Confections! What did we make? (2017 – )

[lindag]

Absolutely wonderful!

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, RWood said:

I layered mine with cream cheese ganache, and I tried a similar bottom, using dried multicolored carrots (which I think I’ll omit next time), but added coconut and toasted walnuts since that’s what I use in my cake. I changed up the spices a little and it really tasted like carrot cake. I still need to tweak the spices, but I really liked it. 
 

 

That looks delicious.  I omitted the cardamom (I love the spice but don't think Americans expect it in carrot cake).  I have tried walnuts and pecans, but ended up preferring pecans.  I too include a cream cheese "frosting" layer, with a lemon flavor.  For the cookie layer I tried the carrot layer but didn't get an acceptable carrot taste, so have switched to one based on ground speculoos cookies.  I do have difficulty incorporating the browned butter; even my big Robot Coupe immersion blender takes a long time to emulsify the mixture; as a result, I have reduced the quantity of butter a little.  I'm not sure what the problem is (aside from the obvious too much fat vs. liquid).

[RWood]

12 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

That looks delicious.  I omitted the cardamom (I love the spice but don't think Americans expect it in carrot cake).  I have tried walnuts and pecans, but ended up preferring pecans.  I too include a cream cheese "frosting" layer, with a lemon flavor.  For the cookie layer I tried the carrot layer but didn't get an acceptable carrot taste, so have switched to one based on ground speculoos cookies.  I do have difficulty incorporating the browned butter; even my big Robot Coupe immersion blender takes a long time to emulsify the mixture; as a result, I have reduced the quantity of butter a little.  I'm not sure what the problem is (aside from the obvious too much fat vs. liquid).

Thanks! I like cardamom too, but yeah, people are iffy here with that. 
I didn’t like the carrot bits in the bottom layer, seemed tough when you would find one.  But the coconut and walnut comes through enough in it. I think the caramel has plenty of flavor, so didn’t need to add to it. 

[Jim D.]

14 minutes ago, RWood said:

Thanks! I like cardamom too, but yeah, people are iffy here with that. 
I didn’t like the carrot bits in the bottom layer, seemed tough when you would find one.  But the coconut and walnut comes through enough in it. I think the caramel has plenty of flavor, so didn’t need to add to it. 

 

If you don't mind telling, what do you add to the coconut and walnuts to hold them together?  Perhaps the same chocolate used for the shell, which appears to be a caramelized white or something similar?

[RWood]

38 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

If you don't mind telling, what do you add to the coconut and walnuts to hold them together?  Perhaps the same chocolate used for the shell, which appears to be a caramelized white or something similar?

I kinda followed @Rajala’s crunchy bottom he had with it. I used Callebaut gold chocolate, brown butter, spices and the nuts and coconut. 

[minas6907]

Its been a while since I've posted anything, but in some random google searches, I can across a 3rd edition of Chocolates and Confections with a publishing date of 2026-02-03. Anyone by chance know what might be included as far as new information in the book?

 

https://masters.ecampus.com/chocolates-confections-formula-theory/bk/9781394356065

[Jim D.]

On 5/28/2025 at 12:55 AM, minas6907 said:

Its been a while since I've posted anything, but in some random google searches, I can across a 3rd edition of Chocolates and Confections with a publishing date of 2026-02-03. Anyone by chance know what might be included as far as new information in the book?

 

https://masters.ecampus.com/chocolates-confections-formula-theory/bk/9781394356065

 

That is very interesting news.  Thanks for sharing it.  I am surprised because, in an interview with Tomric, Greweling spoke somewhat negatively about the second edition of his book.  It seems he was quite satisfied with all he said in the first edition and was pressured into doing the second by his publisher.  It would seem the publisher must be keeping up the pressure.

 

By the way, welcome back to eG.  I have missed your beautiful and useful contributions to the forum.  You are a confectionery master.

[minas6907]

On 6/2/2025 at 8:25 AM, Jim D. said:

 

That is very interesting news.  Thanks for sharing it.  I am surprised because, in an interview with Tomric, Greweling spoke somewhat negatively about the second edition of his book.  It seems he was quite satisfied with all he said in the first edition and was pressured into doing the second by his publisher.  It would seem the publisher must be keeping up the pressure.

 

By the way, welcome back to eG.  I have missed your beautiful and useful contributions to the forum.  You are a confectionery master.

Thank you for the welcome and the compliment! Thats very kind of you!

 

Thats an interesting comment from Greweling, understandable from his perspective. I wouldnt be the least bit surprised if they are trying to squeeze out another edition. I have most of the culinary books from CIA, often they are just sort of 'reskins' of older editions, same information thats organized a bit differently. I've gotten alot more picky when picking up a newer edition of a text, but I could definitly see myself getting a new Chocolates and Confections text, Grewelings books have just been such a great reference over the years. It'll be interesting to see what the 3rd edition includes, its doesnt look like theres too much longer to wait. 

