Cooking with "Chocolates and Confections" by Peter Greweling (Part 2)

[Darienne]

"Any idea where she got them? I live in Miami and right now I get my pecans at Costco...wouldn't mind having another source for them"

I'll email her and find out.

"Do you think there is any added value to buying this book after buying the original Chocolates and Confections?"

OK. If you own some good candy making books also, I might say no, especially if your budget's a bit tight. I have amassed all the best candy books as far as I can see, so perhaps it was a bit over the top. But I'm not really sorry. It's still an excellent book. I was shocked at first to read Greweling talking about using compound chocolate after the tone of the bigger book, but what the hey!

PS. Check this topic under cookbooks for candy books you might own: Chocolate & confectionary Books . . . which are the best

Edited February 1, 2010 by heidih
delete admin comment (log)

[lebowits]

Do you think there is any added value to buying this book after buying the original Chocolates and Confections?

Having purchased quite a few books by now, I would heartily endorse the first Greweling book. It's the only book I've got which covers so MANY topics so thoroughly. If you're not going to be making products for sale, you'll have to scale down the formulas, but it's a wonderful book.

[Tri2Cook]

We really can't get decent pecans where I live.

I have that problem too. I lived in Alabama for many years and could easily get awesome pecans... and they were cheap (or even free if I was willing to gather and shell them myself, many people with trees become tired of the bother and will let you take the pecans just to get them out of the yard). Now all I can get is crappy commercial pecans that are more expensive than gold here. I very rarely bother with them anymore even though I really like them.

[Darienne]

Now all I can get is crappy commercial pecans that are more expensive than gold here. I very rarely bother with them anymore even though I really like them.

However, YOU YANKEE TYPES CAN get pecans at Krogers and the ones in Moab were always fresh. Not as good as the ones flown in from Florida...I have written to my Moab friend to find out where they came from...but still better than most in our small city. The health food stores here with coolers have better ones tho...and way more $$$. I should do a concerted study.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[ejw50]

thanks for the review Darienne!

[RWood]

We really can't get decent pecans where I live.

I have that problem too. I lived in Alabama for many years and could easily get awesome pecans... and they were cheap (or even free if I was willing to gather and shell them myself, many people with trees become tired of the bother and will let you take the pecans just to get them out of the yard). Now all I can get is crappy commercial pecans that are more expensive than gold here. I very rarely bother with them anymore even though I really like them.

My mom's sisters in Georgia send us pecans every year. I'm too spoiled with Georgia pecans to use the crappy ones here in CA. They are big, fat and tasty. One company was called Wren Pecan Company, and I think they may have gone out of business. The bags were different this year. I'll have to see where they are from. Still much better than anything around here.

[lironp]

Do you think there is any added value to buying this book after buying the original Chocolates and Confections?

Having purchased quite a few books by now, I would heartily endorse the first Greweling book. It's the only book I've got which covers so MANY topics so thoroughly. If you're not going to be making products for sale, you'll have to scale down the formulas, but it's a wonderful book.

I must confess, I have an addiction- I love buying cookbooks, pastry books, chocolate books. I've bought most of the books that have chocolate in their title, and I'm trying (pretty unsuccessfully in the meantime ) to cut back. I have his first book, and absolutely love it, and though my first instinct was to buy anything with his name on it, I was wondering if it has any added value over the first one or if it just sort of simplifies the first one...

[lebowits]

Do you think there is any added value to buying this book after buying the original Chocolates and Confections?

Having purchased quite a few books by now, I would heartily endorse the first Greweling book. It's the only book I've got which covers so MANY topics so thoroughly. If you're not going to be making products for sale, you'll have to scale down the formulas, but it's a wonderful book.

I must confess, I have an addiction- I love buying cookbooks, pastry books, chocolate books. I've bought most of the books that have chocolate in their title, and I'm trying (pretty unsuccessfully in the meantime ) to cut back. I have his first book, and absolutely love it, and though my first instinct was to buy anything with his name on it, I was wondering if it has any added value over the first one or if it just sort of simplifies the first one...

