Colored Cocoa Butter: The Topic

[Jim D.]

My experience has been different from what keychris says. I can always taste colored cocoa butter, even from a brand-new bottle. And especially white (with titanium dioxide) has a strong odor. There is a thread on The Chocolate Life about this topic (started by someone other than me). I mentioned this issue to the owner of Chocotransfersheets, and he was going to send me a sample of his white to see if it was different. I never got that but recently ordered a bottle to check it out. I don't think there is any way around the titanium dioxide to create white. All that being said, however, I can also taste plain cocoa butter and am not fond of its aroma. To check what I just wrote, I went to my supply and opened a brand-new bottle of Chef Rubber colored cocoa butter. There is definitely an odor--mostly cocoa butter, but more than that.

[pastryani]

I guess whether you can taste the CB depends on how sensitive your palate is.

 

I have one color (princess pink by CR) that has a distinct 'off' smell.  It does have white mixed in it, and when I use it on bonbons, the bright pink color actually fades after a few days.  Very strange.

 

I still chisel CB out of the bottles and only heat a little more than the amount I'll be using.  I recently transferred each color to its own little container and am embarrassed to say how many colors there were (and how many containers I needed!), so I *really* hope they last a good long while! 

Edited November 21, 2017 by pastryani (log)

[understandingcocoa]

@pastryani I'm in the same boat! I'm slowly transferring into containers from bottles because it just seems so much easier to work with. Do you leave them near sunlight out of interest? Just being in a light room hugely fades my matcha bars!

 

@Jim D. Now you mention the issue with the white, i've realised the only time I really have an issue is when I've used white in the combo, so may just have to limit it's use. I always wonder how chocolate lab etc get such vibrant colours with full coverage without having the same issue. There's a particular bonbon I really want to create with blue specks and a full white spray, I will keep experimenting with different brands & post any updates.

Thanks all

[pastryani]

@understandingcocoa yes for me it's much easier to melt a small amount of CB rather than the whole bottle, so I find the containers to be very handy.  I keep them in a cabinet (they used to be in a box in the cabinet but given how many there are, they no longer fit).  

 

The fading pink bonbons were in indirect light but I haven't had any issues with others fading.  There's something wonky about that pink.

[Jim D.]

46 minutes ago, understandingcocoa said:

 

@Jim D. Now you mention the issue with the white, i've realised the only time I really have an issue is when I've used white in the combo, so may just have to limit it's use. I always wonder how chocolate lab etc get such vibrant colours with full coverage without having the same issue. There's a particular bonbon I really want to create with blue specks and a full white spray, I will keep experimenting with different brands & post any updates.

 

I will post a report on the white cocoa butter from Chocotransfersheets.com. As I thought more about this discussion and the fact that respected people said there must be something wrong with "smelly" cocoa butter, I was beginning to think I was losing my mind (or my nose in this case). Then I remembered that I ordered a box of Kate Weiser's chocolates earlier this year. These are highly decorated, and many colors are backed in white. When I opened the box, the aroma of c.b. (as distinct from chocolate) was unmistakable. As pastryani implied, it might just be my palate/nose. No customers have ever mentioned the issue. Sometimes I think Europeans have the right idea--most of the chocolates I have seen are not decorated with colored cocoa butter.

[pastrygirl]

2 hours ago, Jim D. said:

Then I remembered that I ordered a box of Kate Weiser's chocolates earlier this year. These are highly decorated, and many colors are backed in white. When I opened the box, the aroma of c.b. (as distinct from chocolate) was unmistakable. As pastryani implied, it might just be my palate/nose. No customers have ever mentioned the issue.

 

Are you saying you haven't eaten them all yet? 

 

But that's why I don't care for the ones with a bunch of CB sprayed on after, the thick layer of fat isn't enjoyable.  CB isn't necessarily a bad flavor, just not as good as the rest of the bean.  It's probably all deodorized, it would be fine if it had some chocolate flavor.  You can add a little chocolate or white chocolate, depending on the color.  Cacao Barry actually makes blue and orange white chocolate pistoles, and their fascination with the Ruby chocolate is all about color.  It could also be interesting to add a drop of flavor oil - I use Lorann pure citrus and peppermint oils to flavor dark chocolate, you could flavor the CB instead. 

 

And customers are generally clueless to the subtleties of technique.  For every person who actually knows what feuilletine is, there are hundreds who ask, "is that fudge?"

[shemakeschocolate]

Anyone have any luck with getting decent coverage with yellow cocoa butter? I'm using Chef Rubber and am on my second airbrushed coat--but I'm still not sure the dark chocolate won't peek through. Should I back it with white? And if I do, should I only need (at least in theory) one coat of the yellow? Can you have too many coats of cocoa butter?  

[Kerry Beal]

3 hours ago, shemakeschocolate said:

Anyone have any luck with getting decent coverage with yellow cocoa butter? I'm using Chef Rubber and am on my second airbrushed coat--but I'm still not sure the dark chocolate won't peek through. Should I back it with white? And if I do, should I only need (at least in theory) one coat of the yellow? Can you have too many coats of cocoa butter?  

