Edelweiss White Chocolate from Felchin

[ChocoMom]

Hey there....Just wondering if anyone has tried the Edleweiss 36% from Felchlin?   I'd like to know what kind of flavor profile it has--like very vanilla-y or caramel notes, etc....   Currently, for white chocolate applications, I am using Soie Blanche 35% from Guittard- and am pleased.  But, I saw the Edleweiss the other day when I was doing some ordering, and was curious about it. I love Felchlin, but I didn't want to invest in it without getting some advice/input from all the masters here.  So, any thoughts you have would be most appreciated! Thanks! =)

[Jim D.]

I too am a great fan of Felchlin and use their Maracaibo dark and Maracaibo Criolait milk--though Felchlin does not make the easiest chocolate to deal with (for me at least, it over-crystallizes too quickly).  And I have tried Edelweiss in the hope that it would taste as good as Valrhona's Opalys white and be easier to deal with.  In seeking such a chocolate, I also tried Soie Blanche.

 

To refresh my memory, I just went to my stash and ate a piece of Edelweiss.  My goal in selecting a white chocolate is locating one that does not taste too much of cocoa butter (which I think by itself has a very unpleasant taste).  Many people say they look for a white that is not too sweet, but in my opinion, that is a hopeless search--they are all sweet.  Of the three whites mentioned, I must say (I hope this does not offend you) I did not care for Soie Blanche; to my taste, it is too close to plain cocoa butter.  Edelweiss is the second best I have tried, and it is much easier than Opalys to work with--it does not over-crystallize easily--in fact, it is almost too thin and I have had to pour some shells twice to get satisfactory coverage.  However, I think taste is primary, and--again, this is just my opinion--Opalys is by far the best-tasting white I have had.  Edelweiss still tastes too much of cocoa butter, but in Opalys there is very little of that (I can almost taste a little citrus in it, but am not really sure what the flavor comes from).

 

Probably more information than you wanted, but so many people hate white chocolate that I have spent some time reading others' opinions and tasting as many as I was able to get.  I have tried to talk one well-known online chocolate supplier into putting together packages of samples for potential customers to taste (a half-dozen whites, for example), but so far without success.

[ChocoMom]

All good information, Jim!  I appreciate the breakdown between the different brands.  I'd love to get samples of several types, but that can be a wee bit costly since they don't offer little samples.   I don't do a whole lot of work with white chocolate, thankfully.   I've not tried the Opalys before, so that will go next on my list, before the Edleweiss.

Thanks so much for all the great input! =)    Andrea

[Jim D.]

Andrea,

Opalys is so expensive (and a kilo is the smallest amount for sale) that I can send you a sample of it if you want.  Just PM me your address.

 

Jim

[pastrygirl]

I agree with Jim, Opalys is lovely stuff.  I used to use Felchlin Mont Blanc, but mostly i was roasting it to make discount Dulcey and its been a while so I can't comment on its molding properties.  I'm also a Felchlin fan, i use their Maracaibo Creole 49%, Sao Palme 60%, and Arriba 72%.  Opalys is 32% cocoa butter, so I'm sure a 36% white chocolate will be much more fluid.