Search the Community

Hi Everybody! I've tried 3 times to make chocolate meringue for piped meringue shells but the meringue is failing on me. I start with a nice swiss meringue then add cocoa to the bowl and whip about 10 seconds. After a few seconds the meringue goes runny and ends up way too loose to pipe. Any suggestions on what is going wrong? My approx. recipe: 8 oz whites 450 g sugar cream of tartar 3 Tbsp Cocoa Thank-you!

While salivating my way though Daniels Chocolates, I noticed that they sell bricks of Callebaut. The saleswoman told me that these are of better quality than the Callebaut sold at the Superstore bulk bins. Is that true? Does Callebault make different grades of dark chocolate (the kind I usually buy at Superstore.) I didn't post this in the baking section as I am hoping people could direct me to where to get the best Callebaut dark chocolate in Vancouver (if there is, indeed, a better quality one.) I'm also assuming that Daniels prices could be better. Thanks.

Thinking ahead for Valentine's Day, I plan to serve a chocolate dessert at the restaurant. I would like to decorate the plates with the word "love" piped directly on the plate using something chocolate flavour. Ideally, I would temper dark chocolate and decorate all the plates ahead of time. However, it is just not feasible to have so many decorated plates around (not enough room for sure). This means I need a cream/ganache/sauce that stays at pipeable consistency at room temperature so that it is ready to pipe when I plate. If possible, I would like to stay away from ready-made piping gel or the stuff that comes in a tube in cake decorating shops. Do you have a recipe suitable for this purpose?

Has anyone had any experience with this little shop near the Bastille? A la petite Fabrique on St. Sabin. I've been writing about chocolate and it's such a charming place & it's one of the only places that I know in Paris where you can watch chocolate being made on the premises. The problem is the woman that works there (who may be the owner, or his wife) is miserable. Each time I've gone in, I've never had a colder reception. My first visit a few years ago, I wanted to buy a box of chocolates and she wouldn't let me choose my own. So I left. Then I went in a few days ago, since I'm writing an article for a magazine, and she was so rude and dismissive (I would like to say hostile) so I just left. I think I've been in every other chocolate shop in Paris and never had anyone not be nice. Has anyone ever been there and what's up with her? I can't imagine going in there to buy chocolates...and I feel bad, since the fellows working in the back look so nice as they go about their dipping and enrobing.

With the cold weather upon the City of late, my thoughts naturally turn to warming winter drinks, hot chocolate among them. Who makes the best in the City? NY Magazine lists their six favorites, Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, @SQC, Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven, The City Bakery and Lunettes et Chocolat. Of these, I've had @SQC's and City Bakery's examples. Thus far, @SQC's is my favorite. It's made with Valrhona chocolate -- thick, strong and slightly bitter. Especially good in their "fire & ice" which includes a scoop of bitter caramel ice cream.

On Saturday, I happened by this new shop on Brooklyn's Fifth Avenue, between St. Marks and Prospect Place. I had a chat with the owners, a couple who seem very nice, and who seem to have a commitment to good chocolate. They talked about trying to make their own chocolates, but after learning more about the field they decided to team up with a partner who has an established track record. They explored teaming up with Kee in Manhattan but eventually settled on Knipschildt Chocolatier out of Connecticut. I tried the classic truffles they were giving away and I thought they were very good. The shop promises to be another great addition to a street that continues to bloom with new life. Anybody know much about Knipschildt's chocolates?

Hi all, I'm looking to see what your favorite gourmet or Artisinal chocolate bar is. I've tried "Vosges Chocolat" and love them, especially the dark chocolate, ginger wasabi bar. Anyone out there have their favorites. Has anyone tried "Chuao" or "Burdick" chocolate bars ? Vin

I made this tonight along with the frosting. It was easy to make on top of the stove and it smelled great as it was baking. I also made the frosting to go with it. Your basic cream cheese with some heavy cream to lighten it up. Now, for the taste. I cant describe it other than weird. It wasnt particulary chocolaty. Im not a beer drinker so maybe thats why I didnt really care for it. MY SO didnt really like it either. Ive heard rave reviews though, so Im wondering what you all think.

I am in Montreal tomorrow. I would like to get a box of chocolate. Any suggestions? I will be at Lucie Bruneau Rehab Centre, on Laurier.