Generally I've found (so far) that the 2nd book covers most, if not all of the product types covered in the first book. What I've found valuable is that many of the discussions/descriptions have been reworked to make them easier to understand. Ironically, all of the measures are English vs metric where in the first book, everything was metric weights. Further, the formulas are scaled down for the home cook or hobbyist which can help since you won't find yourself with 2 - 3 kg of product to divest of. There are also a few products NOT included in the first book.

I'm very happy to have purchased the new book.

[Darienne]

What I've found valuable is that many of the discussions/descriptions have been reworked to make them easier to understand.

Well put. Exactly

[curls]

Just starting to learn how to temper chocolate and having problems with the chocolate going in and out of temper during a dipping session. For this attempt, I tried to keep the chocolate in temper by occasionally hitting it with a heat gun. I think next time I will try nesting the bowl with the tempered chocolate in another bowl with a heating pad.

Any other ideas on how to keep the chocolate in temper? Or is it just a matter of practice and developing a feel for the chocolate?

Made the Dark & Stormies and dipped some orange peels and glaced apricots in the remaining chocolate. Would like a bit more ginger flavor in the Dark & Stormies. Thinking about replacing some, or all, of the corn syrup with ginger syrup for the next batch.

Need a lot more work with dipping but rather happy with them as my first attempt.

[Kerry Beal]

Just starting to learn how to temper chocolate and having problems with the chocolate going in and out of temper during a dipping session. For this attempt, I tried to keep the chocolate in temper by occasionally hitting it with a heat gun. I think next time I will try nesting the bowl with the tempered chocolate in another bowl with a heating pad.

Any other ideas on how to keep the chocolate in temper? Or is it just a matter of practice and developing a feel for the chocolate?

Made the Dark & Stormies and dipped some orange peels and glaced apricots in the remaining chocolate. Would like a bit more ginger flavor in the Dark & Stormies. Thinking about replacing some, or all, of the corn syrup with ginger syrup for the next batch.

Need a lot more work with dipping but rather happy with them as my first attempt.

Looks pretty good with the exception of a few streaks. When you reheat with heat gun, make sure you stir everything well and let sit for a minute or so before starting to dip again.

[curls]

Looks pretty good with the exception of a few streaks. When you reheat with heat gun, make sure you stir everything well and let sit for a minute or so before starting to dip again.

Kerry, thank you for the advice. I was stirring the chocolate but did not let it sit for a bit after hitting it with the heat gun. Will try that next time.

Just posted the best photo... there were many more chocolates that went out of temper. Luckily my friends liked the cool patterns that the bloom made on the chocolate and enjoyed the chocolates. Since I know that is not the right way to do it, I want to get better at keeping things in temper.

Edited February 3, 2010 by curls (log)

[Darienne]

Hi Curls,

For a first attempt, this is pretty brilliant. My first attempt looked as if the dog had helped me. Way to go!

[Kerry Beal]

Looks pretty good with the exception of a few streaks. When you reheat with heat gun, make sure you stir everything well and let sit for a minute or so before starting to dip again.

Kerry, thank you for the advice. I was stirring the chocolate but did not let it sit for a bit after hitting it with the heat gun. Will try that next time.

Just posted the best photo... there were many more chocolates that went out of temper. Luckily my friends liked the cool patterns that the bloom made on the chocolate and enjoyed the chocolates. Since I know that is not the right way to do it, I want to get better at keeping things in temper.

When I had my little sinsation tempering machine, at the end of run I used to scrape out the bowl and put the remaining chocolate in a madeline shaped mold that I have - they were always streaky from the chocolate on the side of the bowl which was out of temper. They were my favorites - I loved that streaky look.

[LucyInAust]

I'd like to make nougat from Greweling's book (have wafer paper to use up and a brand new kitchenaid mixer!) ... was thinking of the Chocolate Nougat. I have made his Soft Chocolate Nougat as part of the Sleeping Beauties previously, but wanted to try the other recipe. It requires chocolate liquor and I have no access to that (can't even find it on the internet to purchase!) ... I do have cocoa beans that I could process to create a form of cocoa mass but not sure if that is going to be the right thing or get the right texture.

