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Hi. I usually use Wybauw's recipes but change them according to my needs. If I want a moulded chocolate I change the choc to cream ratio etc. Or I use it for idea combinations. But now: I want to make Arabe- page 110 exactly as is given. My problem is that I think I can't! First it calls for 30g of Sorbitol. I would rather not use this. So could I replace it with invert or glucose? It is reduced glucose I think- and if so how? Next it calls for Passoa Liqueur- passion fruit liqueur. I can't get it here! What else could be used? Brandy? A fruit liqueur? Another of his recipes calls for pistachio compound (amoretti No.5) It sounds yucky to me. I want natural pistachio. Could pistachio paste replace this gram for gram? This is on page 128. Quite a few customers asked for pistachio hence these two recipes. Thanks!!

What is the best way to protect a box of Bonbons? I am researching and trying decide what I should use to cover my chocolates when they are boxed and sitting on the shelf waiting for a buyer. Can a heat seal for thin plastic be used or will it melt the chocolates, or a vacuum sealer? Who uses what? Thanks for your help. Deb.

Hey everyone, Does anyone know of any reputable chocolatier trianing programs? I took a class from Ecole Chocolat online, but I wanted to do something hands on now. I'm in NY for a few months and have been looking at the French Culinary Institute. They have a class for serious amateurs called Chocolate and Bonbons but I wanted something more inclusive I guess. I feel like it is to intro level and doesnt do any confectionary except the tofee which I want to do as well. Has anyone taken it and can give me some feedback? And does anyone know of any program that fits the bill better? Thanks everyone!!

This topic is being started to allow for continued discussion of French macarons (not the coconut cookies). Please utilize the index of the original topic HERE prior to posting in this new topic. Enjoy! And remember, you should always send samples of your macarons to your hosts

Hi all, I realize it's been a very long while since I posted (or read the board, for that matter). I've been exceedingly busy since I moved last year... But I have a need to make some fresh chocolates this afternoon, and I need your help. What are your favorite chocolates where the filling sets up FAST. (They are for a party this evening.) I'm feeling a little brain dead beyond my obvious candidates (fruit ganaches). Ideas?

The new gourmet grocery here has an entire See's candy counter. After hearing quite a lot about See's here and there on eGullet, I figured I should find out what all the fuss was about. So far I've tried three flavors (there's always a sample tray out), and all of the were described as buttercreams (Bordeaux, pineapple, and lemon, for anyone who's curious). While much sweeter than anything I put in my chocolates, they were quite tasty, and now I'm wondering just what the heck a buttercream filling is in the context of chocolate? I have some (limited) familiarity with buttercream frosting for a cake, but this seems different. Thanks!

historically, during times of economic slowdown - at least in north america, there's been an inverse relationship with the economy and chocolate sales... economy goes down, chocolate sales go up. folks feel they can't afford the lexus anymore, but a nice box of chocolates is viewed as an affordable luxury that in many respects takes the place of the big ticket items. i'm curious as to what those of you with 'boots on the street' so to speak are experiencing in todays economic climate? one of the big differences today vs previous economically difficult times is that raw materials and transportation are simultaneously up - given that sugar and dairy comprise almost everything we make, and they have to be brought in from elsewhere it's a rough combination. not to mention that approx 34% of this years corn crop is going to bio-fuel, and climactic conditions took out a good portion of the crops over the last couple of weeks (that's not going to help anyone). are your sales being adversely affected this year, are you seeing them up vs a few years ago, or are they flat? are you able to pass on higher production costs?

Does anyone here have any experience with the continuing education classes at Notter's in Orlando (specifically with chocolate) such as learning to temper, etc... http://www.notterschool.com/

Hi everyone, I'm very new to making chocolates, and have had pretty good success in the past. Apart from these heart chocolates. I am wondering why it looks like little chips are out of the chocolate shells???? It's the first time I have used the mould, polished it before I used it... I dusted the moulds with the red dust first - and it looks like the dust have been left in the moulds where it looks like the chocolates are chipped Any ideas on why this might have happened? Thanks so much in advance, Danni

While looking to stock up my pantry for chocolate and confection making, I have been comparison shopping at various online sources. I keep running across powdered or atomized glucose, which is significantly cheaper than glucose syrup. Can powdered glucose be used when a recipe calls for glucose syrup (as in Peter Greweling's Chocolates & Confections book)? And if so, how?

