Honey in chocolate

[Lior]

I have a honey producer (is that the right term?) that want s to give a truffle with honey inside it to his customers. The honey is 17% water. I still need to go to my books to read again about aw but thought to get some input anyhow. He wants to fill a praline with pure honey. I need to check shelf life etc. Would this work? Any thoughts on the issue? Thanks!

editted to add:

maybe caramelizing the honey? Would it be firm enough to dip?

Edited March 2, 2009 by Lior (log)

[HQAntithesis]

Honey in itself has a good shelf life, so if you're just going to mould it then it shouldn't be a problem. Keep an eye for the honeys that have a tendency to crystallise though: it may or may not be desirable. You could also consider using creamed honey.

Supposedly you can also add 10% tempered cocoa butter to the honey to help stabilise it but it didn't work the last time I tried it.

[Lior]

YAY! I have been waiting for an answer-thanks!! I thought of adding c.b. too! In the meantime I am playing around. I caramelized some honey with a few leaves of lemon geranium for a flowery taste. I did it on VERY low heat for nearly an hour. Now it is cooling. We will see. On a search for info I found Burdick Chocolate makes a honey truffle. The person who wrote about it said that it is light colored and could not figure out how it was shaped, dipped maybe and then rolled in c.p.

I wonder if he added c.B. I don't know if mine will be pourable as it seems kinda sticky looking!

Edited March 2, 2009 by Lior (log)

[pastrygirl]

Greweling has the beehives, which are a honey ganache piped onto a chocolate disc leaving the center hollow, then liquid honey is piped in to fill the center and more ganache is piped on top to seal it, then the whole thing is dipped in thinned milk chocolate. They look pretty cool in the book. I've also been contemplating substituting honey for the jam in one of his butter ganaches, he does have one with some honey and some reduced passion fruit concentrate, so it seems like honey alone should work fine.

It seems like if you were filling a molded shell the main problem would be trying to get a bottom on to the liquid honey without it squishing out. Creamed honey would be more solid, but maybe not the vision your honey producer is after? Or if you have truffle shells they might be easier to seal. I've seen honey powder in stores, granulated like coarse sugar but never used it - could be of help if you could find it.

Mmm, honey, I just made some milk chocolate honey ganache bonbons today!

[KKLL00b]

I made the beehives with some "fermented" honey that a beekeeper friend gave to me.

Turned out really good. Now I have to make the hives a bit larger to put more honey filling. Maybe I'll make a series of hives with different ganache/honey combinations.

The first hives I made were too small so they kept slipping off the dipping fork. I narrowed the space between the tines, but then it got too narrow and balancing the hive was "very challenging".

I'll also try stabilizing the honey with cocoa butter to see how it works.

Beware of the hives of March!!!

[Lior]

I will go look at Greweling's recipe! whY DIDN'T i THINK OF THAT-DUH! Milk chocolate honey ganache sounds great! But he wants ONLY honey! So here are today's experiment results:

1. caramelized the honey as mentioned before. I should have oiled the baking sheet I poured it onto... But I managed to stretch and pull and fight and get pinches off. I stuck a pistachio in a pinch of this honey and with very lightly olive oiled hands, I rolled it into little balls. Quite small cause it is sweet. Then I did the trufle thing and dipped in chocolate-dark, and rolled in cocoa powder. They are chewy but don't really stick to the teech very much and they are quite good. I was actually pleased with them!!

2. Poured "straight" honey into tiny little shallow pre molded dark choc cups. Sprayed with cocoa butter thatis really for marzipan and in the meantime thereis a coating on the honey that seems like it will be okay to seal closed. I used these little cups cause they are small, but truffle balls-the pre made ones would be easier to seal-only they are too big. Thesehave to sit overnight before finishing.

So tomorrow I will do Greweling's, finish today's work and then decide, or have him decide (?). I wonder if I should let him decide?

SO thanks people! Will update later on these developments!

