Confections! (2006-2012)

[Digijam]

I just couldn't take it any more - endlessly drooling over this thread and staring jealously at those 'showroom' chocolate finishes. I just had to give it a go...

This is my first batch of moulded goodies - dark chocolate (they appear lighter in the photo) filled with a kirsch and praline ganache. I only had a couple of powder colours and some gold lustre to work with, and though the results aren't perfect, it worked well enough to get me itching to make more.

Tammy, Kerry, Vanessa, Alana (and all the other experts on here) - I'm blaming you for my expensive new addiction

[insomniac]

I just couldn't take it any more - endlessly drooling over this thread and staring jealously at those 'showroom' chocolate finishes. I just had to give it a go...

This is my first batch of moulded goodies - dark chocolate (they appear lighter in the photo) filled with a kirsch and praline ganache. I only had a couple of powder colours and some gold lustre to work with, and though the results aren't perfect, it worked well enough to get me itching to make more.

Tammy, Kerry, Vanessa, Alana (and all the other experts on here) - I'm blaming you for my expensive new addiction

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they're beautiful Digijam, like little planetary hemispheres

[luvchocolate]

I just couldn't take it any more - endlessly drooling over this thread and staring jealously at those 'showroom' chocolate finishes. I just had to give it a go...

This is my first batch of moulded goodies - dark chocolate (they appear lighter in the photo) filled with a kirsch and praline ganache. I only had a couple of powder colours and some gold lustre to work with, and though the results aren't perfect, it worked well enough to get me itching to make more.

Tammy, Kerry, Vanessa, Alana (and all the other experts on here) - I'm blaming you for my expensive new addiction

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Digijam,

Those bonbons are really gorgeous! For being your first try they look amazing!

I couldn’t resist my self and made my first batch too. Will post later.

[tammylc]

Those are great! I love the "planetary" look. And I'm sure they look even better in person - getting good photos of chocolates is really hard.

[luvchocolate]

The epidemic is running because thanks to all of the excellent tips given in this forum I took the courage to make my first batch of bonbons. I found the perfect opportunity since I have a very good friend who I want to give his for his birthday.

The enrobed squares are Fleur de Sel caramels and the red bonbons are filled with hazelnut praline ganache.

[Mette]

Everybody - it is all - as always - fabulous!!!

I've had very little time recently to do anything chocolate, but when the frog moulds arrived, I had to get up to a little someting. I made fruit-and-nut frogs (to please my husband, who loves Cadbury's fruit and nut bar) and some tiny solid ones. The colours are green cocoa butter and white choc dyed green.

Some of them developed a nasty frog skin desease

I've also recieved my copy of Making Artisan Chocolates, and then, by some weird coincidence, found an ancient bottle of raspberry balsamico in the cupboard. Inspired by the raspberry-wasabi recipe and the strawberry-balsamico recipe in the book, I made a fusion version, added a bit of extra balsamico for texture and whipped up some shells.

The shells have a swirl of red. The filling is very tasty, quite fresh and raspberry with someting unidentifyable at the end (for the uninitiated). This recipe is a keeper if I can find more raspberry balsamico

[Kerry Beal]

Camouflaged frogs on the right, adorable.

[Desiderio]

Beautifull works from everyone !!

I adore the little frogs in two sizes, Where did you ordered from?I know Chocolat-chocolat has them but I dont think in two sizes.

Some apricot jelly ( gelatine di albiccoca) today and I had my hand on some peanut butter crunch , a friend of mine brought me some from a store near her , while she doestn like their chocolates much , she likes their peanut butter crunch.I just serch online for the recipe as is not in my knowledge and I think is a tipical american confection.

Will see how it turns, the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of corn syrup 1 cup of peanut butter and 6 cups of rice crispies.I used some nutty ceareal I bought at whole foods awhile a go, instead.

Good work everyone

[Kerry Beal]

Beautifull works from everyone !!

I adore the little frogs in two sizes, Where did you ordered from?I know Chocolat-chocolat has them but I dont think in two sizes.

Vanessa,

Chocolat-chocolat does have both sizes. Just ask Lorraine specifically for the small ones.

[Desiderio]

Thank you Kerry so much

[dantodd]

Some apricot jelly ( gelatine di albiccoca) today

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Your pates de fruit look wonderful.

My wife loves Pates de Fruit and I have an apricot tree in the backyard. I think I'll be working on learning how to make good Pates de Fruit for the next harvest.

Any recommendations? Does a refractometer really make a big difference in getting a consistent set?

[artisansweets]

I am so impressed by everyone's chocolates. A couple questions... what type of color is mixed with cocoa butter that goes on the chocolates? I know at chef rubber you can buy the individual colors but is there a cheaper route? Also, when using the lustre dusts do you put the dust in the mold and then fill in with chocolate?

I've been really getting into making chocolates lately so to do a little research my husband ordered me a box of chocolates from MarieBelle and Boule bakery. Product research is delicious and very educational.

Edited: After continuing to read this forum and it's links my questions have been answered. Thanks!.. so informative.

Edited February 20, 2007 by artisansweets (log)

[FWED]

Made some molded chocolates for Valentines day this year and even had enough to take to a gathering of egullet foodies. The white chocolate Kugelhophs are filled with a white chocolate, butter, and champagne ganache. The dark chocolate ovals are filled with a Kona Coffee milk chocolate ganache. The white chocolate rounds are filled with a white chocolate ganache flavored with black tea and peppermint. The colored dark chocolate hearts are filled with fleur de sel caramel sauce. I must say the the salt/caramel sauce has been a bigger hit than I had anticipated.

