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Confections! What did we make? (2012 – 2014)


Chris Hennes

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I really need to do something like that with the kid. I know she'd love it because I've let her help with a few things in the past. The problem is, I have a bad habit of pushing her to do things the way I think they should be done instead of letting her have fun and do them the way she wants. I also have a tendency to get aggravated when I can't get her to understand what I want her to do. I'm pretty sure it carries over from work where patience regarding people not doing what they're supposed to be doing or what I need them to do isn't one of my strong points. It's definitely something I need to work on and bark seems like a perfect project to start with.

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It's kinda like wrestling a gorilla... you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is tired.

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photo of most of the Christmas 2013 selection: brandied cherry cordials, eggnog ganache, chocolate ganache, muscovado sugar salted caramel, and peanut butter cup

not included in the photo are the enrobed chocolate nougat, chocolate dipped candied orange peel, and chocolate dipped candied ginger

December2013-IMG_2987-low-res.jpg

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This years Christmas selection

Purple : passion fruit mixed pate de fruit vanilla ganache

Green : lime caramel

Black : coffee alunga mocha ganache

Gold : madiforolo 2009 single origin

Red and yellow : strawberry caramel and banana alto el sol ganache

Orange red : apricot jelly and raspberry ocoa ganache

image.jpg

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This years Christmas selection

Purple : passion fruit mixed pate de fruit vanilla ganache

Green : lime caramel

Black : coffee alunga mocha ganache

Gold : madiforolo 2009 single origin

Red and yellow : strawberry caramel and banana alto el sol ganache

Orange red : apricot jelly and raspberry ocoa ganache

They all look beautiful, great shine. And how do you like the Cacao Barry single origins?

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Thank you,

In regards to the single origins, they are good. The danger of them is that every year they taste different.

I shouldn't say this too loud but I am fortunate enough to have access to many different chocolates, origins, and every specific type. I like to adapt my chocolate to my product. Red berries fit well with manjari or maralumi, banana goes flawless with alto del sol, yogurt with opalys or zephyr, dulcey with pecan or...

FYI price of chocolate is gonna go up in the next 4 weeks average of 15% today's price.

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FYI price of chocolate is gonna go up in the next 4 weeks average of 15% today's price.

WHY? If I may ask. BTW LOVE this thread, doing very simple desserts at work - Dark Chocolate Truffles, Honey Lavender Caramels, Thumbprint cookies with every imaginable jam out there, molasses cookies, waiting for next paycheck to be able to buy Grewellings book. Have some very awesome choclate moldsm my favorite being my two freestanding 4" pigs. You guys are very inspirational.

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mise en plase

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey Everyone. I wanted to just put this out there. How many here are familiar with liquor cordials? I'm sort of losing track of how many times I've made them. In the beginning I really enjoyed the molded starch process, but more recently I absolutely love making the cordials in molded bonbons. It's waaaay less mess, much quicker, I love how they look, and probably most of all, I hate hand dipping items, I really do. A few days ago I just sort of realized something when I was making my latest batch of codials. I was playing with my refractometer, and I took the measurements of all my hard liquors, they all basically measure to be 14 to 15 degree brix. So why couldnt non-alcoholic cordials be made? Has anyone done this before and I just never noticed? I've seen different ways of making the cordial chocolates, and basically they all require a hard liquor to be used (which is 15 degrees brix). Greweling says to adjust the temp if using sweeter liquors, but I just havent tried that out for fear I'm going to be stuck with a batch that doesnt crystallize. Anywho, so if you sub the hard liquor with a 15 degree brix syrup, it would crystallize the same way, no? Then that opens the door to make cordials with no alcohol for those who prefer them, and in my case, legally sell chocolate cordials because alcohol is no issue. I've seen plenty of artificial flavors mimicking alcohols, so for instance, I do have a Grande Marnier flavor. That could be mixed with the measured amount of 15 degree brix syrup, and used in place of a regular hard liquor. The syrup should crystallize the same way since the level of sugar isnt being tampered with, and you'd be left with a non alcoholic grande marnier flavored bonbon. I was even thinking about extending this to wine. I'd like to try to adjust the brix of a Cabernet wine to 15 degree brix, then make the cordials as normal. I'm going to try this soon, I have a lemon drop cocktail flavor that I'm going to use, so hopefully I'll return with lemon drop cordials!

Anyways, heres the latest batch of sweets.

-Macaron for a baby shower

-Just got some new polycarbonates, so I molded some solid pieces

-Bombay Sapphire Cordials

Baby Shower Macs.jpg

Chocolate Solids.jpg

Bombay Sapphire.jpg

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Minas - The only thing you would need to be concerned about is microbial or fungal growth. I don't know what the aW of a 15 brix syrup would be.

