Chocolate Showpiece

[Kerry Beal]

It might save pulling out the airbrush to seal liquids, but I wonder how it stays liquid at room temperature in the can?

[schneich]

there is a product called "kabu fix" from ruth which is a clear cocoabutter spray usually used or marzipan. i use it in chocolate molds as a primer.

cheers

t.

[schneich]

btw. this is a chocolate showpiece which i recently made for a pilot couples wedding cake. its a gee bee r1, and i carved it in chocolate at a room temp of 27 degrees celsius...

cheers

t.

Edited June 19, 2008 by schneich (log)

[Sebastian]

Lior - i would'nt expect it to give much of a shine, but you could try...i don't think it'll work.

KB - it doesn't 8-) the can needs to be warmed prior to use - i have a hot box i keep at 92F i place it in to melt overnight.

Sneich- nice! i like the sprayed on chocolate effect

[John DePaula]

btw. this is a chocolate showpiece which i recently made for a pilot couples wedding cake. its a gee bee r1, and i carved it in chocolate at a room temp of 27 degrees celsius... 

cheers

t.

←

whoa! Awesome!

[Marmalade]

btw. this is a chocolate showpiece which i recently made for a pilot couples wedding cake. its a gee bee r1, and i carved it in chocolate at a room temp of 27 degrees celsius... 

cheers

t.

←

whoa! Awesome!

←

Very cool and different!

[Truffle Guy]

You can backspray a mold with melted cocoa butter, just like colored cocoa butter and it does give an incredible shine to the chocolate. Just put it in a similar container as you do your colored cocoa butter. I use both glass and plastic 2 or 4 oz bottles.

I think Kerry had a good option, which I'll try, which is to do a thin layer of chocolate in the mold first in the trouble areas, if the smudge is being caused by uneven cooling, this should solve the problem.

Has anyone heard of a can of spay that sprays clear cocoa butter? What would it be used on/for?

←

[Lior]

so do I understand right that I can spray into the mold? Well I will try to get this and do it. Why "back"spray?

[Truffle Guy]

so do I understand right that I can spray into the mold? Well I will try to get this and do it. Why "back"spray?

←

I'm probably using the term wrong but what I mean is to spray the mold with just cocoa butter before putting in other cocoa butter or chocolate to give it a more intense shine. When you see someone with chocolate bon bon's that look just a bit too shiny for chocolate by itself...you can probably bet they do this to achieve a better shine.

Also...I've used red, black or dark brown to help intensify the color of chocolate...you don't really see those colors if you apply them lightly to a mold filled with a dark chocolate.

[Lior]

so interesting! I will do it. It sounds good with colors -to intensify. Thanks!

[lapin d'or]

The latest online demo on the cocoa barry website has some ideas for making a moulded piece look more interesting, ie more like a show piece.

They show use of gelatine to make a patterned 'indent' onto an easter egg. This was all new to me and might be of interest to other begginers.

To watch the video links you have to register with them and I think they might ask you to look at the demos in order. If you understand french I would opt to have that version as the english voice over is pretty badly translated.

cocoa barry site

If you click on the demonstration online tab and then click on Advanced courses you should get to the right part of the web site.

The demo is called Moulding.

I also found the clip on tempering praline paste quite useful.

It can be fun just watching those guys handle chocolate so well.

[Kerry Beal]

The latest online demo on the cocoa barry website has some ideas for making a moulded piece look more interesting, ie more like a show piece.

They show use of gelatine to make a patterned 'indent' onto an easter egg. This was all new to me and might be of interest to other begginers.

To watch the video links you have to register with them and I think they might ask you to look at the demos in order. If you understand french I would opt to have that version as the english voice over is pretty badly translated.

cocoa barry site

If you click on the demonstration online tab and then click on Advanced courses you should get to the right part of the web site.

The demo is called Moulding.

I also found the clip on tempering praline paste quite useful.

It can be fun just watching those guys handle chocolate so well.