I don't know how others do it but I spray my molds with a light coat of cocoa butter and let that cool then apply the lustre dusts with a brush (i used 2 colors on the hearts) and fill with chocolate. The Kugelhoph were sprayed with a light dusting of brown colored cocoa butter. Sometimes I use the chef rubber colored cocoa butters and some times I color my own cocoa butter by adding oil based pastry and candy colors ( these I have found at a local confectionery supply).

[Kerry Beal]

Some apricot jelly ( gelatine di albiccoca) today

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Your pates de fruit look wonderful.

My wife loves Pates de Fruit and I have an apricot tree in the backyard. I think I'll be working on learning how to make good Pates de Fruit for the next harvest.

Any recommendations? Does a refractometer really make a big difference in getting a consistent set?

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A refractometer helps but is not totally necessary. I've made a fair number of pates de fruit when I've been up north and have only had a thermometer. As long as the thermometer is reliable I've had good set when I take them to 107 C. I suspect if you start playing around with different fruits (like Bau's tomato pates de fruit) a refractometer may be more useful.

[RuthWells]

Everyone's work is so beautiful! Fwed, I love the mini Kugelhopf mold. Adorable.

[John DePaula]

Some apricot jelly ( gelatine di albiccoca) today

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Your pates de fruit look wonderful.

My wife loves Pates de Fruit and I have an apricot tree in the backyard. I think I'll be working on learning how to make good Pates de Fruit for the next harvest.

Any recommendations? Does a refractometer really make a big difference in getting a consistent set?

←

A refractometer helps but is not totally necessary. I've made a fair number of pates de fruit when I've been up north and have only had a thermometer. As long as the thermometer is reliable I've had good set when I take them to 107 C. I suspect if you start playing around with different fruits (like Bau's tomato pates de fruit) a refractometer may be more useful.

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As Kerry has said, a reliable thermometer is the most important by far. A refractometer is nice, though, and can help you to achieve better consistency between batches so that you get the same level of sweetness from one run to the next.

[dantodd]

Thanks Kerry and John.... I guess I better get in the kitchen.

[Indulge]

This is my first attempt at using transfer sheets. I followed the tutorial on this site and used a magnet mold. I can't believe it worked. The chocolates are solid champagne flavored 64% semisweet chocolates. I liked the taste, it has a subtle sweet flavor and smells very aromatic. Almost like roses. My husband did not like it, but he does not like dark chocolates and eats very few sweets. My 13 yr old and 4 year old liked them, but my 7 year old did not. My two year old eats anything. I need to find some adult friends to try them out on. In the mean time I'll just have to eat them myself

[Kerry Beal]

This is my first attempt at using transfer sheets.  I followed the tutorial on this site and used a magnet mold.  I can't believe it worked.  The chocolates are solid champagne flavored 64% semisweet chocolates.  I liked the taste, it has a subtle sweet flavor and smells very aromatic.  Almost like roses.  My husband did not like it, but he does not like dark chocolates and eats very few sweets.  My 13 yr old and 4 year old liked them, but my 7 year old did not.  My two year old eats anything.  I need to find some adult friends to try them out on.  In the mean time I'll just have to eat them myself

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What did you use for the champagne flavour?

[Indulge]

I used LorAnn oil flavoring for candies and chocolates. www.Lorannoils.com I am working on a few with ganache centers, but couldn't wait to try out the transfer sheets.

[Digijam]

One of my favourite thing has always been to eat solid pieces of chocolate with a glass of wine, so I wanted to come up with a way of getting the wine inside the chocolate without sweetening in the usual fondant+booze way. There's probably a really easy way to do this, but...

The centre pouring out of the milk chocolate shell is wine turned into a liquid sphere with a gel skin using reverse spherification (ie adding a little xanthan and calcium chloride, then dropping doses into a bath of alginate and sodium citrate). The spheres are then placed into hollow chocolate moulds and sealed up in the usual way. Tastes good and bursts in the mouth really well, though I think a dark chocolate and red wine mix will be even better.

[Desiderio]

Fynny you mentioned this tecnique.I think I was watching a foodnetwork ( sugar rush I think ) and they were showing pastry chefs , using the most unusual methods to prepare some of the desserts etc.I think one made mojito drops in the same tecnique you described .I think is very fascinating .

I definatly second the fact that dark chocolate would have been much better for those , but the idea is superb

Was this episode

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sa/ep...7_48730,00.html

Edited March 5, 2007 by Desiderio (log)

[David J.]

Fynny  you mentioned this tecnique.I think I was watching a foodnetwork  ( sugar rush I think ) and they were showing pastry chefs , using the most unusual methods to prepare some of the desserts etc.I think one made mojito drops  in the same tecnique you described .I think is very fascinating .

I definatly second the fact that dark chocolate would have been much better for those , but the idea is superb 

Was this episode

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sa/ep...7_48730,00.html

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So where do I find an explanation of this technique? I don't have cable and haven't seen the show.

[Kerry Beal]

I played with this when I first got all my sperification chemicals. I didn't put it in a mold however, I just coated a tea orb with chocolate. Quite a challenge to do.

[alanamoana]

Fynny  you mentioned this tecnique.I think I was watching a foodnetwork  ( sugar rush I think ) and they were showing pastry chefs , using the most unusual methods to prepare some of the desserts etc.I think one made mojito drops  in the same tecnique you described .I think is very fascinating .

I definatly second the fact that dark chocolate would have been much better for those , but the idea is superb 

Was this episode

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sa/ep...7_48730,00.html

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So where do I find an explanation of this technique? I don't have cable and haven't seen the show.

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there's a thread in the cooking forum...i'll look for it and post a link

here it is

this is an intro thread and discussion. there are also pictures. the other technique is reverse spherification. you can do a search and find info on that in the cooking forum as well

Edited March 5, 2007 by alanamoana (log)