporated and mixture forms a ragged ball 3. transfer ball onto plasticwrap and form a disc. allow to rest uncovered for 2 hours before shaping. 2 ingredients: chocolate plus corn syrup...a no brainer... child's play, right? (chocolate clay is in fact a popular kid's project). Well, I tried this twice. First, with Hershey's white chocolate chips. After stirring in the corn syrup, I got a mess that was oozing oil. I kneaded and kneaded the mess, hoping that the oil would be incorporated. Instead, more and more oil came out and the chocolate become grainier and granier....my hands felt like they were going through a DIY spa treatment, with all the oil and the microparticles. I discarded the glop thinking that it was the vegetable oil in the Hershey's formulation that did me in. I repeated the procedure with a large block of Ghiradelli White. I chopped it before melting and was very conscious about keeping the temperature below 100 degrees. I stirred in the corn syrup, transferred the ball to a plate, and shaped it into a disc. Then I noticed that a layer of oil was starting to form. I ignored it, hoping that the oil would be somehow miraculously resorbed. Instead, more and more oil started to form and now I'm back to the same nightmare. Asking if anyone on this forum has made chocolate clay successfully is a rhetorical question (and perhaps even insulting ). With only 2 ingredients, there can be a small finite number of reasons that explains this oily mess. Did I stir the corn syrup/melted chocolate mixture too much? Did I not stir it enough? Should I add the corn syrup to the chocolate before I melt it? Am I using the wrong kind of chocolate? Do I have bad karma with chocolate clay? Argghh. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers!

was making chocolate mousse with my daughter the other morning and at some point after we took the melted chocolate (and coffee and vanilla) off the double boiler but before we stirred in the egg yolks and sugar, the chocolate began to break down, the solids separating from the oil. Why? I wouldn't have been so surprised if we'd been melting the chocolate over direct heat and overheated it, or if it was still on the boiler, but it was just sitting, cooling on the counter. In desparation, we threw it under the KitchenAid's whisk treatment, and it seem to reform nicely, and the mousse was saved. Why was that?

There are a number of threads here on eGullet that showcase amazing looking chocolate truffles and bonbons created by members. I have been making chocolate truffles for a while now, and these threads have inspired me to take my chocolate making further. Unfortunately, it seems that there is a distinct lack of resources and support for chocolate makers in Australia. I am forced to buy polycarbonate moulds and coloured cocoa butter from Chef Rubber in America, and of course, shipping costs are quite high! At the moment, I am using Callebaut semi-sweet, milk, and white chocolates. I can buy them in bulk 2.5kg bags, and am happy with them, but would love a greater variety of high quality chocolates to choose from (and buy in bulk). I haven't been able to find any sources for gianduja, unsweetened chocolate, or high quality hazelnut or almond pastes. I also have had not any luck trying to find invert sugar (Trimoline or Nulomoline) in sizes less than 20kg, or invertase. So, are Australian chocolate makers left with no choice but to look overseas for supplies, or are there sources in Australia (preferably online) that I am not aware of? I would really appreciate any advice or assistance! Cheers. Jake

Hey Everyone, I'm new around here but own and operate my own chocolate website. Do we have any chocolate lovers on this forum? It's great to see such a huge community of people on here! I look forward to talking with all of you..... God Bless, Robert www.chocolateguild.com

Hello Everyone, I'm new around here but wanted to get started chatin with everyone. I am a chocolatier and was wondering if we had any chocolate lovers on this forum. I have been in contact with a few chocolatiers in your region(canada) and love to meet other with the same interests. Well if anyone is a chocoholic then reply!!! -Robert www.chocolateguild.com p.s. Anyone know of any good Chocolatiers or chocolate manufacturers in Canada?

I am wondering if there is any problem with shipping liquor filled chocolates as a gift. Does anyone here know the rules or can point me to the relevant official information? I've been sending gift boxes of standard truffles and bon-bons and am just about to experiment with making hand dipped and molded liquor centers. I'd like to be able to include them in my gifting.

Any ideas on how I can turn white chocolate into green? I thought on mixing some matcha green tea while tempering, but I don't know if that will work fine....

my girlfriend accidently washed my magnetic mold in a sink with dishwashing liquid. I know your never supposed to use soap on them, but will doing it just one time be ok?

