Search the Community

My husband and I will be moving from faraway Israel to Durham, North Carolina in about a month, and of course I have quite a few concerns on how to keep on making chocolates... First of all regarding ingredients- I use Callebaut, Cacao Barry and some Valrhona, how can I get them from Durham? In what prices? I usually pay around $8 per kilo, when buying about 50 kilos (hmmm... how do I convert that to pounds?) In Israel there aren't many regulations regarding selling food- as long as you don't have a storefront there's no problem selling in farmers markets and etc. I suppose things are a bit stricter in the US? Do I need a special license in order to be able to sell chocolates in farmers markets? If so, what does that include?

Hi again, Have a few bark receipes using sea salt. Would I use grocery store Morton Natural Sea Salt, Chef Rubber sea salt (i.e. Smoked Alderwood Sea Salt) or pick up som Fleur De Sel at the gourmet cooking shop? I like to use quality products in my bark confections but is there a distinct difference in the sea salts used for chocolate confections? I'd like some direction on this decision and difference between the sea salt products. Thanks!

I have a great list of new types of bark I am going to try. During my research, I did see Expresso Beans covered in chocolate. So I'd like to make a bitter sweet chocolate bark using Expresso Beans. Couldn't find a receipe but did see retail stores selling the product: http://www.vermontcountrystore.com So in the product is described as using Arabica whole bean roasted etc. I did find illy whole bean coffee (medium roast for any preparation)described as 100% Arabica roasted coffee beans. Can I use this product "as is" in the bark or do shops do something else with the bean before adding it to a bark recipe? I think people will like this but can't wrap my head around putting a coffee bean used to prepare coffee in a chocolate confection. I know how to brew a coffee bean but can't imagine eating one....even if it has chocolate on on. Help me figure this one out....THANKS!

I have noticed learning opportunites in the locations of: Canada, (USA)Northeast, West Coast, Mid West, and Florida area. But I have not seen anything in the Charlotte NC area focusing on Chocolate. There are a few universities that offer culinary programs but nothing outside of the degree programs for short classes etc. Pre Jel is also in the area but focus is on the "chef" and programs are directed especially towards the professional chef community. Trying to find my niche without spending tons on travel and tuitions. I would like some interaction with people intersted in chocolate confections rather than always depending on the written word. Not sure how to make this happen....

Morning, I tried making a "turtle" bark. I had a bottom layer of roasted peacans, then layered "Peter's" block caramel, and had a final layer of semi sweet tempered chocolate. It had a great taste and I was able to cut the confection into one inch squares. But the following day the squares lost their shape. Although the taste was still great. I don't want to make the traditional "turtle" but wanted to try and make a bark with the same ingredients then cut it into smaller bite size squares. Question: anyone have a bark receipe with this ingredients OR have an idea how to keep the shape of the squares once they are cut? Maybe I had to heavy of a hand with the caramel? Ideas?

Hi, Id like to make or buy a chocolate syrup NOT made from cocoa. I absolutely despise Hersheys Syrup cause it settles, and I can feel the granules. And it not rich. Are there any syrups that are made with a high end melted chocolate?

A friend gave me this mysterious packet today with a stick of cinnamon (cassia) and three chocolates in it. I bit into one of the 'bonbons', only it wasn't soft at all. It was a hard ball of unsweetened chocolate which reminded me of the texture of Mexican chocolate. Much searching later...I came up with some websites which featured these tea chocolate balls and how to use them. http://caribbean-feast.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&products_id=17 http://jamaicanaturally.wordpress.com/2007/04/27/chocolate-tea-from-our-own-cocoa/ But has anyone any experience making this chocolate tea? Thanks.

Well - it's Friday night and we'll all just rolling back to our various homes and hotel rooms. We've been eating all day!!!! I've spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday running the contents of my house down to Niagara - and wondering how I'm going to get them all home again Sunday evening. It was a delight to see people again and to see some new faces as well. We drove across the border in a couple of different cars and I dropped off my charges at Landies Candies. I had a few errands to run so wasn't able to join them there. Apparently they weren't allowed to take pictures. We had planned to meet at the Anchor Bar for lunch but apparently the earliest reservation was 1:30 so I quickly headed over to Duff's (the other wing place in town) and grabbed up a table for 10 before the joint filled up. Apologies in advance for the pictures. Gene and Josh (who works for Art and Wilma and attended in their stead) RobertM and Curls - so sorry about this picture - not one of my better ones! Chocolot. Plus one and Connie (another of Art and Wilma's staff) The wings. The fries. After lunch - off to Tomric to meet with Brian Donaghy to show us some panning and play with the Selmi. Brian starting to pan some cereal. RobertM - cutting his caramel and cookie creation in preparation for enrobing on the Selmi. Brian making some last minute adjustments to the Selmi. Waiting for the goodies to come through the chocolate.

