Alcohol/liqueur-filled molded chocolates

[Lior]

Hi! Glad to hear it works-at least in the meantime!!

[patris]

just finished some manhattan chocolates - Southern Comfort and a bit of cherry juice mixed with the nappage neutre (thanks again for sharing, Kerry!) - had to warm the nappage just slightly (to about 86 F) to get everything to blend nicely. They sat for only about a half hour before I couldn't wait to back them off - no problem at all.

I ordinarily hate manhattans (they taste like cough syrup and fire to me), but these are delicious. And the nappage works a treat.

[Lior]

great! I guess I will also order some!

[Kerry Beal]

Opened my container of neutral glaze tonight and it was covered in mold. Perhaps I'd better store it in the fridge.

[prairiegirl]

I just received a bucket of Absolu Cristal a few weeks ago. I wasn't quite sure how to mix it with other food ingredients!!! I don't want to open it until I know I can put it to good use. I love the idea of using it with alcohol. So if anyone has any more ideas I would love to know.

[Kerry Beal]

I believe it is stable at freezing temperatures, so you might want to aliquot it out into several containers and keep most in the freezer.

[Desiderio]

I was researching for an online source of the Absolu Cristal and I found it for about 65, is that an ok price? You could get the other brand at L'epicerie for cheaper but I confronted the ingredients and they aren't exactly the same, and also the description for the absolu cristal does mention usage for bon bons chocolates etc. and how to use it. So I guess its better go with the Valrhona?

[prairiegirl]

I was researching for an online source of the Absolu Cristal and I found it for about 65, is that an ok price? You could get the other brand at L'epicerie for cheaper but I confronted the ingredients and they aren't exactly the same, and also the description for the absolu cristal does mention usage for bon bons chocolates etc. and how to use it. So I guess its better go with the Valrhona?

←

I bought my bucket for $64.60 CAD (Canadian $)

[prairiegirl]

I am wondering if anyone has anything more to add about the Absolu Cristal Valrhona product. I need to do 360 chocolates for Saturday that needs a strong alcohol content. Due to city bylaws a friend cannot get a liquor license and wants to be able to offer her patrons (she is a musician) alcohol and this may be the only loophole we can use. What is the ratios to use with alcohol.I will be using the CW 12 heart mold. Any ideas are much appreicated. HURRY!!!

[Kerry Beal]

I am wondering if anyone has anything more to add about the Absolu Cristal Valrhona product. I need to do 360 chocolates for Saturday that needs a strong alcohol content. Due to city bylaws a friend cannot get a liquor license and wants to be able to offer her patrons (she is a musician) alcohol and this may be the only loophole we can use. What is the ratios to use with alcohol.I will be using the CW 12 heart mold. Any ideas are much appreicated. HURRY!!!

Can't recall actual ratios - just added booze until I could taste it and it didn't make the neutral glaze too thin. Seem to recall I added a little citric acid too just to punch up the flavour.

[gap]

You could try this

http://www.chefeddy.com/2010/09/liquor-filled-chocolates/

[Lior]

equal amounts of cristal and alcohol

[Victor Antonio Padilla]

Hello,

 

I've been trying to make these liquid center pralines using starch and then covering with tempered chocolate for the las couple of days. I am having problems when I pour the syrup in the starch holes. I've managed to make it in a way that it doesn't penetrate the starch(sometimes), but when I have to cover the filled holes with more starch it just goes trough the liquid, it doesn't stay on top of it.

 

Almost forgot, if anyone has thought in a way to put them in a painted mold (with the chocolate shell already of course) I would like to read your experiences before I start experimenting myself.

 

Hope you could give me some advise.

 

Greeting from Peru

 

 

P.D.: I don't post much in the forum, but I do read it and appreciate a lot any help you can give me, much of the advise you gave me took me from failing with painting to this: (many thanks to Kerry and everyone that helped me)

 

[gfron1]

Are you drying the starch?  I've never had the liquid soak into the starch before.  

[ChocoMom]

When I did this, I failed miserably the first time around--but learned a couple lessons:

 

The second time, used 1 pt cornstarch; 2 parts cake flour. Sifted twice. Baked it on low heat for 6 hours, and left it to sit overnight. It was very very dry. (I baked two pans since additional starch is needed later to sift over the top.

 

Then,  made the imprints in the starch/flour mixture. Make certain there are no cracks inside the imprint you leave in the starch. That made all the difference in the world.  

