How do they do that? (the bonbon thread)

[Jim D.]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

I wonder about gold powder in alcohol and some sort of resist - but not sure how that would work 

I'm not sure what "resist" is, but it cannot be just gold powder and alcohol used to produce the effect. I just finished using that technique on a piece, and the gold dust mostly dissolves in the alcohol and leaves a streaky effect when it dries, not so much like a web or lace as in the example. As you can tell, I was not pleased with the result in my own attempt--and cleaning those molds (pyramids with sharp corners) was a nightmare. It's much better looking when the luster dust is brushed on afterward, but then it comes off in the hand. In the pyramids I took to the Vegas workshop this year, it was brushed on, and I was embarrassed when I saw gold dust on people's fingers. Someone else there had entire pieces covered in silver or bronze--they were beautiful--but that also came off on the fingers. Of course, we don't know what the pieces in the photo are like when touched. Too bad @LePetitPrince doesn't remember where he saw the photo.

[pastrygirl]

You don't get that kind of shine applying color to a finished piece. 

 

The few perfectly round dots of black make me think the mold was taped with the stripe in the middle, sprayed black but not full coverage, then the tape removed and sprayed gold.

Edited October 18, 2017 by pastrygirl (log)

[Kerry Beal]

26 minutes ago, pastrygirl said:

You don't get that kind of shine applying color to a finished piece. 

 

The few perfectly round dots of black make me think the mold was taped with the stripe in the middle, sprayed black but not full coverage, then the tape removed and sprayed gold.

 

You are right - interesting how the eye gets fooled and doesn't see the regularity of the black - just the irregularity of the gold. So masked, heavy black splatter, unmasked, gold. 

[Tri2Cook]

9 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

You don't get that kind of shine applying color to a finished piece. 

 

The few perfectly round dots of black make me think the mold was taped with the stripe in the middle, sprayed black but not full coverage, then the tape removed and sprayed gold.

 

Good eye! Like Kerry, I kept seeing the gold over the black. It being under the black makes perfect sense.

[tschaefges]

This may be the source of the original photo:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pastrychefantoniobachour/33421755742/in/photolist-SVnezY-RMWxvi

 

Andrey Dubovik's Instagram feed has a photo of these chocolates from above.

[Jim D.]

Now that we know it's Bachour, I found this video showing him at work (alas, not the bonbon recently discussed). Apparently his most recent book, which includes a section on bonbons, doesn't delve very deeply into techniques. 

 

Edit: I misread the Flickr link. The mold used is by Bachour, the decoration is by Andrey Dubovik.

Edited October 18, 2017 by Jim D.
To correct error (log)

[RobertM]

If I recall correctly (and at my age that’s always questionable) Chef Rubber has (or had) a gold (and silver) cocoa butter.  Indeed, I just looked through my stash and found mine...Jewel Collection Gold 620500.  

Im inclined to say they sprayed (and splattered) the cocoa butter on with a mask then did the other colors and of course, backed off with white

[Bentley]

Have to agree wth @pastrygirl.  Looks to me like they taped of the center line, splattered black then removed the tape and sprayed gold.  Not sure if it's backed in white or not.  

 

[Bentley]

I have a new one that intrigues me.  Giorgio Demarini from Roselen Chocolatier in Peru does these amazing marbled truffles in a variety of color schemes.  What's your best guess as to the technique.  The first one almost looks handpainted to me.  The others look dipped.  Not sure if it's colored chocolate or cocoa butter.  Is it as simple as just drizzling all the colors on top of your container of chocolate and then dipping into it?

 

[Kerry Beal]

57 minutes ago, Bentley said:

I have a new one that intrigues me.  Giorgio Demarini from Roselen Chocolatier in Peru does these amazing marbled truffles in a variety of color schemes.  What's your best guess as to the technique.  The first one almost looks handpainted to me.  The others look dipped.  Not sure if it's colored chocolate or cocoa butter.  Is it as simple as just drizzling all the colors on top of your container of chocolate and then dipping into it?