Which formulation is it? Some are transparent and you need white. 

 

You can get too much - then you smell and taste it.

[Tri2Cook]

On ‎2017‎-‎11‎-‎21 at 4:05 PM, Jim D. said:

Sometimes I think Europeans have the right idea--most of the chocolates I have seen are not decorated with colored cocoa butter.

I think that on a regular basis. But I've already spent the money on the compressor, airbrush and an assortment of colored cocoa butter so I waited too long to have my epiphany... might as well keep at it now.

[understandingcocoa]

On 11/21/2017 at 10:05 PM, Jim D. said:

Then I remembered that I ordered a box of Kate Weiser's chocolates earlier this year. These are highly decorated, and many colors are backed in white. When I opened the box, the aroma of c.b. (as distinct from chocolate) was unmistakable. As pastryani implied, it might just be my palate/nose.

 

I'm so relieved it's not just me! I find the smell really unappealing & thought I must really be going wrong somewhere. Although @pastrygirl you're right, my partner always say's i'm  too hard on myself because the things I think are huge issues customers are oblivious to. 

 

[carol lang]

I know this question has been asked before, hope it is okay to ask again.

I have begun using my colored cocoa butters again after they have been stored for more than 6 months in possibly non optimum conditions.

I don't know the condition of the temper. I assume that the cocoa butter is not in temper.

Hopefully I can learn from the group here, how to prepare the cocoa butter for  successful use.

Also is there a way of being sure that when you paint a mold with cocoa butter the finished shells will come out 

with the cocoa butter on the chocolate and not some of it still in the mold.

Although I love the challenge, sometimes I find decorating with colored cocoa butter so stressful that I plan to never do it again.

 

 

[RobertM]

Well, I’m reminded of a comment that Chocolot has said several times, and I paraphrase:  once you think you know what you’re doing, Chocolate will do something just to let you know who’s boss.

 

you should plan on tempering the colored cocoa butter (CCB) prior to using, anytime, any day, you plan on using.  Always start with the basics.

 

is there a way to be “sure that when you paint a mold....”?  That is the million dollar question for sure.  I don’t believe there exists a way that will guarantee you success every time with CCB, but, there are methodologies that will help you.

 

These are things, steps I do, and my success rate is fairly high 

temper your cocoa butter

use clean, polished molds

apply decoration

allow CCB to crystallize in mold prior to shelling

shell, fill and cap per usual 

unmold

 

but step 3 is critical, as there are many ways to apply CCB, i.e. paintbrush, cotton swab, finger, airbrush, toothbrush, etc, 

Edited February 6, 2018 by RobertM (log)

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, carol lang said:

Also is there a way of being sure that when you paint a mold with cocoa butter the finished shells will come out 

with the cocoa butter on the chocolate and not some of it still in the mold.

Although I love the challenge, sometimes I find decorating with colored cocoa butter so stressful that I plan to never do it again.

 

@RobertM answered your questions. I would just add that most people do not temper cocoa butter--at least not in any traditional way (the way I see most often is partially melting the bottle contents, then shaking the bottle and assuming the c.b. is in temper)--but obviously Bob tempers his and I do as well. If I overheat it in the melting process, I use a dab of cocoa butter silk from the EZtemper. I always test the c.b. for temper. This may seem extreme, but I figure that if I do all I can and the c.b. still sticks in the mold, then at least it isn't because I skipped a step that I could have easily taken.

 

As to your question about "being sure," oh that certainty were a possibility. Yesterday I unmolded 21 pieces decorated with red and gold c.b.:  20 chocolates fell out of the inverted mold with no effort whatever; after considerable banging on the counter, the 21st came out, leaving bits of red and gold c.b. behind. It does seem to me that certain shapes can sometimes be more difficult, such as domes, but that may be my imagination. All sorts of theories have been proposed as to the cause of sticking c.b. (you didn't notice but you touched the mold with a warm finger in a certain place and the chocolate in that spot stuck, or c.b. in the airbrush got too warm), but I think all of us know of cases that disprove such theories. My "solution":  Always make more bonbons than you need and try to relax about the failures. Another actual solution: Use magnetic molds with transfer sheets--which never stick. But where's the challenge with that?

[carol lang]

Thank you so much for your replies Robert and Jim. The comments were helpful.  I have to remember that the chocolate is always the boss

and I have to just keep working at it.

An EZtemper is on my wish list.

