Chocolates with that Showroom Finish, 2012 –

[tikidoc]

Gorgeous Rob, and very appropriate mold.

[Kerry Beal]

One of my two offerings for Vegas.  For those of you who don't already know I'll keep the filling a secret.  Happy with my shine however.

 

Does it contain shine?   One of mine does!

[minas6907]

That is one sexy piece of chocolate

[Stu Jordan]

Yes, humidity was the main problem.  It thickens up fast.  I tossed in a little bit of cocoa butter and that seemed to help.  And worked as fast as I could!  We fired up our AC for the first time on Thursday, so I was initially afraid that I was going to be trying to make chocolates in 80+ degree heat.  Luckily, we got it fixed Friday.

 

As for durien, it's pretty hard to describe.  The texture is sort of custard-like and very luxurious and creamy.  The flavor is quite sweet and rich, and I think it is delicious but my kids hate it.  And yea, it smells... strange.  I think "fetid" is an overstatement. The chocolate mellows the flavor, and enrobing the sliced ganache pretty much eliminates the smell.  I get durien at a local Asian grocery. They usually have frozen durian available, and occasionally the whole fruit.  I pretty much just use the frozen because the fruit is huge, and I'd end up having to freeze most of it anyway.

Durian is, in my opinion, the most vile fruit to be grown on Planet Earth. Fetid is a pretty good description of the smell - in fact, many asian hotels ban guests from preparing durian in their rooms because of the smell it leaves behind. Some people do actually like it, and texturally it is pleasant, but for me the smell and flavour make me retch. Interestingly, I have some Durian chocolate in my office right now that someone brought back from Asia for me - safe to say the box is still unopened!

[Kerry Beal]

Durian is, in my opinion, the most vile fruit to be grown on Planet Earth. Fetid is a pretty good description of the smell - in fact, many asian hotels ban guests from preparing durian in their rooms because of the smell it leaves behind. Some people do actually like it, and texturally it is pleasant, but for me the smell and flavour make me retch. Interestingly, I have some Durian chocolate in my office right now that someone brought back from Asia for me - safe to say the box is still unopened!

Say what you will - the durian chocolates that Tikidoc made were quite lovely!  A lovely tropical fruity flavour.  None of the vile smell seems to escape from the bon bon itself.

[keychris]

From top left:

Row 1

Sunset (vanilla butterscotch caramel), Lime, Buccaneer (chocolate & coconut tea infusion), crispy hazelnut praline

Row 2

Vier (4 spice praline [cinnamon, ginger, cloves & nutmeg]), Raspberry, Lemon, Cinnamon

Row 3

Xocatlatl Chai, Lemon verbena, Salted caramel, Passionfruit gelee

 

thanks for looking!

[Nicolai]

Anybody for some Armani choccies

 

 

 

 

 

[rajoress]

Well these aren't quite up to the standard of the rest of the gorgeous chocolates shown on this thread but they didn't quite have a "backroom" finish either ;-) Pecan caramel clusters about to be cleaned up and packaged. TFL!

Ruth

[ChocoMom]

Okay...well, these aren't nearly as gorgeous as Kerry's heart---love that shine!   But, I was really encouraged when I dropped them off at the shop and received from very enthusiastic comments.... so here goes:

 

 

 

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

That would be gfron1's shiny heart!

[Jim D.]

Chocomom,

They are beautiful.  So tell us what's inside.  Is the top one by any chance Andrew Shotts's candy apple flavor?  Looks a lot like it.

 

I also like the shape of the bottom one.  Can you tell us where you purchased the mold?

[ChocoMom]

Thank you, Jim!  

 

Yes, you are correct. The top one is Shott's Candy Apple. I tweeked it by adding in a little more apple and a tiny pinch of cinnamon to the ganache; and candied the almonds prior to finishing. Apple and cinnamon goes hand in hand around here...so I couldn't resist adding it!  The mold used was slightly different than Shott's, but it was the closest one I had.