Got myself a head scratcher. Making solid milk 50 gr (2 oz) chocolate bars, but am plauged with bubbles on the back. It's a fairly fluid couverture, 34% cocoa butter, 38% cocoa solids. I fill the mold, vibrate for about 45 seconds, lay a sheet of plastic over the back and scrape smooth. At first, it looks great, but after a few minutes bubbles appear under the plastic, and when it hardens, these appear as large blisters. I do the same with a 70% dark with no troubles. I do the same with the same milk couverture and chopped nuts with no troubles. Any suggestions?

I keep getting these requests for making a card out of chocolate-about the size of an A4 paper folded in half or even bigger. Often up to 4 or more sentences have to be written on this in chocolate of another color (A short poem to a mom etc). What I usually do is pour chocolate into a frame using caramel bars with a clear transfer sheet as the bottom surface, which becomes the top of the card as it is smooth and shiny. Then using a piping bag made from b.paper, I write on the card and decorate it etc. Does anyone have a better way of making cards or of writing the "blessings"? I am always worried that I will make a mistake or do an ugly letter and then it is a disaster. The caramel bars are too long also, IMO.

Hey, Newbie here, just got my account confirmed today!! yippee!!!! Anyhoozle, my question is this - I need to colour my white chocolate but I'm assuming that because white chocolate isn't actually white that it will effect the outcome of my colours. So I found a product by Deco Flair which is pure white powder colour for chocolate. I just wondered if anyone has used it and if so, how white did it make the chocolate? I'm looking for a pure white colour (or as close as I can get to it). I know that you can get candy melts/merckens in pure white but I refuse to use them because they are full of hydrogenated vegetable fats and other nasties that I won't use in my products. Any info would be fab

Recently received some "sample" Chocovic, Tobago, couverture chocolate chips. I googled the topic and found only information regarding the working temp at 86 degrees. Has anyone worked and tempered this chocolate? What melt, cooling, and re-heating temp did you use and any comments on how it was to work with once in temper? Thanks!

I will be participating in an informal benefit bake sale on Sunday. It's a sure bet that chocolate (brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes and cakes) will be well covered by others. My baking should be completed by Saturday night - though I might be able to bake a quick batch of scones Sunday morning. Does anyone have particularly good recipes for: 1. Crisp meringue cookies in a variety of flavors (gluten-free and almost fat-free) - perhaps lemon, mint, cherry, coconut 2. Savory scones - sharp cheddar with herbs or bacon OR other non-chocolate ideas that fit my time constraints?

Alright, my fellow eGulleteers, a surgeon in the hospital where I work has thrown down the gauntlet. Whoever can bake the best black walnut chocolate chip cookies (judged by the surgeon himself) walks away with the prize. I've never really cooked with black walnuts, but I'm willing to try. I was leaning towards taking some risks with it, maybe tracking down some nocino and adding that, maybe even adding some miso for a secret flavor boosting ingredient. Or maybe I should just go traditional on this one. What say you? (I've already thought about tracking him down and saying "Oh, hey. Do you have a good recipe for cookies?" but I don't think he'd fall for it.)

My wife was sweet enough to seek out and purchase several antique European chocolate bunny molds for Easter. I finally took the time to look at them to see how to use them. Does anyone have the technique for making these cast items? I played with a couple of them, but didn't know what to do for hollow vs solid, etc. I made a few solids and they were ok. Poured in the chocolate and used a vibrating table, etc. Tried to make a hollow version, but they seem to crack or not be thick enough for a base. Do you pour in chocolate and let it sit for a period of time and then empty? Any help would be great. They really are beautiful and would love to make them for next year.

I always thought Vanillin was a cheap alternative to vanilla extract and shouldn't be found in high end artisan chocolate. I was shocked to see it listed as an ingredient over and over again at some really, really expensive chocolate I just got. I am so unhappy about it. Am I over reacting? Is Vanillin as bad as I think it is?

Hi everyone, I've had a request for a molded confection made of milk chocolate and almonds. I thought it was a pretty simple basic combination. Then I realised that I never use either milk chocolate or almonds! and I started panicing! Can anyone recommend a good recipe? I was thinking of mixing fondant with almond oil and some chopped almonds, but my fondant is a bit on the hard side and I wanted a filling that was softer, more gooey. Any ideas? Thanks!!!!!

