Chocolates with that Showroom Finish, 2012 –

[Jim D.]

6 hours ago, Chocoguyin Pemby said:

I love YUZU!!!  Is it just my frozen yuzu puree - it's like a block of ice and super hard to chip off.  not like my other purees at all.  Is this normal for yuzu?  TIA

 

Having just finished making a yuzu and ginger ganache, I can attest that chipping off the yuzu purée was quite a task.  I use one of those "chippers" intended to break up blocks of chocolate.  My yuzu purée has quite a lot of solids in it, but is still very hard.  The recipe calls for reducing it by half to intensify the flavor--and get rid of some of the water content.

[pastrygirl]

7 hours ago, Chocoguyin Pemby said:

I love YUZU!!!  Is it just my frozen yuzu puree - it's like a block of ice and super hard to chip off.  not like my other purees at all.  Is this normal for yuzu?  TIA

 

I used valrhona yuzu inspiration here. 
 

With frozen purées, I tend to thaw them first - at least partially - rather than chipping at ice blocks  

Edited October 22, 2020 by pastrygirl (log)

[Nickos]

Some of my work from last months, posting weekly new recipes on my instagram feed.

 

www.instagram.com/nickkunstchocolates

[Chocoguyin Pemby]

5 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

With frozen purées, I tend to thaw them first - at least partially - rather than chipping at ice blocks  

that makes sense - I don't want to thaw a 1 kg block of puree to chip out 50 g to make a ganache - its a first world problem. 

[Chocoguyin Pemby]

6 hours ago, Jim D. said:

Having just finished making a yuzu and ginger ganache, I can attest that chipping off the yuzu purée was quite a task.  I use one of those "chippers" intended to break up blocks of chocolate.  My yuzu purée has quite a lot of solids in it, but is still very hard.  The recipe calls for reducing it by half to intensify the flavor--and get rid of some of the water content.

OOOOhh yuzu ginger!!!  that sounds yummy!  I have never thought to reduce the water content.  How did you add the ginger?  fresh - powder -steep some in the cream? Thanks for the tips

[teonzo]

12 hours ago, Chocoguyin Pemby said:

Is it just my frozen yuzu puree - it's like a block of ice and super hard to chip off.  not like my other purees at all.

 

You can use a oyster knife with a "covered" handle (don't know the English term), like this one (first one I found with google).

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Jim D.]

46 minutes ago, Chocoguyin Pemby said:

OOOOhh yuzu ginger!!!  that sounds yummy!  I have never thought to reduce the water content.  How did you add the ginger?  fresh - powder -steep some in the cream? Thanks for the tips

 

It is a wonderful combination.  Recipe is from Ewald Notter.  Yes, the ginger is chopped, then steeped for a long time in the hot cream (I understand that you cannot add ginger to a dairy-based product as it will curdle, somehow steeping avoids that).  Notter uses white for the shells.  I usually use white (or Cacao Barry's caramelized white), but it also works in dark.

[curls]

18 hours ago, Nickos said:

Some of my work from last months, posting weekly new recipes on my instagram feed.

 

www.instagram.com/nickkunstchocolates

 

 

Beautiful chocolates and some interesting moulds! Who are the manufacturers for the triangle and crescent moon moulds? The triangle mould looks like it could be difficult to work with and to clean. Also please share what flavors are in each piece. Thanks!

[Jonathan]

@curls The triangle moulds are Pavoni ones. I tried them exactly once and thereafter vowed that I would never put myself through the trouble of having to polish them again haha

Edited October 26, 2020 by Jonathan (log)

[Jonathan]

Some salted caramel and butter popcorn bonbons, I’ll try get some better photos once it decides to stop being so overcast outside

[pastrygirl]

More nice shine. It’s been cold and dry, that probably helps. 


 

 

 

I was worried about the orange ones, my cb smears didn’t crystallize as quickly as desireable, but I only lost a few to flaking

 

flavors are salted caramel, cardamom, orange, and honey 

Edited October 26, 2020 by pastrygirl (log)

[pastrygirl]

@Nikos those triangles look like an utter nightmare to polish 

 

fantastic blues and purples though!

[Jonathan]

Gorgeous! I'm about to head into an Australian Summer and I predict an absolute nightmare trying to get things to cooperate. 35 celcius + and 80% + humidity is not a good combo for chocolate.

[pastrygirl]

9 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Gorgeous! I'm about to head into an Australian Summer and I predict an absolute nightmare trying to get things to cooperate. 35 celcius + and 80% + humidity is not a good combo for chocolate.

 

The #1 reason why I haven't defected to Oz 😂

 

Good luck!

[Jonathan]

I gave in to the halloween trends and ended up making a pumpkin based chocolate... gold choc shells with pumpkin ganache, salted caramel and hazelnut in bar and bon form

[Jonathan]

Getting ready for launch and the excitement is getting there! Preparing the Christmas collection despite the Australian Summer doing its best to stop me. Black Forest and Pavlova Snowmen

[Muscadelle]

I know shiny metallic effects have been discussed here but omg you guys I think I just cracked it!

 

You spray a thin layer of clear cocoa butter, you let it set dry and then you brush highlighter dust, that's it! I've been trying to obtain that finish since forever with a consistant result!

 

 

[Jim D.]

@Muscadelle, beautiful but I am confused.  Does the color come from the "highlighter dust" or do you also spray with metallic cocoa butter?  And can you explain what the dust is, some sort of luster dust?

[Muscadelle]

16 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

@Muscadelle, beautiful but I am confused.  Does the color come from the "highlighter dust" or do you also spray with metallic cocoa butter?  And can you explain what the dust is, some sort of luster dust?

It’s clear cocoa butter with not color. The highlighter dust I used is from Roxy and rich but I guess you can use any brand. The difference between highlighter dust and sparkling powder is that you won’t get a full coverage with sparkling powder, you won’t be able to apply it with a brush either. 
 

I’m pretty sure you can get a good  result too by spraying a thin layer of clear cocoa butter and spray some loose sparkling powder on it before it fully crystallize (Otherwise it won’t stick to it, contrary to the highlighter dust) but you won’t have full coverage.
 

I’m making some tests with light pink and  white sparkling dust with a white chocolate she’ll. I’ll post the results!

[jbates]

I've used luster dust before and then backed it with white or black, but didn't do the clear coat first, will have to try that.

[Jonathan]

Out of interest, when polishing your moulds with isopropyl do you use 100% isopropyl?

[Jonathan]

Tried a technique I saw from the very talented Lana Orlova Bauer, I don’t think it turned out half bad but my goodness do I wish Summer here would just end

[Kerry Beal]

 

I debated adding mouths but got lazy. I mixed the white myself cocoa butter, titanium dioxide and silver lustre interference powder. 

 

The filling is eggnog - very rummy!

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Chocoguyin Pemby]

On 11/23/2020 at 6:22 AM, Jonathan said:

Out of interest, when polishing your moulds with isopropyl do you use 100% isopropyl?

I think mine is 98% - I don't know if it matters what the strength is although the higher the alcohol the less water and the faster to dry. 

[Kerry Beal]

I don't think you can get most alcohols as 100% - in the distillation process azoetrops form between water and alcohol and it's not possible to remove all the water. Apparently they did discover that adding benzene allows you to get 100% alcohol but the carcinogenesis of benzene makes that a non starter.