Cream Centers

[lebowits]

After spending some months working on truffles and layered confections, I would like to get back to working with molded pieces. One thing I loved growing up were the various "cream" center chocolates. I imagine these are all variations of flavored fondant. Does anyone have any suggestions as to techniques, favorite flavors, or pointers to existing formulas they like?

[lapin d'or]

I have only produced a few fondant centres but lime fondant has been the most popular. I use a dark chocolate for the shell and flavour the fondant with a mixture of fresh lime juice, white rum or vodka and a few drops of lime essential oil.

I tried making my own lime oil by macerating the zest in vodka but the flavour did not last very well. The essential oil has been more reliable.

I also do rose and raspberry fondant.

I did strawberry once by mixing freeze-dried strawberry powder into fondant. This was quite good but I'm not a big fan of strawberry and it took a while to sieve out the pips from the powder before adding it to the fondant.

I do all of these with good fondant bought from a confectionery supplier - not the stuff for rolling out to cover cakes which I really do care for.

[lebowits]

I have only produced a few fondant centres but lime fondant has been the most popular. I use a dark chocolate for the shell and flavour the fondant with a mixture of fresh lime juice, white rum or vodka and a few drops of lime essential oil.

I tried making my own lime oil by macerating the zest in vodka but the flavour did not last very well. The essential oil has been more reliable.

I also do rose and raspberry fondant.

I did strawberry once by mixing freeze-dried strawberry powder into fondant. This was quite good but I'm not a big fan of strawberry and it took a while to sieve out the pips from the powder before adding it to the fondant.

I do all of these with good fondant bought from a confectionery supplier - not the stuff for rolling out to cover cakes which I really do care for.

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How much do you thin the fondant? I know that it will still need to be somewhat pourable into the molded shells. Should it stiffen a bit before bottoming the pieces?

Have you ever used Invertase to make the centers "creamier" over the next 7 - 10 days?

[Kerry Beal]

I like mint oil in fondant, a nice thin chocolate made with this reminds me of the mint patties of my childhood. I add a couple of drops of invertase, which softens up the cream over a week or so. I don't usually bother to thin the fondant, just use my fingers to push it into place. If it's sticky I just dip my fingers into a bit of cornstarch before pressing the centers into place.

I make a double lemon cream, with a layer of lemon marmalade in the shell first, piping in a cream made with fondant, butter, cream, milk powder and a couple of different lemon components - compound, oil, liqueur and a bit of citric acid.

I do a similar double rose cream, with a bit of rose petal jam, followed by a cream flavoured with rose otto.

I let the rose and lemon ones crust over before backing them off, to help prevent leaking.

I used to make my own fondant - can't be bothered any more, I use one purchased from Qzina. I actually use some fondant in a variety of centers, but I don't consider them to be 'creams'.

[lapin d'or]

How much do you thin the fondant?  I know that it will still need to be somewhat pourable into the molded shells.  Should it stiffen a bit before bottoming the pieces?

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I use between 1-2tbs of added liquid to 100g fondant but I have no idea if all fondants start as thick as each other so my brand may be quite different to others?

This can produce a centre that is a bit fluid and I always leave them overnight before backing off.

I have never tried invertase but would like to - yet to find a source here in the uk for it.

[prairiegirl]

I make my own fondant that I use for dipping cherries in ...the result is liqueured cherries. I have never made the cream fillings as I find them too sweet. But if there is a demand for the product by my clientele then I will make them!