[Bentley]

There are so many factors that go into successful CCB use.  Start with clean molds.  I clean my molds with hot soapy water then polish them with cotton balls and a little alcohol but there are a lot of different approaches to cleaning molds.  I temper CCB every time I use it.  I take it to 45C then cool it in the freezer or in an ice bath down to 28C (agitating it frequently along the way), at which point it is ready to spray or paint. I learned this technique from Melissa Coppel.   I keep the tempered colors in a warmer to make sure they don't get too cool before use.  If they do get below 28C, I use a heat gun to bring them back to temp.  I let the CCB fully crystalize in the molds at room temp (or in the fridge briefly if the room is warmer or more humid than usual).  There should be no shine to the CCB - it should be completely set and all matte.  Then I shell with the chocolate.  A good temper on the chocolate is important too, so that the CCB and the chocolate will contract together as the chocolate crystalizes.  Proper crystallization is also important.  I  leave the molds out at room temperature until the chocolate starts to set and begins to lose the gloss of melted chocolate, then it goes in the fridge to finish.  Takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge.  You can tell when it's ready by looking at the underside of the mold - the shell will have the appearance of having pulled away form the mold. 

[minas6907]

Just my two cents here. I keep my cocoa butters in glass mason jars. When it comes time to use, I microwave, break up the solidified mass with a spoon, microwave carefull in short bursts until it is about halfway melted, then I use a mixer.

 

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KHM926WH-9-Speed-Digital-Accessories/dp/B00C9OQ47S/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1517975412&sr=8-12&keywords=kitchenaid+hand+mixer

 

I got my wife this mixer as a present, she loves the thing, but it comes with this small disk attachment. Its perfect for mixing the cocoa butters in the mason jars to that creamy consistency. I never thought in my life I would use a hand mixer, but I do for this. I got three more of those mixer disks for when I do multiple colors, quite useful.

[keychris]

I know that Melissa Coppel uses 28C as her working temperature, but the cocoa butter can be hard to work with at that temperature. She did classes over here and they had a lot of trouble with cocoa butter sticking. If you're not an expert as Melissa is, I'd keep your working temperature a little higher, 30-31C is fine and you still get great shine. Apart from the temperature, I do @Bentley's process pretty much exactly the same.

[carol lang]

I want to thank everyone for the valuable help.  The generosity of the people on this forum is amazing.

I gained confidence to keep trying and I am getting moderate success.   

 

[Kerry Beal]

7 hours ago, carol lang said:

I want to thank everyone for the valuable help.  The generosity of the people on this forum is amazing.

I gained confidence to keep trying and I am getting moderate success.   

 

Carol - why don't you come to our workshop this year?

[carol lang]

I might like to do that.

I need to read up on the dates and place, but it sound great.

[Kerry Beal]

40 minutes ago, carol lang said:

I might like to do that.

I need to read up on the dates and place, but it sound great.

Here's the link to the planning thread. It would be fabulous to see you again.

[Sweet Impact Mama]

Hi all. I have recently found an amazing company that is creating micro-refined plant-based color powder that actually dissolves beautifully in cocoa butter. I'm beyond thrilled with the results with blue - which, along with red, seems to be the hardest color to get true results with. I've been happy with the all-natural line that Chef Rubber makes, in terms of white, purple and yellow (mixed feelings about green), but could not get any true red or blue colors. 

 

But now I have a question about what cocoa butter you use, when you mix it. I currently had just kept a bag of non-deodorized, organic cocoa butter on hand for thinning out chocolate that needed it or for the unfortunate experiments with color blending. Now that I've got something that works, I've discovered that it is a terrible vehicle for airbrushing with - so much more overspray than the other Chef Rubber colors I've used.  

 

So, if anyone would care to share their experiences. Oh - I use a Paasche H, single action airbrush, 'cause I'm a newbie and it was the more recommended on these forums as a good, inexpensive starter brush. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

[felipetruji]

Mind sharing your source for the natural colors?

[Kerry Beal]

4 hours ago, Sweet Impact Mama said:

Hi all. I have recently found an amazing company that is creating micro-refined plant-based color powder that actually dissolves beautifully in cocoa butter. I'm beyond thrilled with the results with blue - which, along with red, seems to be the hardest color to get true results with. I've been happy with the all-natural line that Chef Rubber makes, in terms of white, purple and yellow (mixed feelings about green), but could not get any true red or blue colors. 

 

But now I have a question about what cocoa butter you use, when you mix it. I currently had just kept a bag of non-deodorized, organic cocoa butter on hand for thinning out chocolate that needed it or for the unfortunate experiments with color blending. Now that I've got something that works, I've discovered that it is a terrible vehicle for airbrushing with - so much more overspray than the other Chef Rubber colors I've used.  

 

So, if anyone would care to share their experiences. Oh - I use a Paasche H, single action airbrush, 'cause I'm a newbie and it was the more recommended on these forums as a good, inexpensive starter brush. 

 

Thanks in advance! 

Any idea what the source of the cocoa butter you are using is? Certain cocoa butters have a much lower melting point than others which might make them less viscous at the same temperature and contribute to the overspray.

 

[Sweet Impact Mama]

It was this stuff. https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Butter-Anthonys-Gluten-Free-Non-GMO/dp/B00QU6FOGS?ref=ast_p_pc_bs