Confections! What did we make? (2017 – )

[minas6907]

Hello all, heres the latest from my little kitchen.

 

Spearmint and Peppermint Berlingots

Peppermint Sticks

Peppermint Pops

Caramel Lips

Peanut Butter and Raspberry Jam Bonbon

Assorted Taffy

Progression of Panned Almonds

Panned Almonds

Gummy Rings (Pear and Pineapple)

Marshmallow

More Panned Almonds

Coconut Bonbon

Peppermint Patty

Espresso Hearts

Various Pics from a recent Wedding

[pastrygirl]

Valentine's bonbons:

 

salty caramel, hazelnut, raspberry

rosemary caramel, milk & cookies, dark chocolate caramel

maple & salted almond, coconut-rum, passion fruit.

 

and truffle-filled hearts.  these are about 3", 4 oz

dark salty caramel and milk chocolate peanut butter crisp

[ChocoMom]

This was a last minute thing, and I've been working like crazy to get some items done. Got an invite to a Valentine themed craft show/mead tasting thing at a local meadery tomorrow (Sat. Feb10)  Completed roughly 1K in product, so I am hoping it goes well. Here is the 6 pc valentine box....flavors are chocolate mint (heart), Key Lime (white chocolate heart) ,Sea Salt caramel, the yellow splatter one is a layer of caramel and a layer of fluffernutter,  the funky white and purple is Lavender - Lemon,  the orange-yellow one is Mango Lemon.   

 

[curls]

This year's Valentine's Day selection: passion fruit jelly & passion fruit ganache, hazelnut gianduja and feuilletine, muscovado salted caramel.

Some in progress photos...

[Bentley]

On 2/9/2018 at 5:37 PM, pastrygirl said:

Valentine's bonbons:

 

salty caramel, hazelnut, raspberry

rosemary caramel, milk & cookies, dark chocolate caramel

maple & salted almond, coconut-rum, passion fruit.

 

 

I'm curious what Milk and Cookies is.....

[pastrygirl]

56 minutes ago, Bentley said:

I'm curious what Milk and Cookies is.....

 White chocolate shell with cookie butter gianduja - vanilla shortbread and cocoa sable pureed and mixed with white or dark chocolate, respectively.  It's pretty firm but not as hard as a solid cookie.

[Jim D.]

Photos from Valentine's 2018:

 

 

The mold of choice for Valentine's? Hearts, of course, these filled with strawberry pâte de fruit plus Meyer lemon ganache.

 

 

A squadron of hazelnut latte bars ready to be boxed: coffee ganache with Kahlúa plus hazelnut ganache with Frangelico, dipped in Maracaibo dark chocolate and topped with a toasted hazelnut.

 

 

The assortment.  Top row: hazelnut latte, strawberry pâte de fruit & Meyer lemon ganache, dark caramel with Maldon sea salt. Middle row: sesame truffle, citrus (orange, lemon, lime) ganache, apple caramel. Bottom row: toasted almond & cherry gianduja, chocolate mousse with orange, pecan shortbread & caramel.

 

I have to add that, for all the hype I used in the description, the hazelnut latte was a disappointment. Yes, I know the recipe comes from the person probably at the top of the pantheon of chocolate gods, Peter Greweling, but the hazelnut part just doesn't have much flavor. It's white chocolate with a small amount of hazelnut praline paste emulsified with cream and some Frangelico. There is not enough praline paste, but more would mean this already-soft ganache would never set enough to cut. I'm thinking next time I will make a gianduja containing only white chocolate and hazelnut praline paste for a stronger hazelnut flavor.

[Kerry Beal]

13 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Photos from Valentine's 2018:

 

 

The mold of choice for Valentine's? Hearts, of course, these filled with strawberry pâte de fruit plus Meyer lemon ganache.

 

 

A squadron of hazelnut latte bars ready to be boxed: coffee ganache with Kahlúa plus hazelnut ganache with Frangelico, dipped in Maracaibo dark chocolate and topped with a toasted hazelnut.

 

 

The assortment.  Top row: hazelnut latte, strawberry pâte de fruit & Meyer lemon ganache, dark caramel with Maldon sea salt. Middle row: sesame truffle, citrus (orange, lemon, lime) ganache, apple caramel. Bottom row: toasted almond & cherry gianduja, chocolate mousse with orange, pecan shortbread & caramel.

 

I have to add that, for all the hype I used in the description, the hazelnut latte was a disappointment. Yes, I know the recipe comes from the person probably at the top of the pantheon of chocolate gods, Peter Greweling, but the hazelnut part just doesn't have much flavor. It's white chocolate with a small amount of hazelnut praline paste emulsified with cream and some Frangelico. There is not enough praline paste, but more would mean this already-soft ganache would never set enough to cut. I'm thinking next time I will make a gianduja containing only white chocolate and hazelnut praline paste for a stronger hazelnut flavor.

I think my favourite effect here is the lower right - just looks so classy!

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

I think my favourite effect here is the lower right - just looks so classy!

 

Thanks. I wasn't consciously imitating a recent one of yours, but it is similar--when you used tobacco in the filling.