In my pantry is a lovely unsweetened 99% cocoa Scharffen Berger bar, laden with potential. I've been hesitating for nearly three months in search of the perfect recipe. I want to use it as a showcase ingredient, but have never baked with such a high cocoa percentage before. I was thinking that it might make a nice base for a ganache? Any more innovative suggestions would be welcome!

Looking for tips and advice on coating truffles after making the softer interior of the truffle. Anyone have any clear recipes that are trustworthy for a newbie at making truffles? I'm most interested in the best way to coat the truffle with the second layer of chocolate to form the harder exterior shell??? Thank you very much!

Sam's Wholesale Club has told me that Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips have been discontinued in all of their stores nationwide. Almost worse news was hearing that they'd also had a major 5#/$.88 clearance sale to rid the product from their shelves. Does anyone know where I can find the Ghirardelli chips in this area? I'm looking for in-home baking quantities... less than is sold by a food distributor but more than than a grocery store's typical 12 oz. bag. The 5 lb. bags were perfect for me. Thanks in advance for your help! Di

All I am looking for a bit of guidance on making chocolate-covered cherries. My initial crack at this was an unmitigated disaster. After sifting through dozens of recipes online and elimating ones that contain parrafin wax (that can't be a good sign, right?), I settled on a recipe that included marinating the cherries in rum, making a thin fondant, covering them in high-quality chcolate, and then letting them "mature" in the cellar for about 3 weeks. The horrors! The cherry tasted like it was plucked from a 70's wreath, the fondant never broke down inside the chocolate shell, and the shell itself became a nasty, crackly, whitish ghost of its former Callebaut glory. I have some specific questions: (1) Did I do something wrong, or does this have the tell-tale signs of a bad recipe? (2) Are there special cherries that one can buy for this purpose? I used a high-end Spanish cocktail cherry, but it still wasn't very good. (3) How can I balance the moisture of the cherry and the amount of fondant to ensure that the centers get that wonderful liquidity? Thanks all, Andrea

Hi Looking for a very good high quality White Chocolate Ganache Recipe, also needing to know about infusing Earl Grey into a Dark Chocolate Ganache, what's the best way???? Cheers in advance for any help. JOHNNY

For my first eGullet post I thought I'd do something meaningful, so therefore it involves two favorite things - beer and chocolate. For the grand opening of my husbands brewpub, I'd like to surprise him with some themed molded chocolates, the theme being beer. I'm thinking about a stout flavoured filling and perhaps something made with malt syrup and maybe a hint of hops. Anybody have experience with any of this? I've dabbled with making a stout flavoured ganache (Young's chocolate stout, cream, chocolate), but the stout flavour was way to subtle, ie. basically non-existing... All ideas regarding this theme are most appreciated. I've only got the kitchen in my home, but a good supply of chocolate-making equipment (and experience) as well as access to good quality chocolate and all sorts of beery ingredients. Thanks Mette (no longer an eGullet virgin)

I picked up an 11 pound block of Callebaut today and I want to break it down into the 10 smaller pieces as indicated by the pattern on top. What's the best way to do this? What kind of knife works best?

There's no shortage of fine chocolates today to be found from many suppliers. Many of them offer their products classified by cocoa solids content, and many of them do so in incriments that are fairly small, such as 50%, 54%, 58%, etc. I'm interested to see how those of you who are selecting your chocolates using cocoa solids as one of your criteria are using them. Especially those of you who are using multiple products that are slightly differientated from one another such as the above example. Do you find, for example, the 50% more desireable for baking, while the 54%'s more appropriate for mousses and ganaches? Do you like to make shelled materials with the very dark products that have very sweet centers, or would you rather bake with the very dark products? Inquiring minds want to know 8-) So how about it - what products do you use, and why?

Hi all- what is being done out there in the world of savory chocolate items? I am doing a chocolate event, we are going to discuss/prepare savory chocolate dishes. Naturally I think of mole', and I put it in chili also, but that's as far as I've ever taken it. And after that my brain crashes, because everything else sounds too weird, unbalanced or a real stretch. So let's hear it from the masses!

