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melting valrhona


trekflyer

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hi, i work at whats considered a very good restaurant... i started working there as their baker... i have very little previous experience in baking and pastries... when our pastry chef left, who was put into the position? me! funny huh... the question is... we make a chocolate mouse using valrhona 70% dark chocolate and then pour over that some boiling milk to melt down the chocolate, then you temper the chocolate in eggyolks and then fold in soft merengue into the whole thing....

i can't seem to melt the chocolate properly, first of all, pouring in the boiling milk isn't enough heat i guess to melt down all of the chocolate, so then i figured i'd put it on a gentle bain marie to continue the melting. it continued melting nicely, then i took it off the heat and it suddenly seized and broke... what's the proper way to do this.... Valrhona seems like a really fussy chocolate to work with, especially the white chocolate.... maybe i just suck at it and don't have anyone to teach me... so thats why i'm asking on the internet.

another question... how come when making ganache, the hot cream is poured onto the chocolate and not the opposite, does it really make a big difference? thanks a lot for your answers

ron

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another question... how come when making ganache, the hot cream is poured onto the chocolate and not the opposite, does it really make a big difference?

Chocolate on direct heat burns very easily. Also, if you overheat ganache, it can break. Pouring the boiling milk/cream over the chocolate is just enough to melt the chocolate, it won't burn, and it won't break. And like Rob said, make sure you have your chocolate chopped up into small pieces.

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Also, when stirring, make sure you stir slowly and gently - if you stir too fast, you'll cool off the mixture. In addition, I find that boiling milk doesn't stay hot as long as cream, maybe due to the lack of fat/thickness compared to the cream.

Overall, I don't really like the typical method of pouring boiling cream over chocolate. I find the most foolproof way to melt chocolate is by first heating it with a small percentage of the cream, approx. 1/4 or 1/5, in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water. Stir until completely incorporated. Remove from the heat, then gradually add the rest of the boiling cream (or half & half) to the mixture.

Edited by merstar (log)
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
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1) If your ganache is seizing or breaking, your ratio of fat to chocolate is off (i.e. too much water, not enough fat). You can remedy this in a number of ways:

by adding more liquid (which may thin the chocolate too much for your mousse)

OR

change the ratio of your liquid (1/2 cream and 1/2 milk)--RECOMMEND

OR

incorporate some butter into your recipe

OR

incorporate some glucose into your recipe (but this may also change the flavor)

I'm sorry that I can't give specific amounts, but I don't know your recipe

2) If you add the chocolate to the cream, the chocolate tends to sink to the bottom of the pot and scorch. You can add the chocolate to the cream, but you will have to put the cream into a bowl (that hasn't been heated). Save yourself a step and just pour the cream over the chocolate. :raz:

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Hey, sorry its taken a little long to post this (I've only just been accepted)

Anywho.

When I'm wanting to incorporate chocolate into anything liquid I will usually melt the chocolate in a double boiler and heat the liquid gently until the chocolate is melted and the liquid is just a little warmer then the fully melted chocolate.

I then using about 1/4 cup start adding the liquid to the chocolate, at first it will seize up but if you keep mixing and adding more liquid it will smooth back out again at that point I add the left over liquid and do what I want with the chocolate, including putting it into more hot milk/water for hot chocolate, pouring over ice cream (after cooling a little) or mixing it into cream or what ever.

I've gotten perfect liquid even using just plain hot water and melted chocolate which has a very intense chocolate flavor that isn't nearly as rich as milk!

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