Molding solid chocolate with inclusions

[pastrygirl]

22 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Good idea.  I've ordered from them previously and will check again.  Do you think non-dried fruits will work?  I'm thinking of some of the delicious glacéed apricots I have had.  I suppose they would need to be dried on paper towels thoroughly and maybe prepared just before I go to the market.  Nuts.com also has some good "half-dried" apricots that are supposedly dried but remain supple.

 

Hm, not sure.  Glaceed fruit is super delicious, maybe you could sprinkle sugar on the exposed side so it wouldn't be sticky?  It might absorb over time but at least you could get it into the bag.

Edited November 26, 2022 by pastrygirl (log)

[Jim D.]

12 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Hm, not sure.  Glaceed fruit is super delicious, maybe you could sprinkle sugar on the exposed side so it wouldn't be sticky?  It might absorb over time but at least you could get it into the bag.

 

As Kerry Beal likes to say:  There's only one way to find out.

 

I'm thinking these bars need to be prepared very close to market day.

 

In the video I mentioned, Paul Young reminded me of the transformation sea salt brings to chocolate.  A few flakes of Maldon does amazing things.

[Jim D.]

My first sale of chocolate tablets with inclusions was very successful.  I just ate a leftover piece and discovered that it is quite difficult to bite--a knife is really essential.  I would not want to lose that wonderful bite that tempered dark chocolate has but also do not wish to endanger my customers' teeth.   The first idea that spring to mind is to add some coconut oil.  What percentage would you recommend?  10%?  as much as 25%?  Obviously I will give it a try before the next batch, but am looking for some advice or other ideas.

[pastrygirl]

@Jim D. how thick are these bars?  Can you break them by hand?

 

Coconut oil is not a direction I'd go.  You could cut your inclusions into smaller pieces and/or add more so there's less solid chocolate. 

[Jim D.]

The tablet mold is CW1936, and it is 9mm thick.  Before I bought it, I tested a piece of chocolate and found that 10mm is about the maximum that is comfortable to eat, so it should have been fine.  But it doesn't have any indentations for easy breaking.  I tried breaking it, and it was very difficult.

 

Why are your opposed to coconut oil?  My objection is mainly that I would have to list it as an ingredient, and that looks bad (and raises allergen issues for some people).  But it would soften the chocolate somewhat.  I'll have to do some experimenting with very small amounts of the oil.

 

Speaking of ingredient labels (which my state requires that I include with chocolates):  Why do chocolates require labels, but bakeries don't have to list ingredients?

[pastrygirl]

1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

The tablet mold is CW1936, and it is 9mm thick.  Before I bought it, I tested a piece of chocolate and found that 10mm is about the maximum that is comfortable to eat, so it should have been fine.  But it doesn't have any indentations for easy breaking.  I tried breaking it, and it was very difficult.

 

Why are your opposed to coconut oil?  My objection is mainly that I would have to list it as an ingredient, and that looks bad (and raises allergen issues for some people).  But it would soften the chocolate somewhat.  I'll have to do some experimenting with very small amounts of the oil.

 

Speaking of ingredient labels (which my state requires that I include with chocolates):  Why do chocolates require labels, but bakeries don't have to list ingredients?

 

You could fill the mold less full.  Put it on a scale and pipe in 40-5 g then add your stuff.

 

I just don't think softening the chocolate is the answer.  It will melt in your mouth, plus allergens.

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

If you are determined to soften the chocolate - would you consider a few percent of butter oil?

[Jim D.]

10 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

If you are determined to soften the chocolate - would you consider a few percent of butter oil?

 

@Kerry BealI had heard the term "butter oil" but must confess I had to search to see what it is.  Yes, I would consider that ("butter" as an ingredient sounds so much more acceptable than "coconut oil").  Do you have a brand you would recommend?  In spite of living in a dairy area, I doubt that any farmer around me produces it.  How does it compare to ghee (which I can find in local grocery stores)?

 

@pastrygirl Your suggestion would definitely involve using a pastry bag to pipe the chocolate neatly enough not to involve scraping the mold.  The issue would be that my method is to fill one mold, wait for the chocolate to crystallize enough to support the inclusions, then fill another mold, etc.  As I do this more often, I might learn to pipe more molds at one time, but I discovered that the window of opportunity to add the inclusions is a narrow one.  The wait time would be a real issue for chocolate sitting in a piping bag.

[Kerry Beal]

11 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

@Kerry BealI had heard the term "butter oil" but must confess I had to search to see what it is.  Yes, I would consider that ("butter" as an ingredient sounds so much more acceptable than "coconut oil").  Do you have a brand you would recommend?  In spite of living in a dairy area, I doubt that any farmer around me produces it.  How does it compare to ghee (which I can find in local grocery stores)?

 

@pastrygirl Your suggestion would definitely involve using a pastry bag to pipe the chocolate neatly enough not to involve scraping the mold.  The issue would be that my method is to fill one mold, wait for the chocolate to crystallize enough to support the inclusions, then fill another mold, etc.  As I do this more often, I might learn to pipe more molds at one time, but I discovered that the window of opportunity to add the inclusions is a narrow one.  The wait time would be a real issue for chocolate sitting in a piping bag.

Just make clarified butter from unsalted butter and use the fat only 

[pastrygirl]

5 hours ago, Jim D. said:

@pastrygirl Your suggestion would definitely involve using a pastry bag to pipe the chocolate neatly enough not to involve scraping the mold. 

 

Indeed, though you already have practice piping the centers.  I use a 1 qt measuring cup to hold semi-full bags and put it in the warmer along with my cocoa butters between tasks. 

 

5 hours ago, Jim D. said:

The issue would be that my method is to fill one mold, wait for the chocolate to crystallize enough to support the inclusions ...

What happens if you don't wait?  The inclusions sinking deeper into the chocolate might help with that hard-to-break issue by creating thinner spots in the bar.

 

[Jim D.]

2 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

What happens if you don't wait?  The inclusions sinking deeper into the chocolate might help with that hard-to-break issue by creating thinner spots in the bar.

 

 

My first decoration was to place relatively small pieces of candied orange peel onto the chocolate, then add candied rose petals, then sea salt flakes.  I immediately noticed that the orange peel sank quickly and almost disappeared.  So I waited some more and tried again.  Just when the chocolate is crystallizing at the edges is the moment.  The rose petals weren't an issue since they were so light.  The salt is also tricky in that it melts into the chocolate unless the perfect moment is found.  And that perfect moment will allow all inclusions to stick as the mold is turned upside down later on.  I can't have 3 or more molds with chocolate in them and get the timing right.  I'm sure I will get better as I do this more often.  The consolation was that the tablets were very popular at the market, the biggest seller being the caramelized almonds and sour cherries on top of almond gianduja.  The rose petals are insanely expensive but they looked really good.

[pastrygirl]

So your additions are garnish, not inclusions

 

Salt isn't fat soluble, it might sink in but it's not melting.

 

Idk, I think that since you're packaging in clear bags it's nice to have a hint of what the inclusions are but I wouldn't sacrifice texture just for looks.

 

Do you find the gianduja bar easier to bite through?

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by pastrygirl (log)

[Jim D.]

2 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

So your additions are garnish, not inclusions

 

Salt isn't fat soluble, it might sink in but it's not melting.

 

Idk, I think that since you're packaging in clear bags it's nice to have a hint of what the inclusions are but I wouldn't sacrifice texture just for looks.

 

Do you find the gianduja bar easier to bite through?

 

 

Yes, gianduja bars were fine.