[GRiker]

@curls walked me through nougat at the eGullet Workshop - thanks again!  Got around to making some on my own this week.  Happy with how it turned out. Inclusions are dried cranberries, roasted pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

 

 

 

[curls]

2 hours ago, GRiker said:

@curls walked me through nougat at the eGullet Workshop - thanks again!  Got around to making some on my own this week.  Happy with how it turned out. Inclusions are dried cranberries, roasted pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

 

 

 

Beautiful nougat! Delicious sounding combination of inclusions! Thrilled to start you on your nougat journey. Start thinking about fun stuff to try at next year’s workshop. 😉

[GRiker]

It was interesting that the cranberry flavor infused into all the nougat making it taste overall very fruity. Good but not what I was expecting. 
 

Think I’ll try chocolate next!

[Jim D.]

17 hours ago, GRiker said:

@curls walked me through nougat at the eGullet Workshop - thanks again!  Got around to making some on my own this week.  Happy with how it turned out. Inclusions are dried cranberries, roasted pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

 

 

 

 

That is truly beautiful nougat.  When I made it, the taste was fine, but I did not get the texture right--it was too soft--and when enrobed in chocolate, all of its lumps and saggings showed up.  How did you know when to stop mixing it?  And what recipe did you use?  (I used Greweling's)

[Kerry Beal]

Finally got around to making the Soft Peanut Brittle from the workshop

 

Lots of planning ahead to make it easier - I put a sheet pan in the oven and when it was finished cooking poured it out onto a piece of parchment on the back of the sheet pan so everything stayed warm much longer than usual. Got out the caramel marker that I've had for years and used only a couple of times and marked it while still warm - probably didn't need to be quite that warm as I had to go back over it a second time as the lines collapsed. 

 

After dinner tonight I headed down the the chocolate room and drizzled the decent pieces with dark milk chocolate and made a bark from the not so decent pieces. 

 

 

[GRiker]

On 6/15/2025 at 1:24 PM, Jim D. said:

How did you know when to stop mixing it?  And what recipe did you use? 

I used the Nougat Montelimar recipe from Notter's The Art of the Chocolatier.  Mostly because it calls for all liquid egg white.  I think Greweling calls for powdered egg white - which we didn't have on hand at the workshop.

 

I was very careful to heat all the ingredients as specified.  I figure that temperature of the syrup would have a very large influence on the feel of the nougat.

 

Rodney lent his expertise to the making at the workshop.  As it was mixing, he felt it wasn't "dry" enough and used a heat gun to heat the side of the KA bowl.  I didn't have that kind of eye so didn't heat it more during the mixing.  I would say this second batch was a bit softer than the first, but still firm enough.

 

Notter says to mix "on low speed until it cools, about 20 minutes."  I was probably mixing on medium-low.  I did count how long I mixed and it was about 16 - 17 minutes until the bottom of the bowl was only warm to the touch and not hot.  

 

I used my bread hook for just a bit to mix in the inclusions without breaking too many of them.  I didn't want to knead them in like I did at the workshop where we couldn't find anything besides the whip and didn't want to ruin anything.  The nougat was very sticky which made it difficult to work with.  The second batch was less sticky.  

 

 

[GRiker]

On 6/15/2025 at 8:26 PM, Kerry Beal said:

Finally got around to making the Soft Peanut Brittle from the workshop

Thanks for sharing again!  It's on my list. 

 

So you kept the pan you would pour on hot in the oven until you needed it.  Any other tips for making?

[Kerry Beal]

4 hours ago, GRiker said:

Thanks for sharing again!  It's on my list. 

 

So you kept the pan you would pour on hot in the oven until you needed it.  Any other tips for making?

Yes - but I suspect if I had just put the hot pan on the granite for a bit, then put the parchment on it - it would have worked. 

 

Actually did mis en place which is unusual for me! Added a bit of water to the soda. Kept the PB hot in the microwave - may have had 3 or 4 X 30 second bursts.  Left the pot on the hot element while I added the soda, vanilla and PB.

 

Corrected the recipe to add the butter just before peanuts.  

[GRiker]

22 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Yes - but I suspect if I had just put the hot pan on the granite for a bit, then put the parchment on it - it would have worked. 

 

Actually did mis en place which is unusual for me! Added a bit of water to the soda. Kept the PB hot in the microwave - may have had 3 or 4 X 30 second bursts.  Left the pot on the hot element while I added the soda, vanilla and PB.

 

Corrected the recipe to add the butter just before peanuts.  

Thanks for those tips! 

[RobertM]

Griker, did you get my email about lecithin?

[GRiker]

1 hour ago, RobertM said:

Griker, did you get my email about lecithin?

Only the supplier contact - thanks for that. But it seemed like there might be more information. If so, do you want to PM me here?