Chocolate Workshop 2018 Niagara on the Lake

[ChocolateMom]

2 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

We will make sure that the necessary bowls make it across the border. Not sure E-transfers can be cross border. But the Apple pay I know nothing about so maybe that's an option. I'll pass on your contact info to @patris.

Thanks very much Kerry...alternatively maybe I can etransfer to you and have you bring her the cash? 

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, ChocolateMom said:

Thanks very much Kerry...alternatively maybe I can etransfer to you and have you bring her the cash? 

That would work as well. 

[Sweet Impact Mama]

3 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

The planning thread goes up here on eG every year - but there is a Facebook group as well. PM me your e-mail address and I'll add you to that.

 

But you should know that we move it around year to year - so next year we are hoping to be in St Louis (hint, hint...)

 

I wouldn't mind that at all! :-) 
 

[Kerry Beal]

Workshop Participants

RobertM - P

curls - P

gfron1 (tentative)

pastryani - P

tikidoc (+1) - P

ChocolateMom - P

Audrey Brown - P

Chocolot - P

MelissaH - P

Casey - P

Beets3 - P

YetiChocolates!!!!!- P

VistaGardens - P

Diana D - P

Gwbyls - P

Karen Tashjian - P

Beth Wilson - P

lambrecht gourmet - P

Sue PEI - P 

Kata

Anna Chi - P

WayUpNorth  - P

Matthew Hayday - P

DC Hayden - P

lebowits - P

chefmd - P

Valerie B - P

Bernie Mueller - P

EmilyZ - P

jim loellbach - P

 

Saturday Night Dinner

 

curls - P

RobertM - P

Chocolot - P

Matthew Hayday - P

YetiChocolates - P

Karen Tashjian - P

Beets3 - P

Beth Wilson - P (allergic to mushrooms) - did I mention the wonderful mushroom soup that Dave makes?

DC Hayden - P

VistaGardens - P

Gwbyls - P

Diana D - P

tikidoc +1 - P

Melissa and Casey - P

Audrey Brown (lots of red wine) - P

lebowits - P

Chocolatemom +1 - P

chefmd - P

Anna Chi - P

Valerie B - P

lambrecht gourmet and Nancy - P

Way Up North - P

Bernie Mueller - P

Chocoera - P

EmilyZ - P

jim loellbach - P

 

Master's Class - Nut Pastes, Giandujas, Praline

 

curls - P 

RobertM - P

Chocolot - P

YetiChocolates - P

Beets3 - P

pastyani - P

Beth Wilson - P

DC Hayden - P

VistaGardens - P

SuePEI - P and Jane - P

Diana D - P

Audrey Brown - P

tikidoc - P

lebowits - P

Anna Chi- P

Way Up North - P

Valerie B - P

Bernie Mueller - P

jim loellbach P

 

Master's Class - Bars 

 

curls - P

RobertM - P

Chocolot - P

YetiChocolates - P

pastryani - P

lambrecht gourmet - P

Beth Wilson - P

jim loellbach P

DC Hayden - P

VistaGardens - P

SuePEI - P and Jane - P

Gwbyls - P

Diana D - P

tikidoc - P

lebowits - P

Anna Chi - P

Way Up North - P

Valerie B - P

Bernie Mueller - P

 

 

Melangers

 

RobertM - tilting

DC Hayden - tilting

SuePEI - tilting

tikidoc  - tilting 

VistaGardens - tilting

Tri2Cook - non tilting

Diana D - tilting

YetiChocolates - tilting

me - tilting

 

 

 

 

 

 

@patrisdipping bowl

 

Kerry Beal

curls

tikidoc

Diana D

Sue PEI

MelissaH

ChocolateMom

RobertM x 5 (I think)

Anna Chi

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Kerry Beal (log)

[Pastrypastmidnight]

5 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

The planning thread goes up here on eG every year - but there is a Facebook group as well. PM me your e-mail address and I'll add you to that.

 

But you should know that we move it around year to year - so next year we are hoping to be in St Louis (hint, hint...)

 

Yes! I vote St. Louis!

[Kerry Beal]

Audrey is looking for a roomie. Can I provide a matchmaking service?

[Diana D]

On 3/1/2018 at 7:38 PM, Kerry Beal said:

RE the melangers - there are two units that can be had - the tilting - which has a capacity of around 10 pounds and the non tilting which has capacity of 8 lbs. Price will be $235 for the smaller and $270 for the larger tilting (that's US dollars). We will use the units for the class then you can take home the one you have bought. 

 

If you can give me an idea of who might want one I'll make sure he brings enough along. He also sells Domori cacao nibs - really nice for making your own nib to bar chocolate. 

Hi Kerry, too late to place an order for a tilting melanger? I keep thinking I will kick myself after the the nut paste master class if I don't. 

[Kerry Beal]

Well - I'm up to my 4th batch of Turkish Delight. Two with thin boiling starch, two with regular starch.

 

In all cases I cooked to at least 107º C and checked to make sure the solids were 77 to 78%. In both cases the regular starch version deliquesced - but the thin boiling starch versions have not and they are still powder covered. 

 

Last batch I used some low methoxyl pectin (thanks to Tri2cook for providing that!) - hoping to imitate the texture of the BigTurk bar that was one of my favourites as a child. I think that the recipe calls for too much pectin - I suspect I could cut it in half and get a perfect texture. 