 

The second one was a concoction I had been mulling around in my head for a couple weeks.   I wanted to do something with pumpkin puree- for fall. So, the ganache is a combination of 38% milk chocolate (E. Guittard), pumpkin puree, ginger/cinnamon/cloves, and a splash of brandy.  I started with a wet sand (sugar and water), let it cook until it started to brown and smoke (for some caramel flavor), then strained in the HWC/pumpkin puree/glucose. Mixed it like heck, and poured it over the chocolate.  Splashed in a little brandy, and achieved the YUM-factor I was after.   (There is a bit of kick to it, as the spice mixture 50% ginger.)

 

So, I live in the UP of Michigan, otherwise known as "the Copper Country" because of vast amounts of copper mined here.  So, copper coloring - and name- seemed natural.  I wasn't sure whether to go entirely with copper or add some orange, so first I sprayed the mold with orange cocoa butter, then cast it with milk chocolate, etc.  After I popped it out of the mold, I decided to given them all a light brush with the copper.  And, that's how it ended up with its name.

 

The mold is from either Bake Deco/Kerekes or NYCake.  I ordered molds from both companies at the same time, and most of the molds weren't in boxes- so no labels or anything.  I don't remember which company it came from, but I tend to think it was NYCake.   It is a very large cavity though.  (Finished, each piece weighs a little over 1 ounce.)  There are 10 cavities per mold. And, I think is was only about $20 or less.  Hope that helps some. 

 

Once I complete this evening's projects, (and providing one of my kids will take pics), I will attempt to post the Key Lime, Oreo, and Shimmering Shells (Marrons/Orchata) tomorrow.  Now that I know how to actually post pictures, this is kinda fun!   :+)

 

Thanks again for compliment!  Andrea

[ChocoMom]

OH!  Sorry GFron!   I thought that was Kerry's heart.  It is absolutely stunning!!! 

[Jim D.]

Chocomom,

I hope you don't mind my asking more questions:  I have been working on an apple filling for some time, and also I looked at the Shotts recipe.  What did you use for the apple flavoring that he calls for?  Others have said that it is difficult to locate.  Getting the apple flavor has been a hurdle; purée alone just doesn't make it through the chocolate taste.  Another poster here uses cider jelly, and I have bought some of that to try (in an apple caramel).  Of course, I agree that cinnamon is (at least for an American) suggestive of apple--there is another thread here that explores other options to go with apple.  So can an impartial taster really taste apple in the filling you made?  The mold has to be one that has a more or less flat top to be able to add the colored almonds, so that is another issue.

 

On the subject of pumpkin, this is also something I have worked on a lot.  I used Peter Greweling's pumpkin caramel ganache, and it was delicious but seemed to be dominated by the caramel.  Then I found an Epicurious recipe that was more creamy, and I have now more or less combined the two approaches.  I use white chocolate, which lets the pumpkin and spice flavors come through, then mold the filling in milk chocolate (I have been using E. Guittard Orinoco).  I must say it tastes just like pumpkin pie (not that dark gluey kind, but a light creamy one).

 

I like large molds, so I'll look for that one you used for the pumpkin.

 

Thanks for your replies.

[ChocoMom]

okay....New York Cake is where I got both molds. I will find the links, but I was able to narrow down where they came from. They're around $18-$20 each.

 

The flavoring for the apple is the Lorann oils Apple flavor. I purchased that at Bakedeco.com   It works fine, but you need to add about 3 times the amount called for in the Shott's recipe. (I'd bet a splash of apple schnapps would help things along too!)  The flavor came through nicely, and the cinnamon kind of re-affirmed the apple taste.

 

Hope that helps! Have a great night!

Andrea

[ChocoMom]

Jim,

 

Here is the link to the molds...  http://www.nycake.com/search.aspx?find=Polycarbonate+mold    The pumpkin one is the 3rd from the left on the top row; the apple one is the 3rd from the left on the bottom row.  The apple one is actually a swirled dome mold, that is designed to be used opposite the way I used it.  I've used it properly for other bonbons, but this time I just reversed it.  To get the finished product to set still, you can heat up the blade of a small knife, and just press it gently against the dome/tip to flatten it a bit, then it won't wobble.  (Yes, I am a little unorthodox in my ways.... but it worked.  ) 

 

Another thought for the apple flavor is to use boiled cider.  KAF used to carry it online.  I haven't tried it, but I believe that would be a good alternative- or use in conjunction with the apple flavoring.  Having increased the amount from the original recipe, I can definitely taste the apple now. It took some fooling with to get that flavor right. I just increased the amount by a couple drops at a time, until I achieved the taste I was after. I think the cinnamon really helped, also. 