Just saw KKLLOOb! Beekeeper!! That is the word!! Now what is fermented honey? I assume you used Greweling's recipe? My dipping fork- my fav broke today and now it has one the one middle tine! I have a ton but it was my fav!!

Edited March 2, 2009 by Lior (log)

[RobertM]

Lior

Are you looking for a formula with liquid honey in the confection (like the Beehives) or are you looking to use honey as an ingredient in a formula?

I am sitting here with my copy of Choice Confections and could provide a suggestion or two, depending on your wishes/needs

Bob

[Lior]

Hi Bob! Well the request was Just Honey. So I did not use chocoalte,butteror cream. I used only honey! Beehives are an option since he may like the beehive look.

[Chocolot]

Hi Bob! Well the request was Just Honey. So I did not use chocoalte,butteror cream. I used only honey! Beehives are an option since he may like the beehive look.

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I have been making one based on Greweling's beehives. I put a drop of wildflower honey in the bottom of a shell, then pipe a honey ganache on top. The problems I have had--If I put too much honey in the shell, it oozes up around the ganache. Also, I have had problems with the honey crystallizing in the shell. I have also had the problem of migration. I thought this only happened with fats, but it happened with the honey, too.

[pastrygirl]

He might think he knows what he wants, but after you show him a bunch of amazing options he might change his mind and want them all. I sometimes add a good portion of honey to my english toffee and the flavor comes through nicely, would be great dipped in dark chocolate and have a long shelf life. Could you add gelatin or agar to the honey to thicken it up enough for a molded shell?

[gap]

I know you want to use just the honey, but as an idea, I make a standard milk chocolate ganache and then, when its emulsified and cool, incorporate the honey. I find this allows the honey flavour to come through - especially if you have a particularly strongly flavoured honey.

[Lisa Shock]

There are quite a few people selling honey powder on amazon.

[emilyr]

Does the beekeeper you're working with make a whipped honey? I had something like this with biscuits, and it spread almost like butter. You might be able to scoop it into shells. Also, it might be good paired with a really dark chocolate infused with tea and/or lemon zest. I'm thinking of tea with honey and lemon because of the cold I've been fighting off all week.

[Lior]

emily! How funny! YOur cold influencing my honey chocolates!! Very silly indeed!!! There are so many good ideas! I willtry the beehives today. I don't think he has whipped honey. He is a small producer. What is whipped honey? ANd fermented?

Gap I love the idea of a simple milk chocolate ganache and then incorporate the honey! Is this for slabbing? Would you add something like a tablespoon or two? I have some avocado honey....I love it...

Powdered honey and powdered wine seem very unusual to me. Everything I order is costly when it comes to shipping. Are they natural do you think?

Now the english toffee sounds great!I imagine using my avocado honey for english toffee with pistachio nuts on top-yum! Strangely enough english toffee and caramel items are not too popular, like bark. I don't know why. I personally go for bark, bars and crunchy hard things. And yet, dulce de leche is popular. My swans are one of my hottest items!!!

So I will keep updating! And thank you all so much I want to make all these ideas and will.

[Pam R]

Around here the spreadable honey is called creamed honey. It's nice and thick.

[pastrygirl]

Around here the spreadable honey is called creamed honey.  It's nice and thick.

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Which, if anyone is not familiar, is honey that is allowed to crystallize then is whipped or beaten to a creamy, spreadable consistency.

[gap]

Around here the spreadable honey is called creamed honey.  It's nice and thick.

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Which, if anyone is not familiar, is honey that is allowed to crystallize then is whipped or beaten to a creamy, spreadable consistency.

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Thanks for that - I had always wondered how they did it

[gap]

Gap I love the idea of a simple milk chocolate ganache and then incorporate the honey! Is this for slabbing? Would you add something like a tablespoon or two? I have some avocado honey....I love it...

