Confections! (2006-2012)

[RWood]

I just kinda winged it. I used a 2:1 dark ganache, added vanilla bean and glucose. I did 3000g dark chocolate to 1500 g cream and 6.75 cups peanut butter. Plus a little butter. I worried about the ganache because I was using Safeway's new Open Nature line of peanut butter (since it was for them) and it being natural, it was more liquid. The truffles were soft, but I with two coats of chocolate, they were fine. The chef loved them, so that's all that mattered.

Sounds good. My question would be was the peanut butter really, really smooth, slightly crunchy or quite crunchy? (We don't have Safeway here where I live.)

I had the hardest time finding a smooth peanut butter for the PB balls. All the 'natural' smooth butters have little crunchy bits in them. Not that that is reprehensible, it's just that I was looking for SMOOOOTH and had to fall back on one of "THOSE" peanut butters that we don't eat to get a smooth enough texture.

Just curious.

It was a little grainy, but it was crunchy style anyway. I personally am a Jif snob . It's the only one I buy. They have made a new natural one, but it's the same as the regular one, very smooth and no stirring needed. Tastes the same.

[YetiChocolates]

I'm a Skippy Natural lover myself. And they just came out with a Skippy Natural made with Honey that is really smooth, creamy and delicious. I recently discovered a peanut butter filling for cookies that I'm thinking of using for my take of a "Fluffer Nutter", which uses peanut butter, powdered sugar, and almond milk. It's very reminiscent of a Reese's peanut butter cup.

[Darienne]

I had to double coat my PB balls...leaky little critters. No one complained. My confectionery beneficiaries are all taste and not presentation oriented thank goodness.

I see there are already a couple of topics on favorite peanut butters...maybe I'll visit one. I can't find a smooth natural one so far. When I say smooth...I mean SMMOOOTHHHH.

[Chocolot]

Today I got started on my Halloween Eyeballs. They sure look sloppy up close!!!

[Chocolot]

I also made my Caramel Apple caramels. They turned out quite tasty.

[minas6907]

Woah, yikes on the eyes, haha. I like that green color for the caramel apples, nice. Whats the inside like?

[carol lang]

The caramel apple caramels are beautiful.

What color green did you use, do you blend it yourself?

[Chocolot]

Green is Chef Rubber's Green Sphene backed with white and shelled in white chocolate. Inside is Grewlings cream caramel, with reduced apple cider to replace some of the cream and Calvados at the end. I also used some Saigon cinnamon in the cream. Rather tasty:-)

[Darienne]

Love those eyeballs!.

[Kerry Beal]

'Tis the season - gotta love it.

[Lior]

THE EYEBALLS ARE FANTASTIC!! I also think I could use green apple caramel for our holiday season! Beuatiful work. Bob-I like your dark sparkily ones a lot! This is what I had for our new year season-apples and honey.

[Chocolot]

Beautiful work, Ilana.

[Viktoria]

Hello Everyone! As many before me have said - This is my very first post after much lurking.

I'm not a pro. I don't even consider myself a terribly skilled amateur. But I am ambitious. I have a stumper that I'm hoping people here can help me solve. I'm not sure this is exactly the topic to pose it in, (perhaps the flavors topic is more appropriate) but I've been so impressed with what people are working on I'm hoping someone will have an idea.

I'm trying to make a truffle based on the Scottish dessert Cranachan (KRA neh ken). It's a surprisingly tasty dessert of whipped cream flavored with honey and whisky, toasted oats and raspberries. My friend served it at her wedding. I'd love to make this for her as a surprise for her upcoming baby shower.

I've got pieces of it figured out, I think. Reduced raspberry puree, toasted oat praline, but I'm at a loss when it comes to the whipped cream, honey, whisky analogue. It's supposed to be light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. I think the sweetness level, and body make a white chocolate ganache (butter or cream) unsuitable. Fondant would be out for the same reason. I was thinking perhaps of italian meringue buttercream, or maybe even just italian meringue?

I've looked over a couple of the books I have (Shotts, Greweling) and nothing really popped out at me as the right direction.

Might anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Viktoria

[Kerry Beal]

Hello Everyone! As many before me have said - This is my very first post after much lurking.

I'm not a pro. I don't even consider myself a terribly skilled amateur. But I am ambitious. I have a stumper that I'm hoping people here can help me solve. I'm not sure this is exactly the topic to pose it in, (perhaps the flavors topic is more appropriate) but I've been so impressed with what people are working on I'm hoping someone will have an idea.

I'm trying to make a truffle based on the Scottish dessert Cranachan (KRA neh ken). It's a surprisingly tasty dessert of whipped cream flavored with honey and whisky, toasted oats and raspberries. My friend served it at her wedding. I'd love to make this for her as a surprise for her upcoming baby shower.

I've got pieces of it figured out, I think. Reduced raspberry puree, toasted oat praline, but I'm at a loss when it comes to the whipped cream, honey, whisky analogue. It's supposed to be light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. I think the sweetness level, and body make a white chocolate ganache (butter or cream) unsuitable. Fondant would be out for the same reason. I was thinking perhaps of italian meringue buttercream, or maybe even just italian meringue?

I've looked over a couple of the books I have (Shotts, Greweling) and nothing really popped out at me as the right direction.

Might anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Viktoria

Welcome Viktoria,

I love the idea of that flavour combination - the oat praline will help keep the crunch if you either make them at the very last minute or roll them in it.

