Couverture: Sources, Favorites, Storage, Troubleshooting

[chocofoodie]

It's definitely fat bloom, not sugar bloom.

I was able to ultimately melt it by taking it out of the melter and working on it in tiny clumps in a bain marie. Next step is to see if it will temper.

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Hi all,

I read a comment somewhere recently (can't remember where) suggesting that couveture chocolate is not really ideal for non-confection uses. Something along the lines of the higher % cocoa butter muting the chocolatey taste and/or the final texture of recipes (I guess that the extra fat might separate or end up greasy?).

I've started buying Callebaut for some confectionary playing and would like to minimise the number of different chocolates I need to keep on hand - while I've seen that some people don't like callebaut, it's the best combination of price and flavour that I can get in Australia (or that i've found, at least), and so I'm wondering if it would be such a bad thing to use in my general baking/cooking...? Previously I was just buying the supermarket blocks but apart from the lindt I haven't found them too pleasant (and they end up costing more anyway!).

[ChrisZ]

Just wondering what type of non-confection you mean? Just cakes and stuff? I don't think twice about using couverture in cakes and puddings, and I've never had a problem with the higher fat content. I would assume that it is more critical going the other way around - ie. using a normal eating chocolate for moulding. I have never had trouble with a mix splitting because I used a couverture instead of 'normal' chocolate. I think that if you did the maths and figured out the difference it would only be a few grams anyway.

I agree that in Australia it is difficult to find a variety of couvertures. Callebaut and Lindt are easy to find, but anything else requires mail order or a long drive. FWIW I prefer Lindt to Callebaut, and I get it in 2kg quantities from the Essential Ingredient - yes, it works out a lot cheaper than buying blocks of chocolate from a supermarket! I would love to know where I could buy Felchlin chocolate in Sydney because I really like its distinctive taste. I often cook cakes and puddings using Green & Blacks supermarket chocolate (not their couverture) because I like the taste but in a cake the difference is not nearly as significant as in a moulded chocolate.

FWIW (nothing to do with your post, but a pet peeve of mine) it is very common to read in cookbook glossarys that couverture is a "high quality" chocolate. This is not correct. Couverture has a higher proportion of cocoa butter, but this does not make it "better" in the same way that a wine with a higher alcohol content is not automatically "better" than a wine with a lower alcohol content.. The quality of a chocolate comes from the beans, grading, roasting etc etc. I would rather use a non-couverture eating chocolate like Green & Blacks than a low-quality couverture.

[Darienne]

I go along with ChrisZ, but then I am neither an expert and I live far away from other than Callebaut and Belcolade. A friend picks up Lindt somewhere north of Toronto when she goes by.

The local (Canadian, NOT American) Walmart has a huge, cheap, plain line of chocolate bars and I use them too. I guess we live at a lower taste level and a lesser snack bracket. 'oi polloi, we are.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Who told you that couberture wasn't for cakes? I use it all the time in both baked goods and puddings with absolutely no ill effect to the recipe (granted my recipes are adjusted for lower fat contents due to my extreme altitude - caveat lector). It's absolutely essential to some of my icings/glazes as well.

I'm literally thousands of miles from Callebeaut or Lindt chocolate except as finished bars at Christmastime (although both companies source beans here) so I use a locally produced couberture from select Arriba beans, which is quite good - not greasy, and a good balance of fats to solids.

FWIW, I'm also spoiled by living in a chocolate-producing nation, which means even the cheapest of the chocolate available at the supermarket is of very high quality. I'm also with ChrisZ - I'd rather use good bar chocolate than cheap couberture any day. My daily eating chocolate, however, is actually an inexpensive, high-cocoa solids brand sold for drinking (ie preparation of hot chocolate). 'oi polloi 'ere too, we is we is.

[gap]

Couverture is not ideal for chocolate chip cookies - the extra cocoa butter doesn't hold its shape as well as supermarket chocolate.

ChrisZ - Felchlin is distributed in Australia (well, Melbourne at least) by Culina (http://www.culina.com.au/). If you use a bit of it and really do like the taste, it might be worth getting some delivered (or splitting a larger order with other Sydney chocolate lovers you know). They do have a retail store in Melbourne even though their website comes across as more wholesale.

Edited June 21, 2012 by gap (log)

[AAQuesada]

Funny you mention that because I use felchlin discs for my chocolate chip cookies. It just depends on what effect you are going for.

Couverture is not ideal for chocolate chip cookies - the extra cocoa butter doesn't hold its shape as well as supermarket chocolate.

ChrisZ - Felchlin is distributed in Australia (well, Melbourne at least) by Culina (http://www.culina.com.au/). If you use a bit of it and really do like the taste, it might be worth getting some delivered (or splitting a larger order with other Sydney chocolate lovers you know). They do have a retail store in Melbourne even though their website comes across as more wholesale.

[DianaM]

I, too, used Callebaut blocks for baking for quite a while. Never had a problem.

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Just what I wanted to hear Thanks everyone.

Good point too about couveture not necessarily being better chocolate... I'm not at the stage where I know enough to choose a specific chocolate for a purpose, but even just tasting them it's clear some are better than others, so I guess I should keep some of the 'regular' blocks and brands in mind for baking.

Thanks for the link to Culina too, gap. I haven't heard of Felchlin but i live very nearby that shop so I might go and have a look. (ChrisZ, if you're interested in ordering some I could run an errand for you... not sure how much postage would be though, probably $10 to $20 for a few KGs).

[keychris]

ChrisZ - Felchlin is distributed in Australia (well, Melbourne at least) by Culina (http://www.culina.com.au/).

