Aerated Chocolate?

[jfresch]

I saw a recipe somewhere for orange flavored aerated chocolate. Does anyone have a clue where the recipe is from or how to do it? I know you charge the chocolate in an iSi. Any other aerated chocolate recipes?

[Baselerd]

There's a few topics around about this, but:

" I believe that the correct technique for aerated chocolate is 1 lb chocolate + 6 Tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed). Melt it all in a pot and homogenize, then let liquid cool to about 85 F. Next, pressurize in an ISI whip with 2-3 canisters of N2O. Dispense it into a vacuum container (example) and pull a vacuum, placing it in the freezer until set. If you don't have the vacuum container, you can still try but the result will be a lot denser - although still less dense than the chocolate alone. This is the best technique I have tried, uses a lot of inspiration from the Eleven Madison Park cookbook."

If you don't have a vacuum container make sure the container you dispense into is already frozen, and get it into the freezer as quickly as possible. The foam will start collapsing as soon as its dispensed.

If you want to make it orange flavored then I would use any of the standard techniques of infusing the oil or chocolate. Another option would be to add spray dried orange powder.

Edited December 18, 2012 by Baselerd (log)

[jfresch]

There's a few topics around about this, but:

" I believe that the correct technique for aerated chocolate is 1 lb chocolate + 6 Tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed). Melt it all in a pot and homogenize, then let liquid cool to about 85 F. Next, pressurize in an ISI whip with 2-3 canisters of N2O. Dispense it into a vacuum container (example) and pull a vacuum, placing it in the freezer until set. If you don't have the vacuum container, you can still try but the result will be a lot denser - although still less dense than the chocolate alone. This is the best technique I have tried, uses a lot of inspiration from the Eleven Madison Park cookbook."

If you don't have a vacuum container make sure the container you dispense into is already frozen, and get it into the freezer as quickly as possible. The foam will start collapsing as soon as its dispensed.

If you want to make it orange flavored then I would use any of the standard techniques of infusing the oil or chocolate. Another option would be to add spray dried orange powder.

So you would just infuse grapseed oil with the orange zest? How do you infuse chocolate?

[dhardy123]

I have made aerated chocolates alot.

You must temper the chocolate first and then add 10% of a warmed neutral flavored oil and mix it in well. You can also add orange oil at this point (or peppermint oil, etc) to taste.

While tempering the chocolate, I sit the iSi whipper in a sink of water halfway up the bottle at around 26-28C to warm it. Pour the chocolate/oil mixture into it and give it 2 canisters of N2O. I shake it a few times and place it back in the sink water for around 15 minutes. This should keep the chocolate in temper if the water is not too hot or cold.

I then dispense the chocolate into molds that have been shelled. The good thing with this method is that because the chocolate is tempered, you don't need to apply a bottom. I have also siphoned it into silicone molds without shelling, and between caramel rulers and cut them into squares. Of course you can also make an "Aero" type chocolate bar with the appropriate mold. Here is a picture of how they turned out (green shell/peppermint flavor)

Edited December 19, 2012 by dhardy123 (log)

[Baselerd]

I would add an essential oil or tincture to the chocolate. I've never heard of infusing the chocolate straight up - maybe someone else could answer that...

[Mjx]

I'd go with a flavouring oil, as others have suggested, and I've used very finely grated rind, too.

I've also experimented with adding a little citric acid, to incorporate citrus's tartness, which you don't get from a flavouring oil (err on the side of too little, rather than too much, and keep notes). Citric acid doesn't dissolve into the chocolate, but remains distinct crystals. I made lime and clove truffles some time back, and the result was great: the tiny, scattered sparkles of tartness melt on the tongue a bilt more slowly than the chocolate itself, and really offset the scent of the lime.

In Elements of Dessert, the recipe for aerated (aka 'bubble') chocolate calls for 400 g oil/2 kg dark chocolate (4 lb 6.4 oz/14.11 oz).

[Tri2Cook]

You must temper the chocolate first

I'm going to disagree on that one. After comparing results using tempered and untempered chocolate, I've never bothered. I didn't see any benefit in the final result that supported it being necessary. In addition, I had increased incidents of the cooler chocolate being cooled further when the gas was added and plugging the outlet of the whipper. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it if you prefer, I'm just saying it's not a "must".

[dhardy123]

You must temper the chocolate first

I'm going to disagree on that one. After comparing results using tempered and untempered chocolate, I've never bothered. I didn't see any benefit in the final result that supported it being necessary. In addition, I had increased incidents of the cooler chocolate being cooled further when the gas was added and plugging the outlet of the whipper. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it if you prefer, I'm just saying it's not a "must".

You could be right. I've always tempered it because I don't bottom the molds. Not sure how the bottom would be if it wasnt tempered...

[Rajala]

I recently bought a chamber vacuum for other things, and thought about this. But I guess it won't work too well with one of those? Since it will release air back into the chamber? Maybe you can work with it somehow. Does anyone have any experience?

[pastrygirl]

3 hours ago, Rajala said:

I recently bought a chamber vacuum for other things, and thought about this. But I guess it won't work too well with one of those? Since it will release air back into the chamber? Maybe you can work with it somehow. Does anyone have any experience?

 

Can you stop it after the air bubbles have ballooned up but before they're sucked down again?

[Rajala]

33 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Can you stop it after the air bubbles have ballooned up but before they're sucked down again?

 

I was thinking of that, there's a STOP button. But not sure if that stop the process and release air back in. Will have to test I guess.

[sverreef]

On 12/28/2023 at 5:21 PM, Rajala said:

 

I was thinking of that, there's a STOP button. But not sure if that stop the process and release air back in. Will have to test I guess.

 

If your machine can't be programmed to run an extended vacuum cycle, as seen in the vide linked below, you could try to unplug your machine's power cord as soon as it has reached the desired vacuum level (before the seal and repressurization step). The stop button will usually just skip to the next step in the vacuum cycle.

 

 

[Rajala]

1 minute ago, sverreef said:

If your machine can't be programmed to run an extended vacuum cycle, as seen in the vide linked below, you could try to unplug your machine's power cord as soon as it has reached the desired vacuum level

 

Interesting. I hope the machine will reset itself when it's powered on again. If not, I would have an issue.

[sverreef]

Chefsteps presented this technique as a hack in the following recipe a few years ago:

 

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/aerated-peanut-butter-brittle

 

Considering the price tag on a chamber vacuum sealer, you may want to consult your machine's producer before you try it, but I would be very surprised if a "power outage" in the middle of a vacuum cycle would affect a vacuum machine negatively.