I'd still probably start with a white chocolate truffle - Greweling's Dark and Stormy in particular. Use a not very sweet white chocolate, replace some or all of the cream with the raspberry puree.

[YetiChocolates]

Hello Everyone! As many before me have said - This is my very first post after much lurking.

I'm not a pro. I don't even consider myself a terribly skilled amateur. But I am ambitious. I have a stumper that I'm hoping people here can help me solve. I'm not sure this is exactly the topic to pose it in, (perhaps the flavors topic is more appropriate) but I've been so impressed with what people are working on I'm hoping someone will have an idea.

I'm trying to make a truffle based on the Scottish dessert Cranachan (KRA neh ken). It's a surprisingly tasty dessert of whipped cream flavored with honey and whisky, toasted oats and raspberries. My friend served it at her wedding. I'd love to make this for her as a surprise for her upcoming baby shower.

I've got pieces of it figured out, I think. Reduced raspberry puree, toasted oat praline, but I'm at a loss when it comes to the whipped cream, honey, whisky analogue. It's supposed to be light, fluffy, and not overly sweet. I think the sweetness level, and body make a white chocolate ganache (butter or cream) unsuitable. Fondant would be out for the same reason. I was thinking perhaps of italian meringue buttercream, or maybe even just italian meringue?

I've looked over a couple of the books I have (Shotts, Greweling) and nothing really popped out at me as the right direction.

Might anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Viktoria

Welcome Viktoria! I also recently joined the society, so I know how you feel!

Anyway, I would agree with Kerry's suggestion of using Greweling's "Dark and Stormies" ganache, but I would say do more of a layered truffle with a raspberry pate de fruit layer, the "Dark and Stormies" ganache with the honey/whiskey addition, dip it in either white or dark (I always dip in dark, I feel it mellows out the flavors and cuts the sweetness) and then garnish it with the toasted oat praline.

Good luck! I hope you are able to recreate the dish!

[Viktoria]

I should have posted again earlier to thank you Willow and Kerry for your suggestion. Unfortunately work and munchkins got in the way. However, Thank you!

I started with a half recipe of the Greweling white chocolate ganache. I substituted in honey and whiskey in the recipe. I also ignited some of the alcohol, since the intended audience can't have it.

I split that batch into 2, set one half plain in a loaf pan to act as control, and the other half I set over a thin layer of thickened seedless raspberry jelly (warmed and extra pectin added in) that I'd done the night before. I chilled both and let set over night. Then I footed and cut into squares (I have yet to do that uniformly, but still). Then I dipped in tempered semisweet chocolate as that's what I had on hand.

The family tested both the bare ganache centers, and the finished product. Both very tasty. The raspberry variety was a big favorite. The bare center with raspberry on it was really nice.

However, for the cranachan tasting goal, I'm not sure it worked. I think the creaminess was good. But I couldn't taste the honey or the whiskey. Also, the white chocolate flavor was very prevalent, which might just be a factor of the chocolate I used. I might try a 2nd attempt with more of each honey and whiskey. I think this time I'd try it moulded, though, since enrobing the raspberry variety was a pain.

Anyway, here's the final product of the first test batch.

[Lior]

looks really yummy!

[chocoera]

love those port truffles bob!

Edited October 9, 2011 by chocoera (log)

[Viktoria]

Cranachan truffles:

Thickened raspberry puree with an oat infused whipped cream white chocolate center, honey and Glenlivet Scotch whisky. I think I need a slightly different mold for this one to get the ratio of fillings right, and I didn't get the shells defect-free. I also tried using lustre dust for the first time, and wasn't very happy with the results. You can't see very well in the photo, but the whipped cream chocolate center has a great texture: light and fluffy. Sadly, these didn't make it to the baby shower on time.

But I did make several others for the event:

peanut gianduja, earl grey (I tried painting the tea cut rim, and bottom with gold, but it didn't have the effect I wanted), raspberry, chocolate, caramel, and solid dark chocolate hemispheres.

I made a big tray for the party, and then gave my friend this little box just for her for after. The mom to be was very happy.

[Darienne]

Very lovely. Well done, Viktoria.

[Lior]

lots of love, fun and yum!

[Genkinaonna]

Beautiful! I hope the recipient realized how much work went into it!

[Viktoria]

Thank you! It means a lot coming from you all.

I recently splurged on a few new molds, and am still working out the kinks. I only had some basic shapes before. I'm still looking for a hedgehog mold, if anyone might know where to find one. I have only just begun to play with color, as well. I can't afford to get too many of the ones from chef rubber yet. I bought some powdered colors from the local cake supply store, but they don't work very well.

I think that she did appreciate the work. I think the guests were surprised that they were home-made. No one seems to expect that this kind of thing can be done out of a home kitchen, if you have the right tools.

[Darienne]

I only had some basic shapes before. I'm still looking for a hedgehog mold, if anyone might know where to find one.

Tomric Systems Inc carries a hedgehog mold in two sizes.

[dhardy123]

I recently splurged on a few new molds, and am still working out the kinks. I only had some basic shapes before. I'm still looking for a hedgehog mold, if anyone might know where to find one.

Chocolat Chocolat carries 2 hedgehog molds. The smaller one CW1213 has 12 pieces, the larger one CW2259 has 18 pieces, but the actual size of the piece is the same for both