I've got a small retail store where I make and sell chocolates and confections. However, Man does not live by retail alone, and over the summer we've been busy getting wholesale customers. I've got some of the packaging taken care of: Boxes, liners, stickers, etc. but I need the "Frills", and more importantly, some kind of a "security seal". My first choice would be some kind of shrink wrap film over the whole box. After doing some investigating I am faced with two choices: A table top impulse sealer and a hand-held heat gun, or, a heat tunnel. Conservative prices of a heat tunnel start at 3 big ones. The price doesn't put me off, it's just that my volume is very low (100 boxes per day) and space is at a premium. The hand held stuff kind of scares me in that it is fairly labour intensive, especially when you factor in the box assembling and hand packing. What's everyone else doing?

Looking for recommendations in the NNJ area for great chocolates or other unique food gift ideas for the host who has everything. What do you usually bring when invited to a dinner where the host already has a huge wine collection, fully decorated home, etc.?

In my excitement over finding Wybauw's procedure for candying fruit (the two week sugar soaking process) I managed to not read his directions clearly until now. ...Now being when I have a dozen oranges sitting on my counter most eagerly. Each step of the sugar soaking process indicates that I boil the sugar solution to a certain Brix point before proceeding. How would a non-professional attempt this at home? google's book preview shows the procedure here. Help?

The time is upon us for the biggest chocolate making season of the year! ( for me anyhow) I was putting together my ideas, going through my notebooks, and chocolate books, Grewelings' Chocolates and confections, as well as Fine Chocolates by Wybauw. There are several recipes which have great flavours for the season, but was wondering if any of you have ideas you are willing to share, or flavours you may like to eat. Also if you sell your chcolates, which flavours are most in demand? Also are there any ideas for decorating the chocolates with a festive flair? Peter

I have been making some chocolates with colored cocoa butter (from chefrubber, jewel & artisan collections) and also using plain cocoa butter with "metallic" luster dust. A food engineer just recently expressed some concern regarding the use of these colors, telling me that completely covering a bonbon in color would be unsafe. I started out experimenting with colors after reading through the "Chocolate with a showroom finish" thread, and haven't done anything more "colorful" than other chocolates posted in that thread. I also haven't seen many references to a health safety concern of these products in the forum. Does anyone have any scientific information about the health impact of using colored cocoa butter or luster dust? Thanks!

i am not a baker or v familiar with chocolates...in the recipes i have been reading they say biitersweet OR semi...when i read the reviews it seems a lot say bittersweet tastes like dirt and semi is too sweet...can you mix and a hald n half with a good result

I miscalculated and overbought this weekend, so now I have a pint of organic cream that's going to go bad real soon if I don't do something with it. I'm going to look through my confection books and see if there's something I've been meaning to try, but in the meantime, I thought I'd ask here. Anyone have an interesting caramel recipe, or some other kind of interesting confection that uses cream? I have some bar molds poured and could put something in them. I'm not particularly interested in ganache today - looking to try/learn something new. Thanks!

I've use JPW's books, looked at the pictures on eGullet from his workshops (wow!) and watched videos on the Callebaut site. Where o where does one find the ganache trays with fitted bars that he uses? Are they available for retail purchase? Those of you who've used them: what do think about them? Thanks.

Hello. I finished the Gourmet Chocolate confection class given by Richardson Research labs this past week. It was a week long class and basically we made an assorted box of chocolates. Besides Terry Richardson there were 2 assistants. Thalia from Guittard and Peter who works in Reseach and Developement in the candy industry. They made the centers while us ,the students, did all the tempering by hand and hand dipped all the confections. I took a load of pics but haven't had the chance to load them onto my computer. We made everything from Nougat, Caramel, Toffee, Jellies, Truffles, Nut Clusters, Molded Chocolates, ButterCreams, It was a great class. We were given the recipes to all. There are a few ingredients I may have a problem getting. He used Anhydrous Butter and the corn syrup he used was 42de grade. Have any of you herad of that? I was quite humble doing the hand tempering since I have a Hillards Little Dipper it brought me back to the basics. I had a great time. There were 10 of us. I'm also known as Renam but decided to use my home computer to post for now on so that why I have a different name. Unfortunatly he is not offering the class anymore. He does have 2 other classe's he will teach-Chocolate Technology and Confection Technology. When I get the pic on my computer I will post them... Rena

I would like to learn to make a diabetic friendly chocolate bon bon. My friend , who is diabetic , has told me that she can usually eat Fructose, honey, light brown sugar, agave nectar, beet sugar and concentrated fruit juice. The fructose and agave nectar may be somewhat allowed in diabetic exchange, but I am not sure. I am trying to research this topic and any help would be welcome. I don't want to use anything with maltitol. Thanks

