Confections! (2006-2012)

[Kerry Beal]

In keeping with all those great eG threads like "Breakfast! The most important meal of the day", "Lunch! What'd ya have", "Dinner! What did we cook" and "What's for dessert?", I think it is time that the chocolatiers and confectioners on eG have a place to post their day to day "what did I make" pictures and projects.

So to start things off - I'm on holiday for 3 weeks and our plans to go sailing got buggered, so here I am with some time on my hands to play. I haven't made nougat for a while so yesterday I measured out a couple of those egg whites that have been sitting in the fridge for a while and here's the result.

Nougat with almond and pistachio.

It is excellent! soft, chewy, with well toasted crunchy nuts. The only thing missing is a bit of milk chocolate on the ends.

And of course the best part, the scraps.

So c'mon folks, lets have a look at your candy, confections, chocolate. All those nice goodies that don't fit well into breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.

[Desiderio]

I agreee .Those nougats are gourgeus , make me think of summer in Italy at those markets where they usually sell them in all shapes and consistence ,ahhhhhh ( I am home sick can you tell? ).I was thinking to make some myself few weeks ago , then time is against and nothing happend .

I like this lets keep it going , I will have some production for the next week or so ( I have some days off finally )and for sure I will post my experiments etc.

Thank you Kerry

PS: one qestion , where canI find the rice paper ( if thats what you used in Italy we call them ostie) to make the nougat?

Edited June 22, 2006 by Desiderio (log)

[mrose]

You can get Wafer Paper. I think that is the same thing.

Is there info on the site on the process to post pictures?

Mark

[Kerry Beal]

You can get Wafer Paper. I think that is the same thing.

Is there info on the site on the process to post pictures?

Mark

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Yup, that's the stuff.

[alanamoana]

Is there info on the site on the process to post pictures?

Mark

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there is a technical questions thread which should answer your questions about posting photos. the easiest is to first upload them to imageGullet from your computer. then, copy and paste the url given to the photo in imageGullet to your reply or posting. that didn't come out very clear, but if you go to imageGullet, it might explain things a little better.

good luck! hope to see some of your stuff soon...

edited to add: this thread is just one of many which describe the process. there are many methods and descriptions...one of them should explain it in a way you can understand!

Edited June 22, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[Desiderio]

Thank you , for the link

[Lindacakes]

Kerry, your nougats are absolutely stunning.

I had some torrone in Italy, from San Gimigiano that was so fresh, so soft, so delicious that I continued eating it long after my jaws ached. It was the most tied together experience of both pain and pleasure . . .

I don't remember now what all the nuts were, but I was impressed by the great variety. Hazelnuts, almonds and pistachio certainly, but I think another.

Anyway, a question -- this torrone did not have the wafer paper, and I prefer it that way (bad childhood experiences with torrone) -- is there a reason why it is called for? Non stick issues or uniformity issues?

This celestrial torrone was also irregular, which added to its charm for me.

[alanamoana]

Anyway, a question -- this torrone did not have the wafer paper, and I prefer it that way (bad childhood experiences with torrone) -- is there a reason why it is called for?  Non stick issues or uniformity issues?

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I'm not Kerry, but we used to make nougat at an old job of mine. We cut them and wrapped them in cello squares. that way, we didn't have to use the rice paper. I think it is mostly a non-stick issue.

Edited June 23, 2006 by alanamoana (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Definately a sticking issue. That stuff sticks to everything. I suppose you could do something similar to marshmallow where you use cornstarch to prevent sticking, or as Alana suggests on cello. I used the rice paper circular wafers called oblaten once, just mounded some on each then dipped the bottoms in chocolate. The rice paper kind of disappears that way and you don't really notice it.

I suppose the rice paper does allow a uniform thickness also that would be hard to obtain any other way.

Later this evening I'll get out some pictures of the turkish delight I have been working on.

[annachan]

Kerry, those nougats looks yummy. Got a recipe for me to try?

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

Kerry,

I'd love to play on this thread, but I'm going to have to wait for the humidity to break...so until then...

[Kerry Beal]

So here is the Turkish Delight I was working on yesterday. I'm a little disappointed with the result. The flavour is fine with a couple of drops of 10% rose otto, however this recipe called for invert sugar along with the glucose and sugar and I'm finding it far too sweet even with citric acid added. I have two other recipes to try yet, one uses sugar, glucose and dextrose. The other uses just sugar and glucose. The one shown here uses thin boiling starch in place of regular cornstarch and gives a very clear confection.

I last made turkish delight quite some time ago and hadn't tried it again until now. I made the mistake of pouring it into a well starched frame rather than into a container with a bottom. I thought it would set up like pates de fruit. Well I was wrong!! I left the house after I poured it, and upon my return found it all oozing down the counter and onto the floor. Sticky to clean up, let me tell you.

[Desiderio]

Umm I am not familiar with this , what are they?

Rose everywhere huh .

I am just playing around with colors and different type of filling for chocolates , I have few orders for the first week of July so I am trying something different and also because if I stay too long without making chocolates I became grumpy

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry, those nougats looks yummy. Got a recipe for me to try?

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Annachan,

I have put the nougat recipe in recipeGullet for you.