I know this is one of those horribly commercial times of year that we hate to buy into, but... it co-incides with my chocolate lovin' wife's birthday. She especially loves Chocolate Covered Cherries. Any ideas? peace

Abra -thank you for your kind words and the welcome. So I'll start with a Dessert which I offered in late November to some of our good friends. I took a class at Sissy Sonnleitner's in southern Austria(she is one of the best chefs in Austria) where this fantastic dessert was demonstrated. Chocolate Cake with Pumpkin Mousse and Cinnamon-Semifreddo: Chocolate Cake 200 g chocolate 200 g butter 250 g powdered sugar 5 eggs 1 tbs flour ingredients Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl and add sugar while stirring with a wooden spoon. (see result in the above picture) Let cool down until lukewarm. Fold in egg one at a time. At the end mix in the flour. All steps should be done with a wooden spoon Fill chocolate mix into a tart form layered with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 ° Celsius for approx 22 Minutes. The inner part of the cake should be in slight wet condition. Turn over immediately, remove baking paper and let cool down. Let rest for 1 day. Pumpkin-Mousse: 250 g Pumpkin, peeled and seeded 20 g butter 2 tbs brown sugar 1/2 Mocca spoon grind cloves 1/2 Mocca spoon grind cilantro seeds Vanilla sugar 1/2 ts freshly grated ginger nutmeg 10 ml Irish Mist or Cognac 200 ml whipping cream Cut pumpkin into cubes and spread butter onto an aluminum foil. Place cubed pumpkin onto the foil and sprinkle all ingredients except nutmeg, Irish Mist and whipping cream. Tight up foil and bake pumpkin at 180 ° Celsius for 35 minutes. Pour Pumpkin and liquid into a pot and let evaporate the liquid on a hot plate at low heat until it's like a puree. Let cool down and strain through a sieve. Add Irish Mist and fold in whipped cream Cinnamon-Semifreddo: 1 cinnamon rind 70 g brown sugar 150 ml water 5 tbs rum 50 g Ladyfingers 2 eggs 1 egg yolk Vanilla sugar 1/2 ts cinnamon powder 200 ml whipping cream Bring sugar and water to the boil. Add cinnamon rind and let cook at low heat for 1 hour until syrupy (see picture). Pour rum. Cut ladyfingers into small cubes and wet with half of the cinnamon-rum mixture. Beat Eggs and egg yolk with the second half of the rum and cinnamon mix until foamy (see picture). Fold in wet cubed Ladyfingers. Add whipped cream thoroughly sprinkle cinnamon and pour into timbales. Let freeze for 3 to 4 hours Cut cake into small edges, spread pumpkin mousse on it and serve with cinnamon semifreddo like shown in the picture

I made alfajores a couple of days ago - an almond-based dough, with dulce de leche sandwiched betwen two cookies. Then my Argentine guest informed me that they were supposed to be dipped in chocolate, something I had no clear idea how to do. I ended up making a ganache, setting the sandwiches on a rack with a silpat underneath, and pouring the ganache over the cookies. Ok, now one side looked perfect, but how to get the bottom glazed too? I stuck them inthe fridge until the ganache set up, flipped them over onto parchment, and repeated the process. Then they were covered in chocolate, but it definitely wasn't a smooth coating all over, and they looked sub-artisanal, to say the least. What's the trick for doing this so the cookies look seamlessly dipped?

I thought it was a personal olfactory malfunction, until my son asked the same question. Any ideas?

Every time we visit the Sen5es Bakery in Downtown Vancouver, I'm always intrigued, but disappointed with the Sparkle Cookies. Call me crazy, but they just don't do it for me. But the Valrhona Chocolate Cookies - oh my! They're deep, dark and unctous, partly because of the Valrhona, but mostly because the texture is incredible. Can I just do any chocolate chocolate chip cookie, sub with Valrhona and successfully replicate these puppies? I'm dying to, yet reluctant to waste good chocolate. Thoughts? Anyone else agree these beat out the Sparkle cookies??

We dined the other evening at Chef Mavro in Honolulu. He has a new pastry chef and she created a wonderful dessert of a rosemary chocolate substance wrapped in a gelatin "canneloni." The chocolate was thick and rich yet creamy. It wasn't frozen and it wasn't mousse. What would you properly call this filling and is there a French term for it? Thanks for any and all assistance!

Could anyone please tell me where I could buy these in the DC/VA area?? I am desperate - thank you!!!!