←

I've done the gelatin egg thing, good fun. I'll try to remember to post a picture of the finished product when I get home later.

[Kerry Beal]

I made the gelatin mold with a mid sized egg mold, placed the gelatin against the side of the larger mold then painted the chocolate over it and molded it.

My friend Mari then placed a nut filled egg in it.

Room for improvement on the edges where the gelatin meets the mold.

[lapin d'or]

I think I am having a dead brain day Kerry but I was expecting the pattern to recess into the egg mould? Can someone help me work that out!

Thak you for posting the picture, I should try the nuts on the outside of the egg that looks very attractive.

[Kerry Beal]

I think I am having a dead brain day Kerry but I was expecting the pattern to recess into the egg mould? Can someone help me work that out!

Thak you for posting the picture, I should try the nuts on the outside of the egg that looks very attractive.

←

Actually the recessed part on the biggest egg is the part where the gelatin was located. Mari made the inner egg with nuts, then glued it into the recess.

To make the egg with nuts, she placed the nuts in the mold, then painted chocolate behind to hold them in place, then poured more chocolate behind. Can't recall if that comes from one of the Wybauw books or one of the showpiece books.

[lapin d'or]

Actually the recessed part on the biggest egg is the part where the gelatin was located. Mari made the inner egg with nuts, then glued it into the recess.

Oh ok, doh, I think I need new spectacles, that makes sense.

Did you have to glaze/varnish the area that had been next to the gelatine? On the Cocoa Barry clip they said the chocolate would be very matt where it had been next to the humid gelatine.

thanks

[Kerry Beal]

Actually the recessed part on the biggest egg is the part where the gelatin was located. Mari made the inner egg with nuts, then glued it into the recess.

Oh ok, doh, I think I need new spectacles, that makes sense.

Did you have to glaze/varnish the area that had been next to the gelatine? On the Cocoa Barry clip they said the chocolate would be very matt where it had been next to the humid gelatine.

thanks

←

Been a while since I did it, I think it was a bit matte, but not too bad.

[gfron1]

Check THIS great collection of pics of showpieces. Its on a site that covers all forms of design.

[Kerry Beal]

Check THIS great collection of pics of showpieces.  Its on a site that covers all forms of design.

←

I recall the kerfuffle that the chocolate Jesus caused!

[lebowits]

I've been asked by a friend to help create a chocolate centerpiece/showpiece/sculpture for his parents 50th wedding anniversary. The good news is this is nearly a year away so I have time to learn something about the process.

Does anyone have any advice, references, books or other tips & techniques to help me learn how to make a modest, but attractive piece?

[Kerry Beal]

I've been asked by a friend to help create a chocolate centerpiece/showpiece/sculpture for his parents 50th wedding anniversary.  The good news is this is nearly a year away so I have time to learn something about the process.

Does anyone have any advice, references, books or other tips & techniques to help me learn how to make a modest, but attractive piece?

←

Yup, the book Matiere Chocolate written by Stephane Leroux is a good place to start. I saw it available a few days ago at an american vendor, but not able to find it right now. I plan to work my way through the book. It's got all the techniques in it. You can go as fancy or simple as you like.

The first thing I intend to make is a chunk of polished granite.

[alanamoana]

I also like "Chocolate Designs" by Philippe Bertrand and Philippe Marand

Bakedeco has it, but I think I got it cheaper somewhere else. I just can't remember right now.

[gap]

Chocolate designs has some very solid basic techniques which are easy to get into if you haven't done much showpiece work before.

Kerry - I'd love to see how you go with the polished granite. I've seen it before and it looks great when it's done

[Lior]

polished granite?

i assume that is chocolate? any explanation would be great!!

[lebowits]

Chocolate designs has some very solid basic techniques which are easy to get into if you haven't done much showpiece work before.

Kerry - I'd love to see how you go with the polished granite. I've seen it before and it looks great when it's done

←

Can you give me a pointer to "Chocolate Designs"? I've done a quick search and come up with a number of references, but mostly to a shop in Houston, TX.

Thanks.