Steve Lebowitz

Doer of All Things

Steven Howard Confections

Slicing a warm slab of bacon is a lot like giving a ferret a shave. No matter how careful you are, somebody's going to get hurt - Alton Brown, "Good Eats"

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I know that when we did the NCA course with Greweling we looked at making them with wine - but if I recall correctly you needed to calculate based on the alcohol content of the wine - and add liquor to compensate! I'll see if I can find those notes over the next day or so - or perhaps Bob or Ruth can find theirs and post about it.

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I found my notes from the PMCA course with Greweling, and will include here. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the Pearson Square then and it is hopeless now:) In my notes, I put that the alcohol drives the sugar out so that it crusts. It also says you can make without alcohol, but formula has to be adjusted for AW. Without alcohol, it will mold. Kerry has a much keener mind and will remember much better than I.

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Ruth Kendrick

Chocolot
Artisan Chocolates and Toffees
www.chocolot.com

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Hey thanks for the responses, and Chocolot for the notes. What I keep thinking of is how much of a preservative does the alcohol really act as? It does seem reasonable to me when I hear that alcohol would add to the preservation of cordials, and Greweling does mention that in his book. However, when I've made these over the last few years, I've had alot of time to mess around with them. The two primary ways I've done the cordials were outlined by Greweling and Notter. In Grewelings book, his liquor cordial formula calls for boiling the sugar syrup to 246f, then pour in your warmed liquor. When this is done, the liquor boils upon contact with the syrup, and I'm able to get a big whiff of the alcohol when it evaporates. Thats why I question how essential the alcohol is to the preservation of the cordial. When the candy is made this way, theres no way of knowing how much alcohol is left. Much of it evaporates when you add it to the 246f syrup. And if you do follow Grewelings method and bring your syrup up to 246f, even if you waited even one minute before adding the liquor (so as to prevent the liquor from boiling), the syrup would have cooled down enough to be very thick, and thus not allow you to thoroughly combine the alcohol with the boiled syrup. I do want to say that I respect greatly what Greweling says, he is a genious, and I'm certianly not one to doubt him. But if you do follow that recipe, at least a good portion of the alcohol you pour in will evaporate, theres no way of calulating how much is left remaining, thats why I sort of second guess the total importance of having the alcohol there. So if there is no alcohol present, will the

The most reliable way to make the cordials, for me anyways, has been in Notters book. In his formula you boil your sugar syrup to 226f, then wait for it to cool down to 140f, then stir in your liquor and combine. At the low temp the liquor never boils, and you can taste it more. The mixture now has the same amount of alcohol as was present in the liquor when you combined it.

It was after I tested the brix of the different hard liquors (15 brix) that I had the idea of just making a 15 brix syrup, or adjusting a wine to 15 brix to make a wine cordial. Would anyone know an estimated shelf life of a 66 degree syrup that does not contain alcohol? Or does the whole idea seem like not a very good one? The reason I ask about it is because it would make it possible for me to offer non-alcoholic cordials to eventually sell, and I was thinking of flavoring them artificially with cocktail or liquor flavors.

Anyways, these were all just ideas I was having, thanks for everyone’s input!

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I bought a polycarbonate candy mold this week and tried it out today. I love it. I am going to get a few more. {one at a time though, since they cost so much}

I made some chocolate candies with strawberry mash filling.{ I used some strawberry candy filling and added some Sweet Revenge sour mash}

Turned out pretty. 1609592_10151951107313207_2093167942_n.j

Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS!!

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Thanks, I appreciate that. Would the same be true if the syrup did not contain any fruit? If it was just a simple syrup, would there be any shelf life gained?

Simple syrup contains way too much AW to leave it as is in my opinion. It will not go sour but little particles will start creating themselves. It will either cristallyse. What you can do is try. But if you do make sure everything is super super clean. Any other variable will make the concoction go moldy faster. For me in my lab flour is my nemesis. But I have had a liter container of 30degree syrup next to the oven for 3 weeks, it just cristalizes no mold yet.

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Made some orange confit, using Curley's instructions, which do not require the use of a refractometer. Delicious, especially with the cacao nibs, which add crunch and a different chocolate flavor note.

image.jpg

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Simple syrup contains way too much AW to leave it as is in my opinion. It will not go sour but little particles will start creating themselves. It will either cristallyse. What you can do is try. But if you do make sure everything is super super clean. Any other variable will make the concoction go moldy faster. For me in my lab flour is my nemesis. But I have had a liter container of 30degree syrup next to the oven for 3 weeks, it just cristalizes no mold yet.

