Confections! (2006-2012)

[Simonne]

Emily_R : Yeah Nutella is so easy to work with!

CKatCook : I wanted to try caramel do i need to use thermometer ?

Thanks!

[CKatCook]

Emily_R : Yeah Nutella is so easy to work with!

CKatCook : I wanted to try caramel  do i need to use thermometer ?

Thanks!

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personally, I cannot imagine doing caramel without one...

No confections "on deck" today..but croissants and banana bread gotta use somethings up. If I get motivated I may do nougat...

[Darcie B]

Last night I made bacon/black pepper caramels. I forgot to take photos but it turned out pretty well, but could use a little more black pepper. It has neat little crunchy bacon bits in it and a very subtle bacon-y taste and aroma. I used about 2 ounces bacon fat to 8 ounces of butter. My friends and DH were, shall we say, skeptical but they liked it (maybe not as much as I did).

Edited November 13, 2007 by Darcie B (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Last night I made bacon/black pepper caramels. I forgot to take photos but it turned out pretty well, but could use a little more black pepper. It has neat little crunchy bacon bits in it and a very subtle bacon-y taste and aroma. I used about 2 ounces bacon fat to 8 ounces of butter. My friends and DH were, shall we say, skeptical but they liked it (maybe not as much as I did).

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Sounds good!

[Kim Shook]

Fibilou - the nougat is beautiful. I really want to try to do that someday!

Kerry - forgive my ignorance, but what is a cocomel? Do I dare to hope its a coconut/caramel candy??? If so, I need one.

Tammy - I loved the marshmallows - those are something else that I am determined to try sometime!

Ron - I make that seafoam, too. It is so easy and good. I dip it in chocolate. It reminds my dad (Ted Fairhead who post here, too) of a Cadbury Crunchie bar (an English candy). So good!

Simonne - your candies are beautiful. I loved the green ones especially!

So many gorgeous sweets! I can hardly bear to post my stuff here, but I love looking at everyone's efforts, so I'll contribute! This past weekend I got a start on my candy making for Christmas.

I made - Aunt San's fudge - just a really simple, super creamy, never fail milk chocolate fudge that my great aunt made forever:

She always used Hershey bars, but I use Cadbury milk bars - I much prefer the flavor.

Reese's Cup fudge - peanut butter layer topped with a layer of Aunt San's Fudge:

And a new one this year - Dark Chocolate Fudge w/ Dried Cranberries & Almonds:

Mr. Kim said it might have been the best thing that he had ever eaten. I love feeding folks!

Kim

[Kerry Beal]

Kerry - forgive my ignorance, but what is a cocomel?  Do I dare to hope its a coconut/caramel candy???  If so, I need one.

Kim,

How embarrassing - I just looked up the recipe in the Wybauw book, and I think the picture I showed and called the cocomel was actually the Coco Delight. Cause cocomel is from Grewelings book and it has a coconut layer and a caramel layer.

[Kerry Beal]

I made my first attempt at copying Kee's Creme Brulee chocolate yesterday. I used my mouse mold which makes a big chocolate.

The creme brulee I had made wasn't as firm as possible, I baked it until it still had some jiggle, next time - no jiggle. We decided it needed a bit of vanilla next time - I like my creme brulee without vanilla, but up against the chocolate it needs a little something more.

Due to the softness of the custard I hesitated to fill the molds too full, so the chocolate bottom was too thick. This filling really needs a wonderfully thin coating to really shine.

Yesterday we also made 3 batches of buttercrunch and a batch of passion fruit marshmallows. The marshmallow is very tasty - I think I'll dip it in a very thin layer of dark. I'll add some extra cocoa butter to get it as thin as possible.

[Sif]

I made marshmallows with vanilla bean. I dusted with a mixture of potato starch and powdered sugar. I just love Danish winter weather - they set in just 4 hours.

Unfortunately the light was not good for close ups so I did a little scene with my calendar candle decoration instead.

[Desiderio]

Xmas production ,help!! Ok i think is a good thing when you get many and many orders, but when you actually have another job and a family it gets complicted Anyway I finish my frst huge batch (540) yesterday ,one day of production not too bad at all.I will post pics as soonas I get the rest of my holiday boxes in.

[Desiderio]

Chai,Blueberry, Sea salt caramel.Amaretto caramel and tosted almonds,Minty delight,Maple.

