How do they do that? (the bonbon thread)

[Jim D.]

16 minutes ago, Haley said:

I tend to get a lot more peaks on my dark chocolate ganaches, so I usually have to go back after the filling is set and use a gloved finger to gently press it down or even use a small angled spatula to scrape off the tip of the peak.

Me too.  I have a tiny little sharp knife that I sometimes use.  I would love to find a tiny angled spatula that would fit into a cavity, but it would have to be so small that there would be no room for the angled part. There must be some tool somewhere that would do it.  The finger approach has the added advantage of heating up the ganache a tiny bit to nudge it into flatness.  I have never been able to figure out why some (not many) dark ganaches self-level and most do not.  Over the years I have been gradually inching up the temp at which I pipe to get as much fluidity as possible without melting the shells.

[Chocolot]

18 hours ago, Jim D. said:

Me too.  I have a tiny little sharp knife that I sometimes use.  I would love to find a tiny angled spatula that would fit into a cavity, but it would have to be so small that there would be no room for the angled part. There must be some tool somewhere that would do it.  The finger approach has the added advantage of heating up the ganache a tiny bit to nudge it into flatness.  I have never been able to figure out why some (not many) dark ganaches self-level and most do not.  Over the years I have been gradually inching up the temp at which I pipe to get as much fluidity as possible without melting the shells.

 

I wait until ready to cap, then use a plastic spoon to scoop out the excess ganache. It has the advantage of a convex shape which leaves a concave space in the ganache. I usually end up with one or two peaks per tray and this takes care of them. Someday, I might actually pipe a whole tray without any peaks:).

[Douglas K]

20 hours ago, Jim D. said:

Me too.  I have a tiny little sharp knife that I sometimes use.  I would love to find a tiny angled spatula that would fit into a cavity, but it would have to be so small that there would be no room for the angled part. There must be some tool somewhere that would do it.  The finger approach has the added advantage of heating up the ganache a tiny bit to nudge it into flatness.  I have never been able to figure out why some (not many) dark ganaches self-level and most do not.  Over the years I have been gradually inching up the temp at which I pipe to get as much fluidity as possible without melting the shells.

@Jim D. If you are thinking of metal, perhaps there’s an artists palette knife in stainless steel that might work. Dick Blick or Jerry’s Artarama are good sources online. I also remember from my chemistry days we used a “rubber policeman” which fit on the end of a stirring rod. They were of varying stiffness depending on the material.

[Jim D.]

6 minutes ago, Douglas K said:

@Jim D. If you are thinking of metal, perhaps there’s an artists palette knife in stainless steel that might work. Dick Blick or Jerry’s Artarama are good sources online. I also remember from my chemistry days we used a “rubber policeman” which fit on the end of a stirring rod. They were of varying stiffness depending on the material.

 

Thanks for those great ideas.  I was about to ask you if there was an alternate term for "rubber policeman," thinking it was an inside term that chemists use and Google would not have heard of it.  But I suppose Google should never be underestimated--multiple sources for such policemen popped up immediately.

[Douglas K]

@Jim D. Yes, that’s the actual term! The other possibility from the chemistry world is a stainless steel weighing spatula. Anything with the lab name of course is expensive, but there are possibilities like this: 

https://www.amazon.com/Scoop-Reagent-Stainless-Sampling-Spatulas/dp/B06ZXW9467/ref=pd_lpo_328_img_2/137-3182723-2384069?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06ZXW9467&pd_rd_r=a996aaae-194e-4cdd-911a-71c795187296&pd_rd_w=ZW9UN&pd_rd_wg=fUmXN&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=55C6PFF0MMKXNBNYD623&psc=1&refRID=55C6PFF0MMKXNBNYD623

 

I’m a big fan of repurposing things for other uses. 

[EvgenyP]

On 9/25/2020 at 10:25 PM, gfron1 said:

That didn't work for me. Devil is in the details I suppose. I'm not sure the swirl is relevant to the effect but I tried a number of different swirls both just on top and over the whole mold. His white spray seems like it was only along the sides so I did some where I only sprayed the edges  and others only spraying straight down from the top with a focused nozzle. Maybe viscosity or saturation plays a role.

did you finally understand how it works?

[gfron1]

2 hours ago, EvgenyP said:

did you finally understand how it works?

Never could get it to work

[CaitlynA]

Hi guys,

This is my first time posting on here, I've read through the whole thread and I'm trying to figure out how to do this effect. I've read a few earlier posts about how to achieve the marbling effect and the empty blowing but I'm still not grasping how to accomplish this design she has done. The tablet reminds me of ocean waves with the hints of white popping through. It almost looks as if the cocoa butter has been blown around. Maybe the blue first then the white? Any time I have tried blowing the cocoa butter around it ends up quite circular with distinct edges. Any thoughts? Thank you!

