Confectionery Frames

[Kerry Beal]

The roller was to spread a foot on a piece of acetate - and it was just a piece of PVC pipe.  For ganache a raplette is great if you can find one - an adjustable one is handy.

[Jim D.]

I must confess I had to look up "raplette."  A Google search calls up one for sale by J.B. Prince, for $139.

[Kerry Beal]

yup - that's the one

[pastrygirl]

@Jim D. check out the bottom video, that's a lot of ganache!  

 

[pastrygirl]

The video I linked to above looked ok on my phone but not my laptop, here's another using the raplette 

 

Edited June 14, 2016 by pastrygirl
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[Jim D.]

Thanks for the video.  After watching a couple of times, I still can't figure out why the raplette works so well, whereas a spatula turned on its edge does not.

[Kerry Beal]

 

22 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Thanks for the video.  After watching a couple of times, I still can't figure out why the raplette works so well, whereas a spatula turned on its edge does not.

It seems to be a combination of the height of it and the sides which brings the ganache back towards the middle. I've had some very small ones made at my machine shop - but they weren't wide enough or tall enough to do a good job. And also if you look at the JB Prince picture carefully you'll notice that the back is just a bit higher than the sides - so it's not scraping even with the frame - it's a few millimeters higher. 

Edited June 14, 2016 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Rajala]

What's the consensus on confectionary frames? Making your own with help from someone? This thread is a few years now but I see lots of people that are still active in other threads. Maybe you can shed some light on how you're working with frames these days?

[pastrygirl]

For firm slabbed ganache & gianduja, I use the stainless frames from design & realization, mostly 15mm but I have a couple of 10 mm as well. Pate de fruits can ooze under the edges a bit but they work. I don’t think caramels work in those frames, it stays too hot and runny for too long. Instead, I use 9” square cake pans lined with parchment for caramels. False bottoms a plus if you go that route. 

 

How many pieces do you want to make at once, and do you already have a guitar?

Edited April 24, 2018 by pastrygirl (log)

[Rajala]

I don't have a cutter and it'll probably be a while before I invest in one. They're quite price as you're probably well aware of.  

 

It's for trying to make some ganache, pate de fruits and also for some caramels. The main reason I ask is because I started to read about leaf croquant in Chocolates & confections, and you need a frame (if you follow the recipe blindly) for the caramel. 

[Jim D.]

3 hours ago, Rajala said:

What's the consensus on confectionary frames? Making your own with help from someone? This thread is a few years now but I see lots of people that are still active in other threads. Maybe you can shed some light on how you're working with frames these days?

I bought stainless steel bars 1" wide and of varying heights. They can be adjusted to make any size frame. I have 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". If I'm making a two-layer filling, I use the 3/8" on the bottom, the 1/4" on top (because I make the foot on the bottom before I start filling the frame and the 3/8" height allow for the foot so that the two layers come out about 1/4" each).

[Jim D.]

2 minutes ago, Rajala said:

I don't have a cutter and it'll probably be a while before I invest in one. They're quite price as you're probably well aware of.  

 

I predict that after some time cutting ganache with a knife and despairing over ever getting the squares/rectangles looking right, you will become the proud owner of a guitar. After all, you live just a couple of countries away from where they are made. 

[Rajala]

18 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

I bought stainless steel bars 1" wide and of varying heights. They can be adjusted to make any size frame. I have 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". If I'm making a two-layer filling, I use the 3/8" on the bottom, the 1/4" on top (because I make the foot on the bottom before I start filling the frame and the 3/8" height allow for the foot so that the two layers come out about 1/4" each).

 

I'm thinking that that is the way to go. I can get some steel / aluminium from a store close by. I would just need to make smaller pieces of it. I don't even have space for one of those. And the cheapest one seems to be like 800 EUR + taxes.

 

Will look at what pastrygirl mention and see if I can find anything that suits my needs. I have two stores within walking distance that I could ask as well. One is making fudge etc and the other one is making mostly chocolate.

 

 

[Pastrypastmidnight]

My husband just cut me some acrylic frames of different heights on a laser cutter. I haven’t used them yet. I’ll report back once I do. 

