Making Chocolate Bars

[Kerry Beal]

Hi Kerry, is there a recipe recommended for caramel to be piped into molds that could be found somewhere. And what is the approximate shelf life for chocolate filled with caramel? Thanks a lot for your help, again.

Here's the one I use -

Caramel for Filling

150 grams glucose

350 grams sugar

250 grams whipping cream

50 grams butter

vanilla

1.Warm the cream in a pot or the microwave until steaming. :

Boil sugar and glucose to dark brown. Deglaze pan carefully with hot cream. Add butter and vanilla. Let cool. Pipe into dark chocolate molds.

2.Place sugar and glucose in a heavy pot and boil until quite brown. The darker you take it the more bitter it will be. : When the colour is as you like it, add the warm cream carefully. It will splash and sputter so be careful you are not burned.

3. Stir well to get any stuck bits off the pan. Add butter and vanilla extract.

4. Cool completely before piping into molds. This filling has a tendency to leak so it is best to let it sit overnight before backing off the molds.

[Edward J]

Awright you guys, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, but if you use my "secret Process" you will give me your first-born, or failing that, when visiting Vancouver present me with a good bottle of single malt scotch.....

It is said that when all you have is a hammer, everyting looks lie a nail...

I have 50 gram bar molds (6-ers) that are about 1/4 to 3/8 " thick, yet I can sandwich a layer of caramel in my bars.

All I have is Grewling's caramel recipie, a dough sheeter and a freezer.

If I put a 'hunk" of caramel squarely on a sheet of silicone paper, and put another sheet on top, I can pop it into a warm oven for a bit to warm it up.

At this stage I can "sheet" it on my sheeter to a 2mm thickness.

At this stage it sticks like glue to the paper and is impossible to peel off. However at this stage I can score it so it fits within my couverture clad molds.

IF, however, I slide the whole scored shebang onto a sheetpan or 18 26 cardbaord cake base and freeze it for few minutes, I can easily peel off the paper and snap off the scored pieces and pop them into the molds.

Been doing this for a few months now.

If you use my "Secret process" for production purposes, I will request a 4 cent royalty fee................

[Kerry Beal]

Awright you guys, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret, but if you use my "secret Process" you will give me your first-born, or failing that, when visiting Vancouver present me with a good bottle of single malt scotch.....

It is said that when all you have is a hammer, everyting looks lie a nail...

I have 50 gram bar molds (6-ers) that are about 1/4 to 3/8 " thick, yet I can sandwich a layer of caramel in my bars.

All I have is Grewling's caramel recipie, a dough sheeter and a freezer.

If I put a 'hunk" of caramel squarely on a sheet of silicone paper, and put another sheet on top, I can pop it into a warm oven for a bit to warm it up.

At this stage I can "sheet" it on my sheeter to a 2mm thickness.

At this stage it sticks like glue to the paper and is impossible to peel off. However at this stage I can score it so it fits within my couverture clad molds.

IF, however, I slide the whole scored shebang onto a sheetpan or 18 26 cardbaord cake base and freeze it for few minutes, I can easily peel off the paper and snap off the scored pieces and pop them into the molds.

Been doing this for a few months now.

If you use my "Secret process" for production purposes, I will request a 4 cent royalty fee................

Brilliant - those of us without a sheeter could use our pasta rollers.

[mostlylana]

I second Kerry's 'brilliant'! I'm still smiling from your silicone brush tip too.

I have a question about your 'secret method'. I'm sure it's a dumb question but... oh well...

You said after you sheet it you score it. I don't get how to score it?? As I'm picturing it - the caramel is between 2 silicone sheets (stuck on!). Do you score through the paper? Do you use a sharp knife to cut right through?

Thanks!

[Edward J]

After sheeting, I pop the whole thing in the fridge for a minute, peel off the top layer of paper and use my "Bicycle" or expanding roller-cutters. The caramel is still a bit gooey, but the lines are there. After freezing it becomes glass-brittle and you can snap off the pieces.

[Kerry Beal]

Edward,

What is the texture of this caramel when it's done - liquidy or firm?

[Edward J]

It's an unabashed recipe stright out of Grewling's confections. I cook it to around 112-114. Letting it rest overnight, it has the consistancy of a Kraft Caramel square.

[mostlylana]

After sheeting, I pop the whole thing in the fridge for a minute, peel off the top layer of paper and use my "Bicycle" or expanding roller-cutters. The caramel is still a bit gooey, but the lines are there. After freezing it becomes glass-brittle and you can snap off the pieces.

Thanks for the clarification Edward. Another tip I will definitely try!