[Kerry Beal]

Could be sponged white backed with blue

[Rajala]

17 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

Could be sponged white backed with blue

 

Yeah, I've seen a video while browsing Instagram. She makes chocolate bars like that, so I would guess something like the same way for these.

[Kerry Beal]

On 1/29/2021 at 9:27 PM, CaitlynA said:

Hi guys,

This is my first time posting on here, I've read through the whole thread and I'm trying to figure out how to do this effect. I've read a few earlier posts about how to achieve the marbling effect and the empty blowing but I'm still not grasping how to accomplish this design she has done. The tablet reminds me of ocean waves with the hints of white popping through. It almost looks as if the cocoa butter has been blown around. Maybe the blue first then the white? Any time I have tried blowing the cocoa butter around it ends up quite circular with distinct edges. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Oh yes - and welcome Caitlyn!

[CaitlynA]

Thank you @Kerry Beal and @Rajala. Sorry it has taken me a minute to get back. It has been a little hectic with Valentine's day. I tried with and without using a sponge for the "crashing wave" white. Neither look very good compared to hers. She makes the design look so soft and delicate whereas mine looks a lot more forced. I'll keep playing around with it in my spare time. 

 

 

[Jim D.]

8 hours ago, CaitlynA said:

Thank you @Kerry Beal and @Rajala. Sorry it has taken me a minute to get back. It has been a little hectic with Valentine's day. I tried with and without using a sponge for the "crashing wave" white. Neither look very good compared to hers. She makes the design look so soft and delicate whereas mine looks a lot more forced. I'll keep playing around with it in my spare time. 

 

I know what you mean by looking "forced."  I have that same trouble when using a sponge, whereas others seem to have it all blend together with no obvious separation between the colors.  If you want to be really depressed, take a look at the Gallery section of Monde du Chocolat.  Coming close to replicating the Easter eggs are a goal of my life.  Someone suggested that somehow blending in some white cocoa butter makes it all come together.

[Kerry Beal]

I've got this funny little sponge I picked up at the Japanese dollar store that does something different than other sponges - it's not as firm as it appears

 

 

 

 

 

 

Used it on this one with the orange cocoa butter, backed by bronze powder if I remember correctly. I should probably start wring stuff down.

 

 

 

 

[CaitlynA]

6 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I've got this funny little sponge I picked up at the Japanese dollar store that does something different than other sponges - it's not as firm as it appears

 

 

 

 

 

 

Used it on this one with the orange cocoa butter, backed by bronze powder if I remember correctly. I should probably start wring stuff down.

 

 

 

 

Thank you, I'll have a look at the craft store/dollar store for a sponge that has bigger holes. Mine might be too fine and causes more of a suction when dabbing it into the mold. 

 

@Jim D. I follow Monde du Chocolat on instagram (stunning work) and I would love to know how they achieve the water color look. Exactly what I'm trying to go for.

[Altay.Oro]

Hi to all,

How do they do this wavy decoration pattern?

 

 

[Kerry Beal]

8 hours ago, Altay.Oro said:

Hi to all,

How do they do this wavy decoration pattern?

 

 

That's the blower on the Selmi that does that.

[curls]

I think that non-Selmi enrobers can create that that pattern too. 😉

[Kerry Beal]

12 minutes ago, curls said:

I think that non-Selmi enrobers can create that that pattern too. 😉

You are correct - I should have said it's the blower on the enrober!

 

 

[curls]

2 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

2 hours ago, curls said:

 

You are correct - I should have said it's the blower on the enrober!

I’m sure each enrober blower makes its own pattern. A world renowned enrober tracker like @Kerry Beal would recognize that the pattern in the poster’s photo was created by a Selmi.  😆

[Altay.Oro]

6 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

That's the blower on the Selmi that does that.

 

5 hours ago, curls said:

I think that non-Selmi enrobers can create that that pattern too. 😉

 

Thank you.

[Rajala]

One could also blow with an airbrush if dipping by hand.

[Kerry Beal]

11 hours ago, curls said:

I’m sure each enrober blower makes its own pattern. A world renowned enrober tracker like @Kerry Beal would recognize that the pattern in the poster’s photo was created by a Selmi.  😆

Yeah right!

[Altay.Oro]

On 2/20/2021 at 7:44 PM, Altay.Oro said:

Hi to all,

How do they do this wavy decoration pattern?

 

 

 

In this photo and in this instagram post https://www.instagram.com/p/CHxrzrRnu0v/ ... bonbons all have thin coverings and so very sharp corners ... maybe the current trend in the industry.

 

I would like to ask ... whether or not enrobers have an adjustable setting for layering this type thin chocolate layers on centers ... or the chocolate used in coating thinned with cocoa butter?

[pastrygirl]

I don't think she thins it, it may be the particular couverture and settings on the machine.

 

She's a Callebaut ambassador but I'm not familiar with which of their chocolates are most fluid.