[ChocoMom]

@Jim D.   And  @pastrygirl   Beautiful work !!!  Those all look gorgeous, and sound sinfully delicious!!!! 

[Kerry Beal]

34 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

 

Thanks. I wasn't consciously imitating a recent one of yours, but it is similar--when you used tobacco in the filling.

That's funny - I was thinking how to imitate that!

[Jim D.]

35 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

That's funny - I was thinking how to imitate that!

Mine was done by splattering copper and green cocoa butter, then molding in milk chocolate. I have never been happy with the various brushes I have used; this was done with a Mr. Clean dish brush--rather thick bristles, but basically too large (there is a huge amount of "overbrushing"). Toothbrushes have produced rather large blobs that make the c.b. look like a bad case of measles. I am not going to use the airbrush-while-dripping-from-a-cocoa-butter-bottle technique. I don't mind messy, but that is a whole new level of mess.

[pastrygirl]

1 hour ago, Jim D. said:

I am not going to use the airbrush-while-dripping-from-a-cocoa-butter-bottle technique. I don't mind messy, but that is a whole new level of mess.

 

Lol, it's really not that messy!  Do it over parchment and try to coordinate bursts of air with each drip.

[Kerry Beal]

8 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Lol, it's really not that messy!  Do it over parchment and try to coordinate bursts of air with each drip.

Do you guys know @Chocolot's splatter technique?

 

 

[Jim D.]

5 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Do you guys know @Chocolot's splatter technique?

 

 

I thought she used the Fuji for that. Or are you referring to the "aim the airbrush at a stick so that the cocoa butter will ricochet onto the mold" technique? I had forgotten about the latter. I had success with it one time. I used a metal spatula for that, but the c.b. crystallized too quickly on the metal, and I haven't found a wooden tongue depressor (or wide craft stick).

[Kerry Beal]

6 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

I thought she used the Fuji for that. Or are you referring to the "aim the airbrush at a stick so that the cocoa butter will ricochet onto the mold" technique? I had forgotten about the latter. I had success with it one time. I used a metal spatula for that, but the c.b. crystallized too quickly on the metal, and I haven't found a wooden tongue depressor (or wide craft stick).

Nope - with a smaller airbrush. Metal spatula or back of a plastic spoon - build up some on the item, then flick to splatter. I use that technique most often when I don't want to pull out the Fuji if I just need to splatter a couple of molds. I have access to a whole lot of wooden tongue depressors!

[pastrygirl]

But you still have to clean your airbrush.  If you're a person who does that ...

 

The beauty of splattering the drips from the bottle is that the airbrush stays clean.

[Haley]

Hi everyone.  I am new to the forums, but have been lurking (and learning so much) for a a few months now.  I was so excited about how my Valentine's chocolates turned out this year that I had to share them.  This was my first time using an airbrush so it was quite an adventure making these.  But seeing (and tasting) the final product is so rewarding!  Here are my "Out of This World" bonbons:Mercury: Espresso ganache

Venus: Bananas Foster Caramel

Earth: Rosemary Olive Oil

Mars: Cherry Chipotle

Jupiter: Peanut butter ganache

Saturn: Salted Caramel

Uranus: Marshmallow with Strawberry Ganache

Neptune: Peppermint ganache

[Kerry Beal]

24 minutes ago, Haley said:

Hi everyone.  I am new to the forums, but have been lurking (and learning so much) for a a few months now.  I was so excited about how my Valentine's chocolates turned out this year that I had to share them.  This was my first time using an airbrush so it was quite an adventure making these.  But seeing (and tasting) the final product is so rewarding!  Here are my "Out of This World" bonbons:Mercury: Espresso ganache

Venus: Bananas Foster Caramel

Earth: Rosemary Olive Oil

Mars: Cherry Chipotle

Jupiter: Peanut butter ganache

Saturn: Salted Caramel

Uranus: Marshmallow with Strawberry Ganache

Neptune: Peppermint ganache

Very nice - welcome Haley!

[curls]

@Haley, welcome! Beautiful and tasty sounding chocolates.

 

Maybe you can join us at the eGullet chocolates & confections workshop?

[RobertM]

Haley, those are some very nice looking chocolates!  Welcome!  

[Haley]

On 2/12/2018 at 10:23 PM, curls said:

@Haley, welcome! Beautiful and tasty sounding chocolates.

 

Maybe you can join us at the eGullet chocolates & confections workshop?

I really really wish I could, but my daughter has a dance recital that weekend so I won’t be able to make it.

[curls]

10 hours ago, Haley said:

I really really wish I could, but my daughter has a dance recital that weekend so I won’t be able to make it.

Well best of luck to your daughter and perhaps you will be able to attend the 2019 workshop.

[Kerry Beal]

Working on some recipe development using sponge toffee scrap. 

 

Finally happy with the fudge 

 

 

First batch of caramel sauce - might be a winner. Will pick up ice cream on the way to work tonight and let them give me their opinion.

 

 

No preservative in this batch - final version will require it.  

 

 

[minas6907]

3 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Working on some recipe development using sponge toffee scrap. 

Was the sponge toffee broken up into bit in the fudge, or did you just dissolve it completely and make a new product from it?