Inspired by the awesome videos coming out of the Hercules Candy shop in Syracuse, I have connived a system to starch "print" molds for my chocolate centers.
I make my own fondant, and to make the "cream" centers I melt some of it with a bit of butter and other flavorings, and then drop it into my molds.
It has been fun and people love the candy I'm making. However, I'm bedeviled by two issues, one of which I am desperate to solve. Even though the fondant is perfectly smooth on the tongue ahead of heating it, some of my batches turn out with the centers grainy.
My protocol was originally to heat the center mixture to 140-145 F and then cast, after a discussion of temperatures on one of the Hercules videos. Greweling says to heat to 160, so I began warming it up a bit more. I also add a few drops of invertase to the mix. The first few batches I made that way were fine, and I assumed the graininess was due to the lower strike temperature I followed earlier.
Not. My most recent batch turned out grainy.
Will be overjoyed to consider any analysis/fixes that might be out there.