Has anyone else made the chocolate nougat and used an alternative?

Otherwise I might make the soft choc nougat and add nuts etc ... would that work?

Oh - whilst I'm asking ... where do people get the stencils to create chocolate disks? Ever since I got the book I've wanted to make the beehives!!! The silicone stencils I found googling are very expensive (I only do this as a hobby!) ... is there a cheaper alternative (under $50 would be nice!)? or source? (I am in Australia so need places that will ship internationally).

[RichardJones]

Lucy,

One way to get round not having a stencil is to spread a thin layer of tempered chocolate on a sheet of acetate and stamp out discs with a small cutter (or even the back end of a piping nozzle) once the chocolate is semi-crystallised (i.e. still soft but no longer tacky). Once you have indented the discs, leave the chocolate to set properly as normal (with a weight on to help keep things as flat as possible). When the chocolate has set you can pop out the discs and proceed.

In this instance, you make like to leave the discs attached to the acetate until you have piped the beehives as this will make piping easier than on a freefloating disc.

Hope this is clear,

Richard

[lironp]

Well, it sounds like I have no choice

[Kerry Beal]

I'd like to make nougat from Greweling's book (have wafer paper to use up and a brand new kitchenaid mixer!) ... was thinking of the Chocolate Nougat. I have made his Soft Chocolate Nougat as part of the Sleeping Beauties previously, but wanted to try the other recipe. It requires chocolate liquor and I have no access to that (can't even find it on the internet to purchase!) ... I do have cocoa beans that I could process to create a form of cocoa mass but not sure if that is going to be the right thing or get the right texture.

Has anyone else made the chocolate nougat and used an alternative?

Otherwise I might make the soft choc nougat and add nuts etc ... would that work?

Oh - whilst I'm asking ... where do people get the stencils to create chocolate disks? Ever since I got the book I've wanted to make the beehives!!! The silicone stencils I found googling are very expensive (I only do this as a hobby!) ... is there a cheaper alternative (under $50 would be nice!)? or source? (I am in Australia so need places that will ship internationally).

I'm with Richard on the cutouts with the back of a piping tip.

Looks like Tava chocolate from Oz is just chocolate liquor.

[gap]

Not sure if Tava are currently shipping but they definately do chocolate liquor/chocolate mass/100% chocolate (all the same). Otherwise buy some 99% chocolate from somewhere like Simon Johnson or Essential Ingredient which will prob work OK for nougat.

LucyInAust - you can buy chablon mats (the silicon stencils) from Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne. If you can't get to Melbourne, you can give them a call and they can probably help you buy over the phone.

[LucyInAust]

Thanks! Was wondering if 99% would be a "nearly good enough" replacement. I'd had a quick look on the Tava website but must have missed the liquor ... will check again anyway.

Have to go down to Melbourne next week so I might add visiting Savour on the list!

Richard - I'd read in the book about making the cutouts - but decided that I'd probably make a complete mess of it and doing 100 of them would drive me nuts!! Piping and dipping them is going to be enough of a test of my sanity!

[gap]

Re Tava - their standard chocolate bar is a 100% bar (I think they may refer to it as bakiers/baking chocolate, but they just mean it's 100%). I'm just not sure if they're shipping at the moment while they move premises. You can always try e-mailing them - it'll be cheaper than buying a 99% Cluizel bar

[RichardJones]

Lucy, IMHO using a cutter is potentially easier and less messy than a stencil...

[dhardy123]

I have made a few things:

1. Rootbeer Float Fudge

2. Peanut Butter Nougat with Peanuts and Caramel

3. Mint Meltaways

4. Mint Patties

5. Sponge Candy

All things turned out perfectly. Pictures of all things are in my album

[Darienne]

Terrific stuff, dhardy123!

[emmalish]

Well, it sounds like I have no choice

lol!