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Hi Lior - you could slab it or use in moulds - just vary the ratios for what you want. I use in moulds and add a fair bit of honey (don't have my recipes right now) but a piped recipe I have (ie., piped for hand-rolled truffles) is 250g cream, 600g milk chocolate and 40-50g honey. You could prob add more honey than that if you wanted a stronger taste. Maybe you could use something like this honey ganache for making the "hive" part of your beehive then you would have pure honey in the middle and honey in the ganache as well . . . just a thought

Edited March 4, 2009 by gap (log)

[KKLL00b]

The fermented honey I got is a mixture of all of the leftover honey that the beekeeper dumps in a bucket after bottling the harvested honey. I guess after a while, the yeast in the air starts to do its thing and the honey starts giving off an "alcochol-like" aroma, but it's still sweet. It also starts to get a bit watery. One of the best Chambord truffles I made was with some fermented honey, but I used that batch all up. My friend says he has another jar of fermented honey for me the next time I see him.

As for creamy honey, some honeys that are harvested very early are naturally creamy. At least that's what the info I got from another beekeeper who sells "creamy" stuff. I'll try to get a better explanation.

[Lior]

Hi. Well yesterday I didn't get around to my beehives. I always plan more than what I can accomplish! But it is a good thng! Because I will make the beehives with the honey ganache as Gap suggested-lovely idea I think.

I am still curious about using the fermented honey and whipped creamy honey. I will ask my beekeeper about this.

I AM GLAD I LEARNED ALL THESE HONEY RELATED THINGS!

I willtake pictures and post as I go along.

Thanks so much-mwa!

[Lior]

Okay, so hereis the plain regular honey in a shallow cup. The surface is funny because I sparayed it with cocoa butter meant for marzipan and then waited 24 hours for a thin crust to develop and then I gently coated it by folding chocolate over the top with the dipping fork.

and the caramelized honey truffle with a pistachio nut in the center:

Now I still have the beehives to do.

[RobertM]

Wow Lior, those look yummy. What is it you have dusted on the honey truffle and pistachio nut center? Is it cocoa powder? (I have old eyes you see)

BTW (personal note) - I'll be creating that dish this weekend for you and hopefully getting it out next week.

Bob

[melamed]

Those look delicious!

I don't know much about chocolates but while vegetable shopping at the suk today I found a beautiful bunch of lemon scented thyme which the seller was also using to flavour his tea. I don't know if this would go well with honey but my guess is that it might ( I hope I am not suggesting a forbidden combination!)

[Lior]

Hi Bob and Sarah!

First thank you!! Yes, I rolled the caramelized honeyinto little balls, dippiedin chocolate twice because the honey only wants to find a way out of its little prison, and then rolled in cocoa powder.

Lemon thyme sounds PREFECT for honey.I used to grow it, maybe I still have some. I will try. Hmmmm rings the right bell, doesn't it?

Oh Bob, you are so wonderful!!...

[KKLL00b]

Just got back from our weekly Farmers' Market. Had a chance to talk to one of my beekeeper friends about the "creamy" honey. Turns out that there are only two varieties of flowers in Hawaii that will produce creamy honey. One is kiawe, which is a variety of mesquite, and the other is ohia lehua, which is a variety of myrtle.

The honey is very creamy when it's fresh from the hive and it darkens to what we know as the "regular" honey color and consistency over time. They harvest the freshly-produced honey and chill it to keep the creamy color and consistency.

One of my pastry chef friends makes an exquisite truffle using kiawe honey and it's one of my favorite flavors. I was successfully able to make my own version which is also very, very good. The neat thing is that I was able to get kiawe honey from three adjacent districts on the island of Oahu, Maile, Nanakuli, and Waianae, and each variety of the kiawe honey has its own terrior. The same species of tree growing a few miles apart results in very different tasting honeys. Not too say that one is better than the other, they are all good, but different.

I plan to make a medley of kiawe honey truffles with honey from each district. I plan to use the same chocolate and same recipe, probably E. Guittard 72% or Dole Foods Waialua chocolate to see what differences the honey makes. I will also make a matching set of beehives to see how they turn out.

Then the fun part will be to select a "matching" chocolate for each type of honey. I'm sure my friends won't mind taste testing.

Hope this answer's Lior's creamy honey question.

Aloha.