[Kerry Beal]

Chai,Blueberry, Sea salt caramel.Amaretto caramel and tosted almonds,Minty delight,Maple.

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Gorgeous as always.

[tammylc]

Gorgeous as always.

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My thoughts exactly!

And those are beautiful boxes too!

[renam]

Desiderio,

Your chocolates look amazing and your box's are great too. Do you mind if I asked you were you sourced your box's from? I'm looking to get my logo on box's after the first of the year but haven't found a good box company.

Thanks,

Rena

[RuthWells]

Chai,Blueberry, Sea salt caramel.Amaretto caramel and tosted almonds,Minty delight,Maple.

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Stunning!

[Desiderio]

Thank you so much , much much .

Rena the boxes are from Nashville Wraps.I loved these boxes for over a year and never decided to buy them , I did it this season because they were in closeout.After one day I ordered they were all gone ( the one I ordered anyway, I got some Ivory and Gold as well.They have the same boxes with differnt patterns and colors.

[Mary F]

Desiderio,

Your chocolates are gorgeous as they always are.

I was lucky enough to get some of those boxes on the closeout as well. I normally use a different box, but the prices were amazing!

Great job on getting through the 500 truffle day, I had one of those on Tuesday and its incredibly hard to balance with another job and family!

Thanks for sharing the photos..they can be very inspiring!

[alanamoana]

vanessa,

just adding another "bellissimo"! such beautiful chocolates!

[renam]

Thanks Desiderio,

I'm hoping they have a website. I'll google it and see. Have fun this weekend I know I will be molding dark chocolate for orders I'm getting.

Rena

[patsikes]

Vanessa, Your chocolates look at beautiful as ever!!! Are your shipping your chocolate this year? I would love to order a box.

Patrick

Edited December 7, 2007 by patsikes (log)

[Sentiamo]

I am poking my head to to say how very much I enjoy this thread. You are all so danged clever and obviously possess patience in bucket loads.

When I have time away from regular catering, I sure am going to be trying heaps of things I have noted here. Thanks all!

BTW, just ordered some smoked chocolates and some tequila/lime/salt truffles. I cannot wait.

[Sif]

I do not feel so content, posting these right after Desiderio but I'll go ahead anyway.

I made my first molded chocolates, after reading about them on eGullet for close to a year... wanting to try. First I though I should start with solid chocolates... but then I wanted to paint them. And then I wanted filling... so I just sort of closed my eyes and hoped I did everything right.

It was the best fun I have had in a looooooong time

There are some small air bubbles on the surface of some of them, but that was the only thing that went wrong, so I am still very proud. I was worried they would stick to my brand new mould, but they fell right out.

[Kerry Beal]

I do not feel so content, posting these right after Desiderio    but I'll go ahead anyway.

I made my first molded chocolates, after reading about them on eGullet for close to a year... wanting to try. First I though I should start with solid chocolates... but then I wanted to paint them. And then I wanted filling... so I just sort of closed my eyes and hoped I did everything right.

It was the best fun I have had in a looooooong time 

There are some small air bubbles on the surface of some of them, but that was the only thing that went wrong, so I am still very proud. I was worried they would stick to my brand new mould, but they fell right out.

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If that's your first attempt, I can't wait to see what you can do a year from now.

Those look fabulous!!

[Desiderio]

They look great to me ,Good job.

[tammylc]

If that's your first attempt, I can't wait to see what you can do a year from now.

Those look fabulous!!

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What she said!

Great work.

Edited December 9, 2007 by tammylc (log)

[David J.]

I produced my first sample box for general distribution as Christmas gifts this year:

I decided to use it as a learning experience and cast my own shells for the Rose Geranium Carmel using a two piece mold and spent time perfecting my chocolate curls for Grewelings dual layer "Hot Chocolate". For the crunchy hazelnut praline I used a burr grinder to create uniform sugar bits and it worked beautifully. Previously I had been using a whirly grinder and ended up with a good deal of sugar powder and too large chunks that had to be fished out by hand. The burr grinder makes it far easier.

Other pieces include Kaluha pyramids, Passion fruit domes, Jasmine Tea, "Caribbean Cocktail" Geodesic domes, and a dual layer raspberry ganache and raspberry pate de fruit.

I make them all over the course of two weeks and used the new vacuum freezer bags to keep them fresh as I worked.

And here are the fifty boxes, about thirty in shipping boxes ready to go out: