Chocolates with that Showroom Finish, 2012 –

[ChocoMom]

@ptw1953  You are a brave soul, to let a 4 year old work with chocolate on his own!   And, despite any mess or debacle, the chocolates are absolutely stunning! 

 

Seriously though, mess or no mess, these experiences you've gifted your grandson with may end up fostering a love of working with chocolate- or perhaps something else like pastries.   You may have a great little chef in the making!   

 If my grandma hadn't exposed me to confectionery work at 6 years old, I don't know that I'd have the love for it that I now have.  If Daddy hadn't spoiled me with hot fudge sundaes at Sander's from toddler-hood well into adulthood, or shared countless Hershey Bars with me....not sure that I'd adore chocolate the way I do now.  Much of what I do now was inspired by the most joyous and happy memories I hold dear. I hope your grandson will have those happy memories, and think fondly of them as he grows older. 

[ptw1953]

1 hour ago, ChocoMom said:

@ptw1953  You are a brave soul, to let a 4 year old work with chocolate on his own!   And, despite any mess or debacle, the chocolates are absolutely stunning! 

 

Seriously though, mess or no mess, these experiences you've gifted your grandson with may end up fostering a love of working with chocolate- or perhaps something else like pastries.   You may have a great little chef in the making!   

 If my grandma hadn't exposed me to confectionery work at 6 years old, I don't know that I'd have the love for it that I now have.  If Daddy hadn't spoiled me with hot fudge sundaes at Sander's from toddler-hood well into adulthood, or shared countless Hershey Bars with me....not sure that I'd adore chocolate the way I do now.  Much of what I do now was inspired by the most joyous and happy memories I hold dear. I hope your grandson will have those happy memories, and think fondly of them as he grows older. 

What a wonderful post ChocoMom. What a happy childhood you had. You have summed up very succinctly exactly what I am attempting to foster in my grandson. I have just become a grandfather for the 3rd time, with another girl due in November to my son and daughter-in-law in Sweden. So, with 2 boys in Scotland, and 2 girls in Sweden; I am sure I will get at least one of them to become a chocolatier.😊

[Pastrypastmidnight]

Spider webs with dark chocolate salted caramel ganache. I get very very few truly original ideas, but this was one of them. I’m sure someone else has done this, but I’ve not seen it before. Didn’t turn out quite like I thought it would but they’re pretty fun anyway  .

[VistaGardens]

these are great spiderwebs!  

Has anyone here ever purchased or worked with a Valrhona mold?  I was going to purchase some but wondered if they are hobby grade or polycarbonate.  Any feedback appreciated.

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by VistaGardens
update (log)

[sbain]

Late to the party on the dendrite technique, but I followed y’all’s advice and got some of that putty and tried my first batch. I’m practicing for my first time trying to sell (at a local holiday craft fair). These are filled with a dark chocolate peppermint ganache. I think I like the blue ones better (looks more like frost). Half of them looked terrible but these are my four best

[VistaGardens]

I don't usually like to post, as everyone on this thread does amazing stuff and mine is well, meh.  But for some reason the Art Expo folks in my town put my studio on the open studio tour for the last two weekends, and I have met some interesting people just passing through.  One of which was a photographer who bought a few pieces and sent me this photo.  Not like any photo I'd take, but it looked really nice, so I am sharing.  Just the dendrite, wipe away, back and spray thing.  Filled with a simple 72% ganache.

[gfron1]

30 minutes ago, VistaGardens said:

I don't usually like to post, as everyone on this thread does amazing stuff and mine is well, meh.  But for some reason the Art Expo folks in my town put my studio on the open studio tour for the last two weekends, and I have met some interesting people just passing through.  One of which was a photographer who bought a few pieces and sent me this photo.  Not like any photo I'd take, but it looked really nice, so I am sharing.  Just the dendrite, wipe away, back and spray thing.  Filled with a simple 72% ganache.

We're all the biggest critics of our own work. I think is a really great design.

[ptw1953]

Finger swirls: this is my first time attempting this type of design. I like it very much, not least because there is no set design I am trying to replicate on each individual chocolate. I think I will make these for Christmas presents to my immediate family members, as that individuality of finished design should allow me to not be stressed in the lead up to Christmas day, worrying that that they are not visually perfect...

 

[ptw1953]

Well, retirement was bound to bring this on: an (almost) obsessive compulsion to attempt things I have never even thought of doing before. Making chocolates falls firmly into this category.

 

So many people on here have inspired me to emulate their designs; some results have been ok, but most are, at best, an amateur's attempts. I am learning all the time though, even if I am a replicator and not an innovator. Sometimes I am up at 4am, tempering, filling or capping (obsessive much?). Very little i have done in my 65 years has given me as much pleasure/excitement as the procedures involved in producing chocolates.

 

When @Pastrypastmidnight produced the spider's web chocolates, I was gobsmacked. I spent the weekend deconstructing the process in my head, and making some black cocoa butter. I was asked, by my grandson, to make some scary chocolates for his Hallow'een party, I told him I would attempt Pastrypastmidnight's spider's web design. I made 30, and kept one back to photograph. I made them with Becolade 55%, and filled with peppermint cream. His mum said that the kids went wild for them.

 

Not as good as the original design, but next time I will cut a smaller hole in the piping bags I make, so as to get a finer line of white chocolate for the web design.

 

Thank you Pastrypastmidnight...

 

[Pastrypastmidnight]

19 minutes ago, ptw1953 said:

Well, retirement was bound to bring this on: an (almost) obsessive compulsion to attempt things I have never even thought of doing before. Making chocolates falls firmly into this category.

 

So many people on here have inspired me to emulate their designs; some results have been ok, but most are, at best, an amateur's attempts. I am learning all the time though, even if I am a replicator and not an innovator. Sometimes I am up at 4am, tempering, filling or capping (obsessive much?). Very little i have done in my 65 years has given me as much pleasure/excitement as the procedures involved in producing chocolates.

 

When @Pastrypastmidnight produced the spider's web chocolates, I was gobsmacked. I spent the weekend deconstructing the process in my head, and making some black cocoa butter. I was asked, by my grandson, to make some scary chocolates for his Hallow'een party, I told him I would attempt Pastrypastmidnight's spider's web design. I made 30, and kept one back to photograph. I made them with Becolade 55%, and filled with peppermint cream. His mum said that the kids went wild for them.

 

Not as good as the original design, but next time I will cut a smaller hole in the piping bags I make, so as to get a finer line of white chocolate for the web design.

 

Thank you Pastrypastmidnight...

 

They look great!

[Nickos]

New bonbons, and shooted with some new gear.

[ptw1953]

Very nice indeed. I do like the purple colour. To me, it suits chocolates. I want to eat these very much...

[ChocoMom]

My photography skills are pretty questionable, but this is what I've just finished for the pre-Thanksgiving offerings. 

Flavors: agates--- Bailey's Irish Creme/Blonde Dulcey, milk green- Key Lime in Felchlin Edelweiss, Orange/Gold dendrite- Mango Passionfruit in E. Guittard 72%, Pink-silver- Thimbleberry, Center: Kahlua- Macadamia in Felchlin Maracaibo Criolait 38%. Not pictured are the milk chocolate and dark chocolate sea salt caramels. 

Edited November 9, 2018 by ChocoMom (log)

[ptw1953]

I love them...

[Nickos]

Enjoy the weekend guys, that we can make a lot of chocolates.

[curls]

46 minutes ago, Nickos said:

Enjoy the weekend guys, that we can make a lot of chocolates.

 

Very pretty. What are the flavors?

[Nickos]

2 hours ago, curls said:

 

Very pretty. What are the flavors?

Thanks!

from legt to right

coconut/mango passion fruit/raspberry/port cinnamon/caramel hazelnut milk chocolate

[BVWells]

On 11/10/2018 at 8:16 AM, Nickos said:

Enjoy the weekend guys, that we can make a lot of chocolates.

Those look so nice!! I'm still trying to get that super shiny finish like yours. Any tips?

[ptw1953]

I wanted to attempt Melissa Coppel's Apricot Bouchee, but my wife dislikes the taste of apricot, and I had no access to the white caramel couverture Melissa speaks of, so I made the shells with Callebaut white, and filled with orange and balsamic caramel. My wife said they were 'nice', and gave me 5 out of 10. This is actually a huge compliment from her, as she normally just says that any chocs I make are 'ok'...

[Tri2Cook]

59 minutes ago, ptw1953 said:

My wife said they were 'nice', and gave me 5 out of 10. This is actually a huge compliment from her, as she normally just says that any chocs I make are 'ok'...

Trade her in for a more supportive model... 

...kidding, of course. 

[Kerry Beal]

Ultimately better than those that say everything’s great when it isn’t though.

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

5 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Ultimately better than those that say everything’s great when it isn’t though.

 

 

Agree 100%, I was just being silly. I feel a little obnoxious when asking people to be crash test dummies for my experiments because I strongly emphasize that if they don't think they'll be able to tell me something sucks when they think it sucks, they're of no use to me.

[ptw1953]

11 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Ultimately better than those that say everything’s great when it isn’t though.

 

 

As per usual, you are absolutely spot on Kerry. When my wife offers constructive criticism, I find that invariably she is correct and to the point. Spare me those who think I look for praise, when what I wish for is honesty of opinion...

[Nickos]

On 11/21/2018 at 6:36 AM, BVWells said:

Those look so nice!! I'm still trying to get that super shiny finish like yours. Any tips?

 

Thanks! make sure your cacao butter Is in temper.  and we use a airbrush. so that works perfect.

[Jim D.]

On 11/10/2018 at 8:16 AM, Nickos said:

Enjoy the weekend guys, that we can make a lot of chocolates.

 

I really like that purple. Do you mind describing where you got it or (if you mixed it) how you came up with the color? I just spent quite a bit of time trying to achieve a "royal purple" without success. I started with Chef Rubber's Jewel purple color, which is very dark (and therefore looks a lot like dark chocolate--so what's the point of having color?), and added some white and red. But I ended up with a Victorian "dusty rose "color--OK but not very purple.