Molded and Filled Chocolates: Troubleshooting and Techniques

[Kerry Beal]

1 minute ago, Pastrypastmidnight said:

Ganaches, caramels and pralines. They all had some sticking. The caramels, I know, weren’t piped until they were at 27C or so. The ganaches were more like 30C. The praline was room temp praline paste with tempered milk chocolate at 30C, so 28-29C when it was piped. 

 

It seems like the fillings shouldn’t be able to pull the shells out of temper, right? Unless maybe the shells weren’t properly tempered, but it really seemed like they were. I tested the chocolate repeatedly for temper and it set up with no streaking within 3-4 minutes. Room temp was 20-21C. 

They shouldn't interfere with the temper unless they are way too warm I would say. I suppose if they were high fat and the mold was dark chocolate and in really good temper that the fat could make it's way through and get between the surface and the mould. But since it was 3 different fillings that seems unlikely. 

[Chocolot]

Why put them in the fridge before filling? I shell, fill, close and then put in fridge for about an hour before popping them out. If you chill first and then leave at room temp, you can have them stick again.

[Pastrypastmidnight]

13 minutes ago, Chocolot said:

Why put them in the fridge before filling? I shell, fill, close and then put in fridge for about an hour before popping them out. If you chill first and then leave at room temp, you can have them stick again.

I feel like I’ve read a few places to chill the shells for a few minutes in the fridge once they start to crystallize. I’ll have to look around and see. But that’s what I’ve always done and I’ve never had so much trouble  .

[Kerry Beal]

6 hours ago, Pastrypastmidnight said:

I feel like I’ve read a few places to chill the shells for a few minutes in the fridge once they start to crystallize. I’ll have to look around and see. But that’s what I’ve always done and I’ve never had so much trouble  .

That would be me - I always chill when making the shells - then a few minutes after backing off 

[Daniel D]

@Pastrypastmidnight I’ve had this same issue as well. At the chocolate shop where I apprenticed this never happened, but at home it would happen somewhat frequently. The only differences I could come up with were environment related: I switched from glass shelves in the fridge to wire shelving and I cooled the house down to 67-68F (I was working at 70-72F before). Both of these seem to have helped, but for some reason I still occasionally get one or two bonbons that like to stick back to the mold after initially crystallizing!

[Pastrypastmidnight]

1 hour ago, Daniel D said:

@Pastrypastmidnight I’ve had this same issue as well. At the chocolate shop where I apprenticed this never happened, but at home it would happen somewhat frequently. The only differences I could come up with were environment related: I switched from glass shelves in the fridge to wire shelving and I cooled the house down to 67-68F (I was working at 70-72F before). Both of these seem to have helped, but for some reason I still occasionally get one or two bonbons that like to stick back to the mold after initially crystallizing!

Thank you for the tips! I’m sorry it happens to you, but I’m glad I am not completely alone  .

[keychris]

it's simply called "chocolate showing you who's boss"

[Pastrypastmidnight]

23 hours ago, keychris said:

it's simply called "chocolate showing you who's boss"

It won’t let me react with a “like,” a “ha-ha”, AND a “sad” reaction. But that’s my reaction. Lots of tears. Some from laughing. Some from crying .

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Hi Folks:

 

First time poster here!  (Although I browse the content quite often). I've been making filled chocolates for a while, but have stuck with fairly simple ganache-like fillings. I'm trying to up my game a bit, but I'm having some trouble understanding at which temperature certain fillings should be piped in. I'm using Grewling's guide to the temperature at which to pipe in fillings and he refers to 'room temperature', 'warm' and 'hot'. What is 'warm' and what is 'hot'? I'm guessing 'hot' can't be hotter than 90F, as it will melt the shell? I'm currently making a jelly that i'd like to pipe in, layering with a ganache, but the jelly is still at 98F and setting pretty quickly, on the road to un-pipeable. Anyone's thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Jen

[pastrygirl]

Hot refers to things like pate de fruits that are poured into a frame then cut and dipped.  Since you'd like to pipe your jelly instead, let it cool then liquefy it in a food processor.

 

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Thanks @pastrygirl, makes sense. Would that apply to something like caramel, as well? I've had trouble with caramel being too hard to pipe, but it seems the food processor option for that would be pretty tricky.

[pastrygirl]

If you want a softer caramel, just cook it to a lower temp.  Processing it would probably be a disaster! 

 

If I'm making chewy caramels, I cook them to about 259F, but if I only went to 240-something I bet it would be liquid enough to pipe once cooled.  If I'm making a piped caramel center I make a thin caramel sauce and thicken it with chocolate.

Edited May 23, 2018 by pastrygirl (log)

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Alrighty, thanks so much, @pastrygirl I'll give it a shot!