Hey I appreciate your response, and sorry for dragging the topic out for so long, I just got excited, thats all :-). What would be the AW of a 66 degree brix syrup? Also, the ganaches I've made are pretty basic, I havent really gone near anything with a fruit puree, but when a ganache or a cordial would mold, how evident would it be? If you cut it in the center, would it be plainly obvious? Or alot more subtle? Anywho, I was just wondering, I did a google image search but wasnt able to yield anything. Thanks again!

Diana, that is such a beautiful picture! Those pieces are so perfect, very nice work!

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Ganache is obvious. Cordial not as much.

Example gelatine, water and sugar mold in less then a week. The brix is the sugar content of a product. It has no impact on the AW I think. To reduce the aw you need more solids. Or anti fungus. I have a friend to prevent mold on his brioches who sprays the inside of the bags.

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Ganache is obvious. Cordial not as much.

Example gelatine, water and sugar mold in less then a week. The brix is the sugar content of a product. It has no impact on the AW I think. To reduce the aw you need more solids. Or anti fungus. I have a friend to prevent mold on his brioches who sprays the inside of the bags.

The amount of sugar does impact aW as the sugar binds to some of the water making less available for the critters. Another way to reduce growth is to add spirit alcohol. Wybauw discusses this in a couple of his books, but mostly in the 3rd which is pretty much all about shelf life. You can make a very tasty sugar syrup with spirits, sugar, and water.

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Steve Lebowitz

Doer of All Things

Steven Howard Confections

Slicing a warm slab of bacon is a lot like giving a ferret a shave. No matter how careful you are, somebody's going to get hurt - Alton Brown, "Good Eats"

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Ganache is obvious. Cordial not as much.

Example gelatine, water and sugar mold in less then a week. The brix is the sugar content of a product. It has no impact on the AW I think. To reduce the aw you need more solids. Or anti fungus. I have a friend to prevent mold on his brioches who sprays the inside of the bags.

I really dont mean to be argumentative, but because we're talking about a syrup, the brix would have a definite impact on the AW since both give indications as to how much water is inside the product. There are alot of things that can have gelatine, water and sugar, but those many things contain different proportions. Those three ingredients are basically what makes up your typical gummie, but those dont mold in a week. So it is the water that makes up the difference, because the more water makes for a product that is less stable. I know you know this and I dont need to explain anything, but whole reason for bringing up the alcohol free cordial and was based on what I've done with candied fruit. The syrup that the fruit soaks in gradually brought up to 75% brix, because at 75% brix, the solution has enough dissolved solids for it to be shelf stable. 75% brix is also what pate de fruit are brought to. Now with a cordial, the liquid inside is 66% brix, and it was my assumption (and I could definitly be totally wrong) that 66% brix was enough to give it a reasonable shelf life, not as long as pate de fruit or a properly candied fruit, but at least a few weeks, just like most ganaches.

Anywho, I think the point sort of started to get lost, and I apologize for that. In a previous post, when I was asking if any shelf life would be gained if the mixture did not contain fruit, but was only a simple syrup, and you replied that simple syrup contains too much AW. I should have specified that the syrup inside the alcohol free cordial, after it has crystallized, is at 66% brix. So if you stated that you have a 30% syrup next to an oven for a three weeks with no sign of mold, would not a 66% syrup be ok for a few weeks inside a bonbon?

Anyways, I'll just give it a go when I get some time and keep pieces set aside to see how the quality holds up, maybe in the end the solution is to add a mold inhibitor to the pieces. But I do appreciate your helpful replies.

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Ganache is obvious. Cordial not as much.

Example gelatine, water and sugar mold in less then a week. The brix is the sugar content of a product. It has no impact on the AW I think. To reduce the aw you need more solids. Or anti fungus. I have a friend to prevent mold on his brioches who sprays the inside of the bags.

The amount of sugar does impact aW as the sugar binds to some of the water making less available for the critters. Another way to reduce growth is to add spirit alcohol. Wybauw discusses this in a couple of his books, but mostly in the 3rd which is pretty much all about shelf life. You can make a very tasty sugar syrup with spirits, sugar, and water.

Yes I fully agree. I wasn't really clear on my thoughts on that one. My apologies. 66brix is the equivalent state of a marmalade (give or take one or 2brix degrees.

In regards to my gelatine mold (May it rest in piece) it was a simple syrup with gelatine. It is true that a gummy has the same 3 ingredients but with different binding amounts a lot more gelatine and higher ratio of sucrose.

Try is your best bet.

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My first attempt at piping chocolate design inside a mold. I now have a much greater appreciation for those zebras Jenjcook makes as it was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. These are an experiment with an Irish Cream Liqueur milk chocolate ganache. Pretty tasty, not sold on my piping skills though :wink:

IMG_1274-resized.JPG

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