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Liquid centers in chocolates


gap

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Hi to All,

I have been reading the chocolate/confectionary related posts for a while now and have finally gotten around to upgrading so I can start asking some questions! :smile:

Something I have been wondering is what makes the liquid centers in moulded chocolates? (eg., a lemon myrtle or violet cream where you bite into it and a "syruppy" centre runs out). Is it something I can make at home? Is it a fondant that has something added to make it form the liquid?

Any help appreciated

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Hi to All,

I have been reading the chocolate/confectionary related posts for a while now and have finally gotten around to upgrading so I can start asking some questions!  :smile:

Something I have been wondering is what makes the liquid centers in moulded chocolates? (eg., a lemon myrtle or violet cream where you bite into it and a "syruppy" centre runs out). Is it something I can make at home? Is it a fondant that has something added to make it form the liquid?

Any help appreciated

One way this is done is by the use of the enzyme invertase. Invertase is mixed with fondant, which is a solid, and that is used as the center and is enrobed in chocolate. After a certain period of time, the enzyme will hydrolyze (split apart) the sucrose in the fondant into equal parts glucose and fructose (ie. invert sugar), which is liquid. There have been several threads on this -- I'd try searching for the terms invertase and "liquid centers."

Edited by Patrick S (log)

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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Thanks Patrick - I have tried searching the forum but had no luck.

What are the ratios normally. Ie., if I make some fondant, could I add honey (which I believe is a natural invert sugar) and combine/flavour and then put into moulds? How much honey should I add to, say, 100g fondant to cause the mixture to break-down?

And how long should I (try) to leave the chocolates before eating to have the effect take place?

Edited by gap (log)
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Thanks Patrick - I have tried searching the forum but had no luck.

What are the ratios normally. Ie., if I make some fondant, could I add honey (which I believe is a natural invert sugar) and combine/flavour and then put into moulds? How much honey should I add to, say, 100g fondant to cause the mixture to break-down?

And how long should I (try) to leave the chocolates before eating to have the effect take place?

Honey includes inverted sugar (with other stuff as well), but I dont think it will invert (and therefore liquify) the sucrose in the fondant, because IIRC it contains little or no active invertase. Also, mixing the honey and fondant would proabably give you something that would be very soft and thus hard to enrobe. I dont know how much invertase is used, but my understanding is that only a very small amount is needed.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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Thanks Patrick - I have tried searching the forum but had no luck.

What are the ratios normally. Ie., if I make some fondant, could I add honey (which I believe is a natural invert sugar) and combine/flavour and then put into moulds? How much honey should I add to, say, 100g fondant to cause the mixture to break-down?

And how long should I (try) to leave the chocolates before eating to have the effect take place?

I would probably add invertase instead of honey. Just a few drops will invert a pound of fondant usually within a week or so. It is available from CK (Country Kitchen I think). If you don't add invertase you have to wait an indeterminate amount of time for the sugar to invert.

The book "Candymaking" by Ruth Kendrick and Pauline Atkinson is a great source for information about fondant, cream centres and 'cordials' (liquid centres), although it doesn't talk about using invertase.

And welcome to the wonderful world of posting.

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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God, I love it when Patrick replies..he's always right on. but to get a little better grip for a beginner, get a copy of CANDY from THE GOOD COOK series by Time -Life Books. It actually walks you through the fondant, the syrup, the enrobing...sounds sexy, doesn't it! You don't need the whole series (try alribis.com) but this is a great beginner series for damn near everything. I was reading CANDY last night so this really blows me away. I'm getting ready for the holidays, so have started baking etc. , and candy making is a good way to start.

Cheers! Patty

edit: their example of an enrobed chocolate is a brandy flavored syrup, poured at the correct temp to a homemade mold of cornstarch. Flipped once, to ensure proper gel set, and then dipped into choc. and decorated sooo simply. It's on my list of things to do.

Edited by highchef (log)
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I second Highchef's recommendation. The Time Life Candy is excellent, great pictures, thorough instructions.

I found an eG thread on chocolate covered cherries etc here.

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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If you like liquor filled as well you can use fondant with liquor added ,the inside the molded chocolate shells , no need for invertase there , the liquor will melt the fondant by it self , they usally say around 2dn day.

Vanessa

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If you like liquor filled as well you can use fondant with liquor added  ,the inside the molded chocolate shells , no need for invertase there , the liquor will melt the fondant by it self , they usally say around 2dn day.

How much liquor is normally added to the fondant to make it turn liquid? For instance, I have just bought some pre-made fondant (usually I make my own but will be pressed for time over Christmas), if I used 500g of fondant, how much say, Bailleys, would need to be added to allow the liquid to form? Does it rely on alcohol content?

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I add liquor to taste. Fondant is very sweet, so something like Grand Marnier, creme de menthe or Bailey's I add less of than straight whiskey or cognac. I prefer to do a light ganache for the sweet liqueurs -- more finicky to cap well but better eating.

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If you like liquor filled as well you can use fondant with liquor added  ,the inside the molded chocolate shells , no need for invertase there , the liquor will melt the fondant by it self , they usally say around 2dn day.

How much liquor is normally added to the fondant to make it turn liquid? For instance, I have just bought some pre-made fondant (usually I make my own but will be pressed for time over Christmas), if I used 500g of fondant, how much say, Bailleys, would need to be added to allow the liquid to form? Does it rely on alcohol content?

Umm I wont use bailieys to fondant, you need liquid liquor with higher alchool contenent ,if you want use balies you can make a liquid ganache made with it.Exampl a very liquid cream ganache or a creme anglaise with bailies etc.

The amount of alcool it can be a taste I usually dont make center with fondant but I made the regular alcool ones made with a saturated sugar syrup etc.

A friend of mine make hers wit 100gr of fondant and 3 tbsp of liquor.

Vanessa

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've managed to find some invertase at a local cake decorating shop and I'm keen to give these liquid centres a go as soon as possible (weather temps permitting). Just a quick question I couldn't quite clear up in my own mind from reading the previous posts - is invertase an invert sugar?

For instance, I see a lot of recipes that call for invert sugar as an ingredient. Can I just use invertase? Or is invertase combined with sugar and that creates invert sugar?

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Not sure that Invertase is used much anymore. Much easier just to freeze the liquid centre before dipping.

Old style liquor chocs have the liquor in a sugar shell.

I have checked the ingredients on several different brands of cordial cherries --cheap brands, not high end-- and they all list invertase on the ingredients label.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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Or is invertase combined with sugar and that creates invert sugar?

That's right-- you can use invertase to make your own invert sugar if you wanted to.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced" - Vincent Van Gogh
 

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I am late in perusing this thread. I am not a professional chocolatier. However I am a professional lover of all things chocolate including loving to play and dabble with it. I made a pictorial about the cherry cordials I made.

Not all of the pictures are captioned as yet, but I think they speak for themselves nonetheless.

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