[Pastrypastmidnight]

I take my piped caramels to 107C/225F. It’s able to pipe and it self levels at room temp and it keeps just as long as any of my ganaches. 

 

I also process my set/slabbed pâte de fruit with a little glucose to pipe it. Cut it into chunks and do very short pulses until it starts to loosen up so you don’t burn out your food processor  .

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Another question here!

 

The jelly is in good shape now (thanks!) I've made some shortbread cookies, cut them to size and have started brushing them with cocoa butter (to keep the crunch). Gosh, they stink. And the flavor completely masks the flavor of the shortbread cookie. I'm using cocoa butter from a local health food store, and I'm wondering if there are certain types of cocoa butter that are used for different things-- I'm using Sunfood brand Super Foods, Organic Cacao Butter (this). Anyone have any guidance on this? Thanks again!

[Pastrypastmidnight]

28 minutes ago, SweetandSnappyJen said:

Another question here!

 

The jelly is in good shape now (thanks!) I've made some shortbread cookies, cut them to size and have started brushing them with cocoa butter (to keep the crunch). Gosh, they stink. And the flavor completely masks the flavor of the shortbread cookie. I'm using cocoa butter from a local health food store, and I'm wondering if there are certain types of cocoa butter that are used for different things-- I'm using Sunfood brand Super Foods, Organic Cacao Butter (this). Anyone have any guidance on this? Thanks again!

Maybe try a deodorized cocoa butter. 

[Jim D.]

3 hours ago, Pastrypastmidnight said:

Maybe try a deodorized cocoa butter. 

Yes, definitely use a deodorized one. I find that even the deodorized has a somewhat offputting smell and taste. I can only begin to imagine what the other is like.

[pastrygirl]

39 minutes ago, Jim D. said:

Yes, definitely use a deodorized one. I find that even the deodorized has a somewhat offputting smell and taste. I can only begin to imagine what the other is like.

 

I thought non-deodorized smelled like chocolate and that is why some white chocolates such as El Rey are more flavorful ... no?

[Jim D.]

2 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

I thought non-deodorized smelled like chocolate and that is why some white chocolates such as El Rey are more flavorful ... no?

Never having smelled it, I don't know what it smells like. I think you are correct, though, that it has a somewhat chocolate smell, but (IMHO) not in a good way. I am not a fan of El Rey. I have a kilo that I can't imagine ever using in any way. A minority view, I know.

[Kerry Beal]

I have had one absolutely fabulous cocoa butter sent to me by a bean to bar fellow who wanted me to figure out the best temperature to set the EZtemper - it smelled like the richest chocolate ever. Definitely not something you'd want to spread on your skin or you'd be hungry all day!

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Hi folks:  

 

Would anyone be able to help me diagnose the following (see pictures, empty mold, and turned out chocolates)

I sprayed the molds CB, they sat around for a good couple of days before I added tempered white chocolate. Filled them, capped them and you can see by the pictures, most of the cocoa butter stayed in the mold. I warmed the CB in the microwave, shook like mad, warmed some more, and then popped it into the sprayer. Any ideas? Thanks!

Edited May 25, 2018 by SweetandSnappyJen (log)

[gfron1]

2 hours ago, SweetandSnappyJen said:

Hi folks:  

 

Would anyone be able to help me diagnose the following (see pictures, empty mold, and turned out chocolates)

I sprayed the molds CB, they sat around for a good couple of days before I added tempered white chocolate. Filled them, capped them and you can see by the pictures, most of the cocoa butter stayed in the mold. I warmed the CB in the microwave, shook like mad, warmed some more, and then popped it into the sprayer. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

So many possibilities but I would hone in on the fact that you let it sit around a couple of days. You certainly can do that but if you room temperature is fluctuating during that time you're asking for trouble. Of course the either the cocoa butter or the white could have just not been in temper to begin with. I would start again and try to control the variables one at a time.

[Kerry Beal]

The cocoa butter that did come out looks nice and shiny - so I'm suspicious that your white chocolate might have been too cold when you put it in the mold. 

[keychris]

Did they stick in the moulds or just drop out? Are they solid or filled? Did you measure the temperature of your cocoa butter before you sprayed it?

[SweetandSnappyJen]

Thanks for the replies! They mostly dropped out, I did have to tap them a bit. I have a sneaking suspicion it was the temperature, that I tried to unmould them to soon. After those came out ruined, I tried my next mould of milk chocolate, and the two that came out, were also duds. But then I put them back in the fridge for a few hours and they came out perfectly. It *couldve* been the white chocolate, because my other mould of white, which did not have colored cocoa butter but did have a thin layer of brushed cocoa butter,  also came out dull.