Confections! What did we make? (2014 – 2016)

[rajoress]

First chocolates of the fall - peppermint patties. Of course now we're in the middle of a heatwave so not the best time to  be making chocolates!

Ruth

[Jim D.]

Rajoress,

Nice job with the peppermint patties.  How did you form the ridge on top of each piece?  And what did you use for a filling?

 

Sorry to hear about the Boston heatwave.  I used to live there, and people elsewhere don't realize how brutal the summers can sometimes be--though it doesn't usually last very long.

 

Jim

[rajoress]

Thanks Jim D.! I usually make my own fondant from Greweling's At Home but I was lazy and used dry fondant mixed with melted butter and warm heavy cream. It makes a very smooth fondant filling that can easily be rolled and cut out with cutters. I left it to dry and it was very easy to enrobe. I used a metal skewer to make the indent on the top... I was in a hurry as I could feel the humidity start to rise and that was 2 days ago! 

 

It's already 91 out and humid (we're just a bunch of whiners....!) :-(

[minas6907]

Recently I got a new job in a kitchen in another facility, so I've been a bit more busy lately, which is good, just not as much time for the candy stuff :-). Heres what I have from the last few months.

 

The first picture are cacao nibs that I panned. They sort of joined up into clusters (I wanted them to stay small, but I couldnt make it happen haha) I polished them and they look like crap, but eating them is quite nice, I love the crunch. Next are peanuts I caramelized in sugar, panned in 54%, then dusted with peanut butter powder, by far the most fun to eat! The next two pictures are espresso beans, just different shots, and the polish came out alot nicer on these ones. Next is sesame brittle, then peanut butter and chocolate taffies, assorted butter cookies for my granny, watermelon berlingots, banana berlingots, bacon caramels, banana sticks, and finally my pride and joy, candied baby pineapples.

[rajoress]

minas 6907 - your pictures are gorgeous as always! The shot of those butter cookies is mouthwatering!

[minas6907]

Thank you so much! :-)

[kriz6912]

Dark & Strong... dark chocolate ganache & Stroh Rum, dipped dark chocolate

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

https://instagram.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

[kriz6912]

Mountain Of Chocolate... dark chocolate ganache & coffee, moulded dark chocolate, milk chocolate hazelnut gianduja

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

https://instagram.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

[Mette]

 

I redid the photography for my last 2 chocolates...

 

Popping Feeling...

milk + dark chocolate ganache & lavender & lemon jenever, hazelnut praliné & milk chocolate & popping candy, dipped milk chocolate

 

Coffee...

milk chocolate ganache & grinded coffee, dipped milk chocolate

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

https://instagram.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

 

What did you use for the imprint? looks really cool

[kriz6912]

What did you use for the imprint? looks really cool

It's just a drinking straw :-)

[excv_]

My first post on eG! Here are some chocolates I made last weekend. Sorry the photo isn't exactly very clear.

 

 

From bottom left to right:

-Dark chocolate filled with runny caramel and chili salt

-Plain ganache, rolled in chopped pecans and topped with pieces of milk chocolate

-Simple molded white chocolate, topped with dried fruits and pistachio nuts

-Strawberry ganache(made with callebaut strawberry callets); the shell is white chocolate mixed with freeze-dried strawberry powder

-Mint flavored ganache, dipped in milk chocolate and decorated with transfer sheets

-White chocolate 'cups' filled with candied orange peels and earl grey infused ganache

[Kerry Beal]

Welcome excv_ - those all look quite wonderful!

[rajoress]

excv - those chocolates look wonderful. I love the molded white chocolate, it's like a mediant on a molded chocolate. I just mixed crushed freeze dried strawberries into white chocolate to make a strawberry chocolate for a pink themed baby shower. Can I ask where you got the freeze dried strawberry powder? I wonder if it would be better than what I used....

Thanks,
Ruth

[excv_]

rajoress:

Thank you for the kind comment, that's actually exactly what I was going for with the molded white chocolates! For the strawberry powder thing, though, I'm afraid I can't help you- I live in Korea and got it from a local shop(it was repackaged in small amounts, so no brand name whatsoever as well). However, a quick google search(just 'strawberry powder') gave me several links to stores selling what looks like the kind I used, so it seems like it shouldn't be so hard to obtain online.

[ChocoMom]

excv- Those chocolates are gorgeous!  Wonderful job!  =) Love the white with the fruits and pistachios. (I just made some dark choc tablets with dried cherries, candied ginger and pistachios.)   

 

Rajoress,This might be a bit more work, but I will throw it out there as an alternative.   I was looking into the fruit powders awhile ago too, and discovered that if you buy some freeze dried raspberries and blast them to kingdom-come in a little coffee grinder, then sift through a fine mesh strainer, it makes a terrific, potent powder.   I bought some of the freeze dried berries at Nuts.com.  I know they have a variety of freeze dried items, and they do carry freeze dried strawberries- regular and organic.    I bought a few of those cheap little coffee grinders- and have one dedicated to fruits; one for nuts; one for cookies or cake crumbs, etc. They work like a charm!    I hope that helps you on your search.

[excv_]

excv- Those chocolates are gorgeous! Wonderful job! =) Love the white with the fruits and pistachios. (I just made some dark choc tablets with dried cherries, candied ginger and pistachios.).

Cherries and candied ginger- that sounds like such an interesting flavor combination! Ginger is my favorite, I gotta try using it in chocolate too. You should post a pic of those chocolates you made, by the way- they sound totally terrific.

[rajoress]

Thanks both for the suggestions for the fruit powders. I used Trader Joe's freeze dried strawberries but I don't think I pulverized them enough - there were still some bigger bits in there. A coffee grinder is a great idea - thanks!!

[excv_]

Peppermint patties & Salted honey caramel. The caramels actually have been sitting undercooked in my fridge since last weekend or so- remelted and 'fixed' it today. Still a bit too soft for my liking, but pretty good.

[JenBunk]

An eye clinic asks me to make eyeballs for them at their annual October sale. These are the rejects. I forgot to take a picture of the perfect ones before I delivered them.

[kriz6912]

Pure Passion... white chocolate ganache & passion fruit, moulded white chocolate

 

https://www.facebook.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

https://instagram.com/KrisSchoofsChocolates

Edited October 16, 2015 by kriz6912 (log)

[gfron1]

OK, you got me on this one. How did you create the multi-color swirl?

[keychris]

OK, you got me on this one. How did you create the multi-color swirl?

 

Kris's chocolate mojo

[Shelby]

An eye clinic asks me to make eyeballs for them at their annual October sale. These are the rejects. I forgot to take a picture of the perfect ones before I delivered them.

I think these look perfect.  I wouldn't know they were rejects!  What a cool idea...the eye doctor selling eyes lol.

[Gwbyls]

Kris, please do tell! These are beautiful!

[gfron1]

Over on the EZTemper page people asked how I did one of my bonbons, so here is the step by step.

 

Sprayed Aurelian yellow cocoa butter through my asian fry scoop

Then sprayed Jade green without a screen

Then a white back spray

and you get this