[Rajala]

That could work as well. But it feels more costly than metal if you want them to be thick. It feels more like something I would use to make bars with several different layers. 

[Jim D.]

56 minutes ago, Rajala said:

That could work as well. But it feels more costly than metal if you want them to be thick. It feels more like something I would use to make bars with several different layers. 

With metal you can adjust the bars to any size you want--even at the last minute if you have more/less ganache than you thought. Many people like aluminum for its light weight; stainless stays in place more readily.

[minas6907]

I think it's been a few years now, but on eBay I was able to find 1/4x1/4x12" bar stock, it was perfect, so I got a bunch of different lengths. In the past, I've purchased alluminium angle stock, cut it to size, then had fun grinding all the rough edges. I wouldn't do that again, I'm confident you could find what you need on eBay, or check around at metal yards and such. Im pretty sure metal rods of that size are often considered scrap. 

 

Here's one I found. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done at a reasonable price. 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F360706883622

[GRiker]

On 4/24/2018 at 4:40 PM, Jim D. said:

I bought stainless steel bars 1" wide and of varying heights. They can be adjusted to make any size frame. I have 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2". If I'm making a two-layer filling, I use the 3/8" on the bottom, the 1/4" on top (because I make the foot on the bottom before I start filling the frame and the 3/8" height allow for the foot so that the two layers come out about 1/4" each)

 

@Jim D.Is this still how you're prepping your fillings to be cut by your guitar? Is your foot untempered chocolate?

Edited January 10, 2024 by GRiker
Hit return too soon. (log)

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, GRiker said:

 

Yes, I still use this method, and yes, I use untempered chocolate for the foot.  There are several opinions on the foot:  Some say tempered chocolate (I find it shatters easily), some say overtempered chocolate (I'm not even sure how to achieve the overtempered state without taking a lot of time), some say untempered (which sometimes shatters, but not often).  I heat it to well over 100F so that it doesn't start hardening before I can spread it.  And I definitely spread it on acetate and then spread the filling on top of it.  I don't put the foot on top unless it's a very soft filling that is not going to be easy to dip later, then it gets "two feet," so to speak.

[Rajala]

I've always "over-tempered" it. But it's not like I've done it a lot haha. Maybe 5 times. Takes forever to dip them. I don't understand you who have the patience for it.

[GRiker]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:14 AM, Jim D. said:

Yes, I still use this method, and yes, I use untempered chocolate for the foot.

Thanks @Jim D.. 

I understand that when you're making a two layer ganache you put the 3/8" on the bottom since you'll be spreading your untempered chocolate there.  By using the larger ruler on the bottom, you ensure that your finished product has equal thicknesses of the two different flavors. 

 

When you're making a 1/2" ganache, are you concerned that using an untempered foot at the base of your ganache leaves you with a ganache layer that is less that 1/2"?

 

I'm finding that stainless steel bars are pretty pricey, hoping to buy the right ones the first time!

[Jim D.]

On 1/11/2024 at 9:48 PM, GRiker said:

Thanks @Jim D.. 

I understand that when you're making a two layer ganache you put the 3/8" on the bottom since you'll be spreading your untempered chocolate there.  By using the larger ruler on the bottom, you ensure that your finished product has equal thicknesses of the two different flavors. 

 

When you're making a 1/2" ganache, are you concerned that using an untempered foot at the base of your ganache leaves you with a ganache layer that is less that 1/2"?

 

I'm finding that stainless steel bars are pretty pricey, hoping to buy the right ones the first time!

 

Yes, my setup for two layers is as you describe, and it does result in more or less the same height for each layer.

 

For the 1/2", I don't worry about the height I'm losing (there's only so much I can worry about).  If you are concerned, you could purchase an extra 1/8" bar (if you can find it).   Aluminum bars might work as long as they are glued down (with chocolate) thoroughly.

[GRiker]

@Jim D. Thanks. I was just wondering how you do it since I know you think things through.  There is a limit to how much to worry about!

Edited January 16, 2024 by GRiker
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