 

Once you've filled the cavities, sift more of the baked flour/starch mix evenly over the filled cavities.  I let it set for 24-36 hours before I dared to turn them over. None cracked. (I was surprised!)  After I flipped them, they set for another 12 hours. I brushed them gently with a pastry brush, then dipped in 72%.   It was a time consuming pain in the neck, but I had an order for them.    I finished each piece with a tiny flake of gold leaf in the center.  All that work...might as well make it look cool, right?

 

I also did them using a magnetic mold, small square cavities, with a transfer sheet.  The tempered chocolate is heavier than the vodka syrup, so if the chocolate lands in the middle of a filled cavity rather than covering the whole thing all at once...it splurts out all over.  I used an enormous spoon and was able to cover two rows of cavities at a time. I tapped the mold gently, then scraped it. All of them turned out fine- no leaks.  Just be sure to get the chocolate over the whole cavity all at once. 

 

Hope that helps...Andrea

[minas6907]

I used to make the alcohol cordials in starch beds...but im really tired of the mess, im really over handing all that starch. Just like the above poster said, be absolutely sure that your cornstarch is dry. Put it in a 200f oven for a few hours, after that, sift it, make your cavities, and when you deposit your alcohol syrup, the liquid will not soak into the starch bed.

When I do liquor cordials now, i always use a mold. Its way faster, and I love the clean look of the molded bonbon (and hand dipping is really not my thing!) Make your chocolate shells in your mold as usual. Boil your syrup and let it cool down to 75f. Deposit into the cavaties, and set aside for 24hr. Provided the syrup was made properly, itll crystallize and you'll be able to easily close the bonbons. Post a few pics when your done. Again, after making the cordials in the molds, I stopped using starch. For me, its alot easier and much faster.

[Victor Antonio Padilla]

Thanks a lot, tomorrow I will try to make them again and will report back

[Victor Antonio Padilla]

Just to report some progress. I left them for 24 hours after extra drying the starch. No more soaking and all the bottoms are firmly crystalized. I've had to re cover them twice because every twelve hours or so, the starch dissapeared (maybe the starch is still not dry enough? Or didn't cook the syrup enough?). Current state is the upper parts have partially cristalized, I will leave them covered for 6 more hours and see if they get completely cristalized and we can call it a success.

[Sebabh]

Hello everyone,
The truth is that I have not written before in this forum but I do read it daily and I know that there are very experienced people in everything related to chocolate.
It is for this reason that I wanted to ask for your help with the following:

I'm trying to make liquor-filled bonbons, I've tried coating them with cocoa butter before closing, but almost all leak.If I make the closure only with chocolate, it's a disaster

 

Can anyone share a method for doing this and stop pulling my hair?

 

Thank you in advance.

[curls]

Welcome Sebabh.

Are you filling with straight liquor or a liquor ganache? The classic way for doing straight liquor is starch molding. I think that Greweling's book covers the process.

[Sebabh]

3 hours ago, curls said:

Welcome Sebabh.

Are you filling with straight liquor or a liquor ganache? The classic way for doing straight liquor is starch molding. I think that Greweling's book covers the process.

Hi!

 

Im filling it with straight liquor. I have read something about "starch molding" but i couldn't find an explanatory process for it.

[Kerry Beal]

Do you have a copy of Chocolates and Confections by Greweling? As @curls mentioned liquor chocolates are covered and it's the bible for so much of what we do.

 

The Time-Life book Candy has a good tutorial on starch molding liquor chocolates as well. 

 

I think most of us have tried at times to close fully liquid items and it has pretty much universally been a bust. The fillable spheres are about the best - using one of the capping trays and turning a chocolate coated guitar sheet upside down on it.

 

I think I recall Elaine Gonzalez in Chocolate Artistry making the mixture of sugar syrup and booze - piping it into cups and letting it crystallize over before backing it. 

 

 

[Sebabh]

No i don't have a copy of that books, in my country (Chile) chocolate books are very rare. Still, i will look for one , maybe on amazon.

 

Can you share me a link to the books you are mentioning? So i can look for them with no mistakes.

 

By the way, please excuse my English but my mother language is Spanish

 

Thanks

Edited May 3, 2023 by Sebabh (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Chocolates and Confections - here's another source for the first edition - Abebooks Chocolates and Confections

 

Time Life Candy

 

Chocolate Artistry

[curls]

Here’s a link where this has been discussed 

 

I saw an eGullet link earlier today that included a helpful video and more information.

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by curls (log)