The Felchlin ambassador in Australia is the head chocolatier from Cioccolato Lombardo, he runs a stall at Prahran Market every Friday and Saturday where you can purchase Felchlin couveture directly from him, and his product too price... about AUD$45-$50 per 2kg. Much cheaper (from last time I enquired) than Culina.

HTH

Chris

PS first post! hurrah!

[gap]

That sounds like the same price I pay at Culina

[ChrisZ]

Thanks guys, appreciate the info. I'll check it out next time I'm down in Melbourne.

[keychris]

That sounds like the same price I pay at Culina

I just called Culina, they are pretty cheap actually - I'm sure it was more expensive a while ago, but maybe that was somewhere else. $36/2kg for the 52% dark chocolate. Might have to make the trip to ashburton to pick some up

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Is there a particular Felchlin that people like? I'm in the market for some milk chocolate, has anyone tried theirs? Or the white...?

[gap]

Their white is very good. They have a good high % milk as well.

[annachan]

I've used Callebaut in the past and never had a problem. The thing is, brands like Callebaut tends to have a variety of chocolates. Some varieties are better for certain things then others. When I used to buy bulk, the manufactures would have labels on the package that indicate the uses for each particular chocolate. When you buy them in stores in smaller packages, that information is generally not available.

In Melbourne, Monsieur Truffle makes some great chocolate. Their milk chocolate is beautiful, really reminds me of my very favorite Weiss.

While at the dessert bar at Mr. Hive, we had a chat with the pastry chef about where to get chocolates here. He gave some places where he source his ingredients:

Imports of France - you can find Weiss there

The Cocoa Alliance - has the chef's favorite white chocolate

Creative Ingredients - carries Cacao Barry and Callebaut

[Justing30]

Hello everyone. Quick background on me. As a kid though young adult I hated chocolate. As I've gotten older I appreciate it more and last few months really have gotten into making things out of it. I'm now at the point where I'm ready to use real chocolate and not just the melting stuff you find at grocery stores. So here's my questions I'm hoping I can get help with.

What's a good, cost effective couverture to start with? I see Callebaut and Valhrona mentioned a lot and I purchased some variety to try. So here's my question about those. I purchased the Callebaut milk chocolate 823nv. It states its 33.6% cocoa solids and 21.8% milk solids. So does this mean it's a 34% bar?

Another I purchased was the Guittard French vanilla dark chocolate. This one states 54% cocoa solids so does that means it's a 54% percent chocolate bar?

Do you consider these higher end couverture or lower end? Sorry for all the questions I'm just excited and ready to learn lol

Thanks!

[jmacnaughtan]

They sound fine.  I'd just taste them, and if you like them then use them.

 

The % in chocolate refers to both cocoa solids and butter together, but doesn't give any indication on the proportion.  In this way, a 70% chocolate could be 35/35, 25/45 etc.  The rest is generally sugar and milk solids (for milk and white).

[Justing30]

Thank you! I had a couple more questions if you don't mind. Say you want to mix a dark and milk chocolate together. Since they temper differ do you do them separately and then just pour them together?

Also is it wrong to buy a companies brand, melt it down. Reform into your bar and resell it?

Thanks

[keychris]

if you mix dark and milk together, temper it to the lower working temperature - ie, the milk.

 

It's not wrong to do that, IMHO, so long as people are informed about where the chocolate comes from - don't represent that you made the chocolate from scratch

[pastrygirl]

What keychris said.

 

It would only be wrong if you claimed to have made it from the bean.  Even though there are  alot of small bean-to-bar makers these days, I'd guess that most chocolatiers use someone else's chocolate.  I use Felchlin and Valrhona, and I tell people when they ask.  I do, however, feel a compulsion to change it somehow aside from simply re-molding it.  All of my solid bars have a filling or inclusion, either a gianduja type filling that I make, or candied fresh orange zest, or roasted almonds and salt.  I also make truffles and bonbons, but even with the simpler bars I feel like I have to put my mark on it somehow.  I plan to experiment with making at least a little bit of my own chocolate and do one bar that is plain bean-to-bar. 

 

Noka stirred up some controversy a few years ago when they refused to say whose chocolate they used.  They were simply re-molding couverture and selling it at insane prices. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C5%8DKA_Chocolate

 

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/352789?commentId=2113097#2113097

Edited February 11, 2015 by pastrygirl (log)

[Justing30]

Thanks so much for all the responses. They have helped out a lot. I enjoy buying the couverture but their are so many choices lol. I purchased a small tempering machine and it has made learning so much easier.

Since I'm starting out new, what are some good fillings for bars to experiment with that won't need refrigerated and last more then a week or so? I've started experimenting with making caramel but keeps tasting like butterscotch. It is fun and addicting though to make and I'll plow through making 9-10 batches a day. So any insights on some good fillings would be much appreciated.

Thanks again!

[keychris]

Here's the formula that I use for salted caramel. I imagine if you're getting a butterscotch flavour you are perhaps cooking your milk solids.
 
36.4% sugar
16% cream
21.3% glucose syrup
25% butter
0.3% salt

 

dry caramelise the sugar - I do it in three batches, ie. first bit caramelised, put the next bit on top of that, caramelise, put remaining thirds in, finish. Whilst that's caramelising, boil the cream then whisk into the sugar when it's caramelised, watch out for steam. remove from heat, add glucose & butter, whisk to combine. Cool to ~30C, add the salt, mix, pipe into shells. Leave at least 24hrs before capping. These last at least 4 weeks at 15C.

 

You shouldn't be refrigerating your product, as a rule.

 

 

[Justing30]

Thanks so much for the caramel recipe. I will be trying this tomorrow!

[chocofoodie]

Hi,

 

Can anyone recommend sources to get chocolate couverture in bulk in the US? Like in 5 Kilo boxes? 

 

Thanks!