Here is a couple of pictures from the production

The toasted nuts with vanilla, pistachio paste and cocoa butter. Egg whites ready for syrup.

Pouring syrup into egg whites. Nougat starting to stiffen.

Nougat ready to flatten. Put another pan on top, add all the weights you can find

Ready for cutting the next day.

Edited June 24, 2006 by Kerry Beal (log)

[LindaL]

Wow!! I love nougat, never ever thought you could make them at home. But you guys are making a whole loads of other confectionaries as well. Any books on confectionary 101 which you guys would recommend?

Kerry and Vanessa, very nice stuff. I will be following this thread. Now got to go to get my sugar fix

[alanamoana]

Kerry, thanks for the photos!

I made Turkish Delight in culinary school. I like it, but I think for some it is an aquired taste...all that cornstarch !! I also like it with orange blossom water.

Vanessa, beautiful chocolates! I love how thin your shells are. How do you get the bottom so thin without dragging ganache out when you scrape? That's something I really have a problem with.

I'll try to get my butt in gear to post some pictures of confections. Haven't made much lately...just lazy.

[Kerry Beal]

Umm I am not familiar with this , what are they?

Rose everywhere huh .

Vanessa,

Turkish delight is middle eastern confection made with cornstarch and flavoured either with rose or with mastica which is a tree resin. In england you can get a chocolate bar called Fry's Turkish and here in Canada we have Big Turk which is turkish delight covered with milk chocolate. A personal favorite of mine from childhood.

I am just playing around with colors and different type of filling for chocolates , I have few orders for the first week of July so I am trying something different and also because if I stay too long without making chocolates I became grumpy 

[

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Vanessa, those are absolutely gorgeous. You are really mastering that 'showroom finish'.

[Desiderio]

Thank you for the pics Kerry ,that really looks great ,and yummi ahhh gotta make some

Alana ,I always try to fill the molds with the filling to the top without over filling ,wich I tend to do,and try to smooth out the excess in the case I over do it.I use the pastry bag with the filling in circular motion,I find that it fills all the space and more uniform .For the liquid filling like caramel sauce etc I wait overnight to close the molds.

[Desiderio]

Thank you kerry , for the compliments , and for the explanation about the turkish delight, definatly something new for me and interesting.Thank you for sharing with us

[Kerry Beal]

Wow!! I love nougat, never ever thought you could make them at home. But you guys are making a whole loads of other confectionaries as well. Any books on confectionary 101 which you guys would recommend?

Kerry and Vanessa, very nice stuff. I will be following this thread. Now got to go to get my sugar fix

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If you can find one of the old 'Candy', which is one of the Time Life Good Cook series it is a great starter book and has lots of pictures. Abebooks have it for about $6.

[LindaL]

Wow!! I love nougat, never ever thought you could make them at home. But you guys are making a whole loads of other confectionaries as well. Any books on confectionary 101 which you guys would recommend?

Kerry and Vanessa, very nice stuff. I will be following this thread. Now got to go to get my sugar fix

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If you can find one of the old 'Candy', which is one of the Time Life Good Cook series it is a great starter book and has lots of pictures. Abebooks have it for about $6.

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Thanks Kerry. Will look it up. I am new here so I did not earlier realize you guys are professionals doing this at a totally pro level . Liked your website.

[Kerry Beal]

Wow!! I love nougat, never ever thought you could make them at home. But you guys are making a whole loads of other confectionaries as well. Any books on confectionary 101 which you guys would recommend?

Kerry and Vanessa, very nice stuff. I will be following this thread. Now got to go to get my sugar fix

←

If you can find one of the old 'Candy', which is one of the Time Life Good Cook series it is a great starter book and has lots of pictures. Abebooks have it for about $6.

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Thanks Kerry. Will look it up. I am new here so I did not earlier realize you guys are professionals doing this at a totally pro level . Liked your website.

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Actually I'm not a professional confectioner, just a gal who likes making chocolate and enjoys teaching others. My day job allows me the luxury of making my hobby into a side business that pays for itself (at least allows me to write it off).

[dejaq]

Very nice work,

thank for posting Kerry, lovely goodies...

MIchael

[duckduck]

Wow!! I love nougat, never ever thought you could make them at home. But you guys are making a whole loads of other confectionaries as well. Any books on confectionary 101 which you guys would recommend?

Truffles, Candies & Confections by Carole Bloom is a good one and also Candymaking by Ruth Kendrick. Both are excellent books recommended by eGer's (thanks to whoever mentioned them previously) and are available right now at half.com for under $5 plus shipping.

[prasantrin]

I have put the nougat recipe in recipeGullet for you. 

I was going to ask for the recipe, too! My mother loves nougat, but it's so expensive that I was thinking of trying to make some for her. I checked out your recipe, and have three questions:

1) Is pistachio or almond paste really necessary? It's difficult for me to get even almond paste in Japan, so would there be some kind of substitution available, or could I just leave it out?

2) Cocoa butter is even more difficult to find. Any ideas what to use instead? Or again, can I just leave it out?

3) Rainy season has officially started and it's hot and humid! (and rainy!). Is it better to wait until I have a less hot and humid day (maybe in October...), or would the humidity really be a problem?