I want to put a warm chocolate self saucing pudding/molten cake/souffle pudding on my cafe menu for this coming Winter in Australia.You know the kind with the soft saucy centre.Is there any difference in the names of these cakes or is it all the same sort of thing , just that different people call it a different thing? As I am the only chef in the cafe, my time in prep and service time is limited,so I want to keep it simple, but delicious both in taste and texture. I want to be able to have a product that I can freeze and take straight from the freezer to the oven and be ready in about 10 minutes after the order comes in.Is this possible?The other option I would consider would be to have the 1/2 baked cake in the fridge, ready for heating. I have 150ml souffle ramekin moulds and hope I can use these in the recipe.

My soon to be 4 year old daughter has requested a chocolate strawberry cake for her birthday. She would like it to have "pink" icing and chocolate covered strawberries on top. It will need to serve around 20 people. I was thinking of making the America's test kitchen sour cream chocolate cake, but need ideas for the filling and icing. I'm looking for something delicious but not too rich. My kids don't mind a nice bittersweet ganache, but I'm not sure the rest of the kids present will appreciate it. I'm hoping that our delicious local strawberries will be beginning to ripen by then (It is at the end of this month) Any inspiration or ideas?

I was looking at the fruit purees on this site http://www.lepicerie.com/customer/home.php?cat=287 how would you incorporate these into chocolates. would you mix it in the cream for a ganache or would you layer it in a mold? any ideas? luis

Needing some advice... Tell me if you think this is stupid : Mixing champagne with cocoa (powder), a good quality one, blend the mixture into a iSi whipper, and then foam it over some half-filled champagne flutes, really iced ones

Does anyone know any recipe where chocolate and champagne are used together?

This is probably a dumb question, so pardon me for my ignorance, but please tell me if I'm wrong: I am only able to find Dutch processed cocoa, even the regular grocery stores carry it exclusively. I have yet to see natural or un-Dutched cocoa or am I just not looking in the right areas? I seem to remember buying Hershey's natural cocoa at the grocery stores years ago, but no longer. Is there anywhere where I can find the natural version locally? I'm not too picky at this point on the brand. I need it for a chocolate cake recipe I'll be trying out - the Cook's Illustrated Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt cake which I have been inspired to try after reading the 17 pages of the quest for the perfect chocolate cake thread. Thanks!

Some friends of mine are of the conception that I know my way around a kitchen (Probably because I talk of my sourdough baking all the time *S*). They have asked me do to a chocolate cake for their child's baptism party. I have about one week to experiment, but I don't mind doing the cake(s) 2-3 times as "practice runs". I've read through a lot of the material in the eGullet "let's make the perfect chocolate cake" thread , and are starting to get an Idea of what's going on when baking such a thing... (Plastic wrapping, freezing, low temperatures, tooth picks and all that stuff.) In my head, I have this Idea of a very dark chocolate cake with a dark "mirror" frosting If you know what I mean. I've seen some photos on this forum I believe, but I was not able to recall where. That's what I really want to do. I want loads of High quality unhealthy delicious chocolate, I'll probably gain a few pounds just tasting and baking, but who cares .-) I also don't mind jumping in to learn to swim, so ideas on fancy toppings and presentation ideas are also welcome .-) So! If anyone can point me in the right direction for a recipe for the cake, maybe a "Ganache" and a black mirror frosting... I'd be very happy. I will of course post my progress in this thread. The b-party is 11. June, So I better start practicing some techniques .-) Maybe this can be one of thos experiments on how a totallty beginner cake-baker can get help from experienced ones to create a masterpiece in only one week !? Only time will show I guess

I have a recipe for chocolate truffles, and it states that intervase should be added to extend their shelf life (by preventing mold if there are air pockets). I checked the local grocery stores (including Whole Foods) and they've never heard of intervase. Google shows only 8 results for 'intervase chocolate'. Anybody heard of intervase, and where to get it? edit - oops, it's invertase . So, my question is - what places usually carry it, or know of any good mail order shops?

Hi all, One of my mates is a bodybuilder here and he loves chocolate, but doesn't really like buying it coz of the weight contracts that he is on. So, he asked if its possible to blend whey protein and make a chocolate ganache and enrobe it in really bitter chocolate so he can kill 2 birds with one stone. Has anyone done that or see any pitfalls in that? Thanks.

My company is in the planning stages of a commissary for our 4 stores and I am going to get a separate chocolate room. Yippee! Anyhow, my question to you all is what temperature and humidity level is the ideal? Karen