Troubleshooting gelatin setting up

[J.Green]

Recently messing around with semifreddo recipe involving mixing both simple syrup/eggs over double boiler - then whipping until cool - adding melted chocolate - followed by folding in whipped cream with gelatin. 

 

Have recently gotten little white specs in the final product. Anyone know the cause of this? I think it's over set whipped cream. Trying to remedy this. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[teonzo]

Add the gelatin to the simple syrup + eggs, just after heating them and before starting whipping. In this way the gelatin will be fully dispersed in the mixture and you won't risk to get lumps. Most probably your lumps are due to adding the gelatin together with the whipped cream: whipped cream is cold, so when gelatin comes in contact with it then it gels quickly.

Some other suggestions:

- whip the cream before whipping the eggs and reserve it in the fridge;

- melt the chocolate before whipping the eggs, it must be added around 35° C - 40° C, so check the temperature before folding it in the whipped eggs, if necessary heat it briefly;

- after whipping the eggs work QUICKLY, you need to add the melted chocolate and the whipped cream as fast as you can, to avoid deflating the eggs.

If you are using dark chocolate then I would suggest to check the recipe, usually you don't need gelatin, the cocoa butter in the dark chocolate should be enough for setting the semifreddo.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[pastrygirl]

In recipes like that I'd add the gelatin to the hot eggs instead of having to heat another ingredient. 

 

But if your semifreddo is to be served frozen, you probably don't need gelatin at all.  Chocolate alone will thicken a mousse considerably, and the freezing will take care of the rest.

 

I also agree w/ Teo & would add the gelatin to the hot eggs instead of the cream, if you must use it.

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by pastrygirl (log)

[JeanneCake]

what they said.

 

i have a layered "mousse" recipe (dark/milk/white) that calls for melting chocolate with rum and fluid heavy cream, then adding whipped heavy cream to it; it begins to set quickly and I don't  need gelatin (it's the same method for each type of chocolate - the white chocolate is the only layer that needs gelatin and we add it to the warmed chocolate before adding the whipped cream.)