 

The pumpkin in white chocolate sounds amazing! Mmmmm!   Enjoy!

 

Andrea

[Jim D.]

Chocomom,

Thanks for the links and other help.  I appreciate your advice and will give the apple a try.  You wrote about using boiled cider.  That is basically what the cider jelly is that I mentioned earlier--cider boiled until it thickens (the only ingredient is "apple cider").  Of course it has a somewhat cooked taste, so it's possible it needs a dash of fresh apple purée (or citric acid, often recommended by Kerry Beal on this forum).

 

Jim

[Tri2Cook]

Malic acid is great for restoring that mouth-watering freshness in cooked apple products. Or a combo of malic and citric if you're going for the tart end of the apple spectrum.

[ChocoMom]

Round 2:  

 

The sea shell is Marron/Orchata in 38%; dusting of Magenta lustre dust and a hit of pearl PME spray.

 

The green/white is Key Lime/Limoncello in Soie Blanche -35%; random spray of Green Sphene cocoa butter.

 

 

[gfron1]

I'm finally able to start getting some chocolates out now that its cooling.  These are Willow's Foster the Banana and a sweet whiskey.  Photos are from my cookbook photographer.

[Nicolai]

Award winning chocolate sculptures.

 

 

 

 

 

Gold Medal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Medal

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Medal ex aequo

 

[gfron1]

Those are beautiful. I've always felt that there should be a distinction in these competitions between chocolate sculptures and sculptures made of chocolate - meaning, where chocolate is relevant v. just the medium.  

[kriz6912]

I recently made 2 kinds of moulded chocolates...

- hazelnut praliné & milk chocolate hazelnut gianduja & puffed rice, moulded white chocolate

- white + milk chocolate butter ganache & marzipan & honey, moulded dark chocolate

 

I'll be posting regular updates. Also, if you like my photos, a like of my facebook page (which contains more photos) is also very much appreciated:

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

 

Kris

 

 

[Jim D.]

I recently made 2 kinds of moulded chocolates...

- hazelnut praliné & milk chocolate hazelnut gianduja & puffed rice, moulded white chocolate

- white + milk chocolate butter ganache & marzipan & honey, moulded dark chocolate

 

I'll be posting regular updates. Also, if you like my photos, a like of my facebook page (which contains more photos) is also very much appreciated:

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

 

Kris

Very impressive.  I am curious about the "puffed rice."  I wonder if it is what in the U.S. we call puffed rice (which is not particularly crisp) or what we have as Rice Krispies.  In any case, does it retain its texture (crunchy or otherwise) in the ganache?  My experience with ingredients like feuilletine is that they become soggy unless steps are taken (such as encasing them in chocolate or cocoa butter).

[kriz6912]

Very impressive.  I am curious about the "puffed rice."  I wonder if it is what in the U.S. we call puffed rice (which is not particularly crisp) or what we have as Rice Krispies.  In any case, does it retain its texture (crunchy or otherwise) in the ganache?  My experience with ingredients like feuilletine is that they become soggy unless steps are taken (such as encasing them in chocolate or cocoa butter).

 

Thanks Jim.

 

Actually, I did use Rice Krispies :-) Perhaps I shouldn't have called it 'puffed rice' but instead called it 'crisped rice', I wasn't 100% sure how to call it in English.

 

Either way, you cannot use crisped rice or feuilletine in water based fillings (e.g. ganaches) because the water will make it soggy. However, they retain their crispiness when you use an oil-based filling (e.g. gianduja, hazelnut praliné, ...). The one I made was oil-based so the crisped rice worked fine. 

 

If you do want to use a ganache and also get crispyness, you could try a double layer approach: first a bottom layer with e.g. hazelnut praliné & milk chocolade & something cripsy, followed by a 2nd layer with a ganache. The moisture from the ganache won't migrate into the oil-based filling.

 

The same applies for popping candy; works great in oil-based fillings, doesn't work at all in water based fillings.

Edited October 19, 2014 by kriz6912 (log)