I've got an idea for a chocolate I want to make, but to do it I'll need to flavor tempered chocolate. I want to add espresso to the tempered choclate, but I know I can't add liquid coffee or it will seize. Would instant espresso powder work? Or do I need to get some "espresso flavoring", and if so, what kind? I'm not using any artificial flavorings in my products at this point, so that may be a factor in product selection as well. (Not sure exactly the difference between "natural" and "artificial" flavorings, as both are processed food products...) TIA, Steve

I find that making chocolate molten cakes in a regular oven doesn't produce consistent results. I am wondering if there are modernist improvements in this space. I would imagine that cooking them in a combi oven would produce more consistent results, but I don't own a combi oven. Is there any other trick or technique that increases consistency of results when making this dessert?

Hello everyone, long time no see :-) I hope everything is wonderful!! I will be attending a chocolate class in Chicago at the Callebaut academy, August 5-6-7 and I was wondering if anyone is going, it would be lovely to meet someone from the forum after so many years. I am quite excited about this class as it will be my first professional class after many many many years (I was still in my twenties and in Italy :-P) Glad to be back Warmes

Today we started out with a trip to the college to start getting ourselves set up for tomorrow. Then at 10 am we met at ChocolateFX and started our tour. Of course hair nets are obligatory if you are going to go into a food manufacturing facility! Wilma and Art had the small pan set up so that we could pan some raisins. Here's Pat (psantucc), with beard appropriately netted, applying some chocolate to the raisins. Ava (FrogPrincesse's little one) preparing to add more chocolate, Kyle helping and FrogPrincesse awaiting her turn. The fancy packing machine. Listening with rapt attention to Wilma explaining the making of ganache truffles in the round silicone molds.

Hello I want to share my first adventure at home. No more than 25 hours of classes in chocolate, but everything will be achieved. Hope you enjoy and help to evolve. Thanks

Hello everyone. I'm a newbie and am seeking your help about a particular brand of confectionery coating that I've discovered. I recently bought about 70lb of real chocolate very cheap and it is great but, I noticed that the company also sells a brand of confectionery coating called SEMPER. And what's more, the coating costs more than the real chocolate does. It is around $38 for an 11lb block whereas Callebaut is only $35 for 10lb. The SEMPER does not require tempering either. I would like to try it if it tastes good as it would avoid me the bother of tempering. But only if it is good. Anyone have any current or past experience with this brand? I'd appreciate any and all input.

Locally I can only find two drop Callebaut chocolate and it's just too think for my molds. I have three drop dark chcolate and that works fine, but both the milk chocolate and the white chocolate are two drop. Is there any sort of standard ratio that I can use to know how much cocoa butter I should add to get it thinned out a bit? I know I can add it to the tempering machine during the melt phase but I have absolutely no idea how much to add and would like a general starting point. Obviously once it's added I can check and see if it's thin enough but I don't want to add half an ounce and find out I should have started with four ounces or something. Also, is it unusual for places to only carry the two drop chocolate? Even online I've had trouble sourcing a three drop Callebaut for milk and white. And lastly, anyone have a good source for Callebaut chocolate? I'm in Florida, just north of Orlando and am currently getting my chocolate from Restaurant Depot in Orlando. I first orderd online from Qzina but then their prices jumped way up so I went this route, but they for milk and white they only carry the thick stuff. Thanks guys!!!

Has anyone tried any of the ganache recipes in William Curley's book Couture Chocolates? I tried to make the star anise ganache (p. 66) and it didn't solidify. The recipe says to slab the ganache and cut the next day. The problem was that the next day it was still much too soft to cut. It was more the consistency of a very (emphasis on very) soft ganache for a molded chocolate. The recipe uses a mix of bittersweet chocolate and gianduja for the chocolate component. I was suspicious of the recipe before I began because the ratio of the chocolate mix to cream is only about 1.25:1 which seemed too low to me for a slabbed ganache. Also the recipe calls for heating the chocolate to about 45C (113F) before emulsifying with the cream. Could this have contributed to the ganache not setting, at least in the 24 hour timeframe called for in the recipe? I usually use tempered chocolate to make ganaches. The instructions also have you use a chocolate/cocoa butter mix for the foot. As this mixture crystallized on the slab it cracked a lot and was very brittle. Meanwhile I scooped the ganache up and it's sitting in the refrigerator until I have time to make some molded chocolates. Should be a good filling for that! On the bright side, the flavor is quite nice.