 

Some variation of this I expect. The round ones get dipped and twisted.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Bentley]

47 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Some variation of this I expect. The round ones get dipped and twisted.

 

I figured it had to be something like that...I don't know any other way to do marbling.  Do you think he is using different colors of white chocolate?  I guess you would pick a base color, then layer up the additional colors on top and dip using one of those dipping forks that had a ring at the end.  

Edited December 4, 2017 by Bentley (log)

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, Bentley said:

I figured it had to be something like that...I don't know any other way to do marbling.  Do you think he is using different colors of white chocolate?  I guess you would pick a base color, then layer up the additional colors on top and dip using one of those dipping forks that had a ring at the end.  

 

I suspect it might be colored cocoa butters he is using. I think they usually impale the item on a spike and work from that.

[Bentley]

So you think he's dipping the truffle in chocolate, letting it set then dipping in a swirl of colored cocoa butters? Also, how come my gold cocoa butter (from Chef Rubber) is never that metallic and shiny.  It comes out looking more yellow - as in this picture from a recent bonbon run: 

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Bentley said:

So you think he's dipping the truffle in chocolate, letting it set then dipping in a swirl of colored cocoa butters? Also, how come my gold cocoa butter (from Chef Rubber) is never that metallic and shiny.  It comes out looking more yellow - as in this picture from a recent bonbon run: 

Yes - I suspect that's what he is doing. 

 

Not it sure I know why your gold is substandard - which one is it from Chef Rubber?

[Bentley]

18 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Yes - I suspect that's what he is doing. 

 

Not it sure I know why your gold is substandard - which one is it from Chef Rubber?

 

The one I'm using is called "Gold" from the Jewel Collection.  

[Kerry Beal]

11 minutes ago, Bentley said:

 

The one I'm using is called "Gold" from the Jewel Collection.  

When I get home later today I will go through all of my golds and see which one matches what they are using

Edited December 4, 2017 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Jim D.]

10 hours ago, Bentley said:

Also, how come my gold cocoa butter (from Chef Rubber) is never that metallic and shiny.  It comes out looking more yellow - as in this picture from a recent bonbon run.

I could be wrong, but it looks as if there is milk chocolate behind your gold. That happens to me (with that same cocoa butter) when there isn't something else behind it--such as white chocolate or white cocoa butter. A dark or milk chocolate behind the gold subdues its color.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Jim D. (log)

[Bentley]

5 hours ago, Jim D. said:

I could be wrong, but it looks as if there is milk chocolate behind your gold. That happens to me (with that same cocoa butter) when there isn't something else behind it--such a white chocolate or white cocoa butter. A dark or milk chocolate behind the gold subdues its color.

If you look at the last pic, it appears he is putting color over milk chocolate as well.  I don't know how you could do the dip and swirl technique and ensure another color under the gold.  Here's another view:

 

 

[keychris]

Long shot, but could it be metallic powder suspended in an alcohol he then applies it to each one with a pipette or something?

[dhardy123]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcut3OVlh7A/

 

Does anyone know what tool he is using to make the black dots on the umbrella mold (about 20 seconds in)?

[curls]

5 hours ago, dhardy123 said:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcut3OVlh7A/

 

Does anyone know what tool he is using to make the black dots on the umbrella mold (about 20 seconds in)?

Cool video!  I think the tool might be an embossing stylus.

[dhardy123]

@curls Thanks! I will buy one and see if I can get perfect dots on my molds using CCB

[kriz6912]

Chocolate cardboard box. Inspired by the beautiful work of Stéphane Leroux..

 

 

[Anna N]

4 hours ago, kriz6912 said:

Chocolate cardboard box.

Amazing!

[Jim D.]

Just came across this fairly new Youtube compilation of bonbon decorating techniques. It has some techniques already posted on eGullet, others I have not seen before. It shows making a stripe and (interesting to those of us who use Grex airbrushes) an adaptation added to the airbrush (I can't quite figure out what it is--looks like part of a ballpoint pen) to allow it to do splattering. Caution: envy will be stirred up!