Colored Cocoa Butter: The Topic

[lironp]

Wow, that's unbelievable! Both types look great, but I love the dark ones the most

[rebgold]

What kind of coloring are you using?

[tikidoc]

I'm going to the upcoming confection conference and I'm really excited about going. I have been playing with candy making at home for a while but mostly simple stuff like truffles and simple dipped chocolates. All the posts here have given me inspiration to get into the world of dipped chocolates. One of the things I love about the pictures everyone posts is the variety of beautiful colors of molded chocolates, using colored cocoa butter. I picked up a few molds and want to play with color, but in my research online, I am only finding large (8 ounce) bottles of colored cocoa butter, and a set of 6 colors is over $100. I would think that much would last me at least a decade, and I doubt it keeps that long. I have heard great things about Chef Rubber's colors, but alas, they don't sell small quantities as far as I can see.

Does anyone have a source for smaller quantities of colored cocoa butter? I would especially be interested if they sold a set of several colors. Ideas anyone?

Failing that, if there is anyone that might be interested in splitting some colors, I would be open to that as well.

Thanks!

Jess

[tmriga]

chefrubber.com sells individual colors.

Theresa

[tikidoc]

Right, but they are all in at least 7 ounce bottles, for $20/each. I am looking to find smaller bottles than that, because in order to be able to have any variety of colors, I would need to invest much more than I would want and buy quantities much greater than I will ever need.

[heidih]

I wonder where our current eGullet food blogger acquired his small quantities as shown here?

[tikidoc]

I asked, they gave out samples at a previous confection conference. I'm attending the one next month, so keeping my fingers crossed. That said (are you reading this, Chef Rubber?) there is probably a significant market for a "color kit" in volumes appropriate for the home chocolate enthusiast/hobbyist, with a selection of colors. I would certainly be interested in buying something like this. 7-8 ounces of each color is just way too much if you are just making a couple batches a month for family and friends, and I'd really like to have several colors.

[Chris Hennes]

My wife points out to me that ChefRubber does actually sell a couple kits that come with the little containers:

Transfer Sheet Kit

Cocoa butter painting kit

[tikidoc]

Ooh, thanks Chris, that's exactly what I was looking for. I was looking under "colorants" silly me.

[Prabha]

Jess, did you buy one of these kits from ChefRubber? I'd like to try it too, but I'm wondering how much of each color you get with the kit.

[tikidoc]

Actually, I'm waiting for the moment. I asked and they said 7-10 grams/color, which is pretty tiny. They sent samples to last year's conference so I am hoping for the same this year, plus I'll be able to get an idea of how much is used in a batch of chocolates at the conference when we get to play. Robert also told me that he thinks they have a very long shelf life, so that gets rid of one of my major concerns, that I might be throwing much of it out.

Jess

[Prabha]

Good points all. I think I'll wait until after the conference too. Thanks!

[Kerry Beal]

Actually, I'm waiting for the moment. I asked and they said 7-10 grams/color, which is pretty tiny. They sent samples to last year's conference so I am hoping for the same this year, plus I'll be able to get an idea of how much is used in a batch of chocolates at the conference when we get to play. Robert also told me that he thinks they have a very long shelf life, so that gets rid of one of my major concerns, that I might be throwing much of it out.

Jess

Yeah - I suspect the shelf life on coloured cocoa butters to be almost indefinite. I've got plenty around I've had for several years. Just like dark chocolate - you may get some fat bloom as crystals head to form VI but it just improves with age!

If you are painting with a paint brush or finger you use a minimal amount so 7 to 10 grams will last quite a while - with an airbrush you go through a lot more.

[Jenjcook]

Since I don't live near an Albert ulster. Colored cocoa butter is nearly $35 a bottle with shipping....so I decided to try to make my own. The problem I'm running into is with the titanium dioxide (the white powder that makes it opaque) I can't seem to get it completely dissolved/suspended in the cocoa butter leaving little white lumps when I airbrush it. Anyone ever done this and have suggestions. I tried putting it through a blender and straining it in cheesecloth...still has teeny tiny lumps.

[Kerry Beal]

Is it the titanium dioxide formulated specifically for chocolate? I've had problems with some I bought at a health food store - but I don't think it was really fat soluble.

I use an immersion blender - but I've got to think if you've put it through a blender and strained it that an immersion blender won't help.

Could the the powder have become moist? Would it be worth drying it thoroughly at a low temp in the oven before trying again?

[Jenjcook]

Is it the titanium dioxide formulated specifically for chocolate? I've had problems with some I bought at a health food store - but I don't think it was really fat soluble.

I use an immersion blender - but I've got to think if you've put it through a blender and strained it that an immersion blender won't help.

Could the the powder have become moist? Would it be worth drying it thoroughly at a low temp in the oven before trying again?

It's food grade but not specifically for chocolate. I like the drying in the oven idea.

[Jenjcook]

As a first experiment it went fairly well. Im made a second batch today and was able to get the titanium dioxide into solution with a bit of heat. This is the fist batch I airbrushed.

Bananas Foster in Guittard French vanilla

[minas6907]

I was going to start a topic similar to this, but maybe I'll refrain now since this is pretty much on subject. I too want to make my own colors with cocoa butter, but I'm not really sure where to start. I dont want to purchase the bottles of colored cocoa butter, they are too expensive considering the little use they would get. I'm not using an airbrush, I mostly want to do simple colors using a gloved finger. To apply the colors to a polycarbonate mold, I know the cocoa butter needs to be tempered. Mainly what I'm wondering is how to go about the tempering process. The amount of cocoa butter I would need for, say two or even three molds is quite small, since it would just be a spatter or smudge here and there. So to temper the cocoa butter, would it be normal to table it? Do I table the cocoa butter then add my color? It seems like most everyone here uses the colors that come from the bottles, and even in Chocolates and Confections it seems like Greweling says that the colored cocoa butter needs to be tempered, but doesnt really say how. Anyways, if anyone can clarify that would be helpful, I'll check what Notter says in Art of the Chocolatier.

[Alleguede]

Melt your cocoa butter to 40*c. Add your powder, maximum 10%. Blend it well. Add some seeds, or micro planed cocoa butter and blend again.

I let them set overnight. Then remelt and blend again.

[Kerry Beal]

What Rodney said.

I usually set up a bunch of beakers with the melted cocoa butter and powders and work through them from lightest to darkest so I don't have to clean the immersion blender between.

When I get back home from up north remind me and I'll give you the amounts of each powder to add to get the ideal colours and to make brown and black.

[minas6907]

Hey thanks for that, both of you! Lately I've started to get a bit more confident with chocolate, so I'm going to have another go at it, Ill post the results, thanks again!

[minas6907]

Hey Alleguede and Kerry!

I just have one picture to post for the time being, but the did exactly what you both said and I got the cocoa butter to work perfect! Thank you, really! One question though, so do you two just have a bunch of containers of colored cocoa butter already made up, so they are ready to just bring out, warm slightly, blend with hand blender, then use? Also, the 10% color, I'm assuming that's by weight?

[Kerry Beal]

Rodney is in Paris right now - coaching the Brazilian candidate for the World Chocolate Masters - so I suspect he isn't watching eG - but I shall try to answer for him.

Once I've made my coloured cocoa butters I store them in something akin to baby food jars - I heat them in the microwave until just partially liquified and don't bother with the hand blender at that point. I only use the hand blender when I'm producing them originally.

About 10% by weight.

[Jenjcook]

Here is some of my homemade cocoa butter, works pretty well, but it is hard to make certain colors, so I guess I'll just order those from chef rubber

[Kerry Beal]

Never could make a green I was happy with.