 

Looking back through eGullet threads on Turkish Delight - I see that @andiesenji suggested a quick trip in a dehydrator to prevent the moisture on the surface. I hope at the PMCA I can find a reliable source of thin boiling starch as I really think it makes a better product than the cornstarch version. Actually I wonder if there is a way to acid treat the cornstarch solution to modify it? (A preliminary look on the www leads me to believe that is not going to be possible) 

[Tri2Cook]

I'm not at all knowledgeable on thin boiling starch. I have some modified starches but I have no idea if they'd be of any use for something like this. One at least sounds interesting enough to maybe be worth a trial...

Ultra Sperse M - disperses easily in hot or cold water without lumping and yields a smooth, short texture with excellent sheen and clarity. The product is extremely resistant to harsh processing conditions including intense heating, high shear, or low pH.

 

[Kerry Beal]

56 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I'm not at all knowledgeable on thin boiling starch. I have some modified starches but I have no idea if they'd be of any use for something like this. One at least sounds interesting enough to maybe be worth a trial...

Ultra Sperse M - disperses easily in hot or cold water without lumping and yields a smooth, short texture with excellent sheen and clarity. The product is extremely resistant to harsh processing conditions including intense heating, high shear, or low pH.

 

We need to find one that describes itself as having a low viscosity at cooking temperatures and high gel strength.

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

7 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

We need to find one that describes itself as having a low viscosity at cooking temperatures and high gel strength.

 

I'll so some digging but I don't think I'm going to have anything that will fit that description. I'm pretty sure everything I have is from the Ultra Sperse line and the M is the only one I have that's rated for high temps.

[Kerry Beal]

So bar class recipes completed - there will be 3 complex bars - an 'After Dinner' bar, a Milk Chocolate Nut Bar and and PB&J bar.

 

 

[curls]

Was hoping for a bar with tahini (or halavah) and one with asian flavors (ginger or green tea or who knows...).  Guess that might be something I experiment with during kitchen time.  :-)

[Kerry Beal]

It's time I started assembling a list of ingredients for our play days!

[curls]

52 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

It's time I started assembling a list of ingredients for our play days!

If your freeze dryer is accessible, some freeze dried ice cream and fruits would be nice additions to the workshop pantry.  

[Kerry Beal]

My prototype @patrisdipping bowl - dipping the batch of Turkish Delight with the LM pectin added. Great texture for dipping - the folks at work are enjoying them. 

 

 

 

[Tri2Cook]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

My prototype @patrisdipping bowl - dipping the batch of Turkish Delight with the LM pectin added. Great texture for dipping - the folks at work are enjoying them.

I've put every effort into avoiding getting into dipping. I was determined to keep everything shell molded. I caved. Those bowls look so nice that I couldn't resist, I put in an order for one in forest green. Apparently, I'm a weak, weak man. Of course, that now means I'll have to put in an order with Metal Supermarket as well because I've not needed bars up to this point. It never ends... Equipment Acquisition Syndrome is real and eGullet is the ultimate enabler when it comes to revealing new things to want. 

[Kerry Beal]

3 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

I've put every effort into avoiding getting into dipping. I was determined to keep everything shell molded. I caved. Those bowls look so nice that I couldn't resist, I put in an order for one in forest green. Apparently, I'm a weak, weak man. Of course, that now means I'll have to put in an order with Metal Supermarket as well because I've not needed bars up to this point. It never ends... Equipment Acquisition Syndrome is real and eGullet is the ultimate enabler when it comes to revealing new things to want. 

Resistance is futile!

[Anna N]

3 minutes ago, Tri2Cook said:

Equipment Acquisition Syndrome

Oh Wow!  EAS.  This is what I need. Sounds so much better than hoarding or blatant consumerism. 

[Sweet Impact Mama]

38 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Resistance is futile!

Good thing my husband/bookkeeper can't see this!  This is the bane of his existence... I keep trying to reassure him that I say "No" to faaaaaar more than I ever buy. 

[RobertM]

EAS is indeed a real thing, and as Kerry says “Resistance IS Futile” (Emphasis Added).  

[tikidoc]

8 minutes ago, RobertM said:

EAS is indeed a real thing, and as Kerry says “Resistance IS Futile” (Emphasis Added).  

 

And Kerry is the ultimate enabler.

[MelissaH]

16 hours ago, Tri2Cook said:

I've put every effort into avoiding getting into dipping. I was determined to keep everything shell molded. I caved. Those bowls look so nice that I couldn't resist, I put in an order for one in forest green. Apparently, I'm a weak, weak man. Of course, that now means I'll have to put in an order with Metal Supermarket as well because I've not needed bars up to this point. It never ends... Equipment Acquisition Syndrome is real and eGullet is the ultimate enabler when it comes to revealing new things to want. 

And for me, dipping is easier to deal with than shell molding, not least because I don't need to have tons of chocolate melted in big bowls. (And since I still lack an EZ Temper, that's kind of a big deal for me. When I win the lottery, it's on my list.)

 

At the workshop, I plan to do lots of dipping. I'm contemplating a slight variation on these hedgehogs. And I think my husband would like to play with hard candy and other sugary stuff.

[Kerry Beal]

59 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

And for me, dipping is easier to deal with than shell molding, not least because I don't need to have tons of chocolate melted in big bowls. (And since I still lack an EZ Temper, that's kind of a big deal for me. When I win the lottery, it's on my list.)

 

At the workshop, I plan to do lots of dipping. I'm contemplating a slight variation on these hedgehogs. And I think my husband would like to play with hard candy and other sugary stuff.

Those are adorable 

[MelissaH]

On 4/12/2018 at 11:20 AM, Kerry Beal said:

Those are adorable 

I was thinking that they'd be better with chocolate faces rather than royal icing, and with a chocolate coating rather than an adulterated glaze.

Should I plan to prebake any cookie bases? Or is there something commercial that would work equally well?