Was at the liquor store and left empty handed because i wasn't sure of what had the best flavour of orange? Anyone know? Thanks Peter

Today I precoated some Divinity and some ganache before dipping them. My first time ever. However, I guess I let the chocolate get too set because when I cut the precoated slab with the chocolate bottoming on the top, the chocolate shattered at the cuts. I turned it upside down and the same thing happened. I looked bottoming/precoating up in Greweling and the other books I have with me. Tried various eGullet threads...found a wonderful one by Trishiad, a demo on basic molded chocolates. No one talks about cutting the precoated ganache. Please some information.

Ruth and I have been discussing my disaster with making caramel yesterday...all turned out well in the end...and the temperature changes for cooking at higher altitudes. I suppose that this holds true for tempering chocolate too? I have a little Revolation I with me for tempering purposes...yeah, yeah, I know ...will it work fine at this higher altitude? About 4000 feet. Or is it somehow internally geared to work only at sea level???? I'll obviously try it this afternoon and see. As for tempering by hand...should I subtract the 8 degrees from each of the chocolate prescripted temperatures? Makes sense, I know, but I feel a bit uneasy about it. Thanks.

Last November I opened the doors to the shop and I think about 4 weeks later someone actually walked through them. It's been quite a year and it feels like I'm really just starting. I was lucky enough to have Dean & Deluca as a wholesale customer when I started and moved to more stores through the year. Our retail business was pretty minimal but we are located in an affluent area so although I had few customers some would spend $500-$1500 on holiday orders. Also, we were lucky enough to land a few nice corporate orders last christmas. But overall we spent the first year learning the business and focusing on improving the product and year two will be about actually working on turning some profits. I really started my trek here on eGullet in 2004 and have learned a lot from this community. I've met some great friends too. All that being said we have some exciting things happening now that I'd like to share especially for those just starting out as I didn't even know what "temper" meant when I posted my first comment. I'm not trying to toot our own horn but rather share what can happen for those just starting. I'm flying to NY next week as a finalist in The Next Generation Chocolatier competition. The theme was salty sweets and I submitted a piece that was a layer of mango pate de fruit over which I sprinkled a green chile infused sea salt and then topped with a layer of milk chocolate ganache with fresh lime, I then enrobed the piece in dark chocolate. It is a lot of flavors and textures but I thought it pulled together well. I think the most exciting part is that the judges did a blind tasting and were some people I really respect. The chocolatiers in the juding were Fritz Knipschildt and Kee Ling Tong. There were also judges from Blommer and Guittard and then finally buyers from Dean & Deluca and Bloomingdales. The awards dinner is Nov 5th and should be exciting. We also will be announcing a collaboration with Teavana, an upscale tea company to do a collection of tea infused artisan chocolates that they will have in all 84 stores this holiday season. We also will have another press release with another large wholesale partner that will be carrying our chocolates this holiday season. One other exciting thing we did this year was making chocolates for Pope Benedict's visit. We made custom transfers for the occassion and 2 piece boxes were handed out and chocolates/pate de fruit were served at the dinner in his honor. We were featured on "The View" as one of Whoopi's Must-Have items. It was very strange seeing your product on television. We have a few other pending national television appearances in the works now....I'll share more as it comes to pass. We FINALLY will have our website up in about 3-4 weeks with a crisp look and ecommerce. As I said earlier, I've been hesitant in the past to say anything about some of the things that have happened but this is a great community and in Feb 2004 in the Chocolates with that Showroom Finish I can still read my first post. When I first met Chris Elbow (on egullet) I needed help and he was willing to push me in the right direction. I've tried to do the same whenever I can. The funny thing is I know now how little I really know and I'm excited about the future and really becoming a professional with an increasing knowledge. Anyway, it is exciting to see where we have come in a year and I'm curious what the next year will hold. Good luck to everyone else and I hope to hear of your success. -Bill

My chocolate business is new. Up until now I have only had small orders which were easy to fill. I would be able to make the truffles and molded pieces 2 days before delivery. My Valentine's day orders have grown (good news) to a point where I must begin production much earlier. Freshness is of the upmost importance to me. Can anyone give me some advice on how to handle this issue. How far in advance can I begin production for a Feb. 12th delivery date? I will be making two molded chocolates and a variety of hand rolled,dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts and coconut. Maintaining quality and appearance comes first but I would like to be able to complete the production with the least insanity possible. Thanks in advance Carol