Cooking with "Chocolates and Confections" by Peter Greweling (Part 1)

[Josho]

John,

Your dipping looks as good as any I've seen for hand-dipped chocolates, really.

What's your technique for avoiding feet?

--Josh

[Lior]

Hi! Thanks Kerry! I did check them out, and I will add Mary's to my list!!

[John DePaula]

John,

Your dipping looks as good as any I've seen for hand-dipped chocolates, really.

What's your technique for avoiding feet?

--Josh

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Thanks! Though I should say that there were many others that weren't quite so presentable...

I'm using the dipping technique that we were shown in JP Wybauw's class at the French Pastry School. Basically, you drop the bonbon top-side down into the pool of melted chocolate, then use the dipping fork to right the bonbon and as you're hovering over the pool of melted chocolate, tap-tap-tap lightly on the surface of the chocolate. Then I usually lightly swipe the underside of the fork on the edge of the bowl as I'm heading for my parchment covered tray. As I coax the bonbon onto the paper, I ever so slightly encourage it to slide forward before removing the fork.

I think this is also described in the Greweling book.

Edited September 27, 2007 by John DePaula (log)

[alanamoana]

there is also a photo demo of the technique in one of the chocolate threads. check out the new index and see if you can find it through the links...i'm not sure which thread it is in...

edited to add: link to demo starting around post #28

Edited September 27, 2007 by alanamoana (log)

[Kerry Beal]

there is also a photo demo of the technique in one of the chocolate threads.  check out the new index and see if you can find it through the links...i'm not sure which thread it is in...

edited to add: link to demo starting around post #28

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You know those of us who were fortunate enough to meet Alana in Chicago at the Wybauw class use her dipping technique - not Wybauw's - as the benchmark we aspire to reach. The woman is a dipping god.

[patris]

Kerry -

I intend to be fortunate enough to learn from YOU when you come to Premier Gourmet in Buffalo for your truffle demo in October - I can't wait!

[gfron1]

I'm not sure which previous topic Alana is referring to, but possibly one of these:

• Finishing
  
• Chocolates with the Showroom Finish
  
• Molding v. Enrobing
  
• Hand Enrobing
  

[John DePaula]

there is also a photo demo of the technique in one of the chocolate threads.  check out the new index and see if you can find it through the links...i'm not sure which thread it is in...

edited to add: link to demo starting around post #28

←

Excellent!

[alanamoana]

you guys sure know how to flatter! , thanks kerry!

[John DePaula]

Those of us who are not so adept at dipping and/or piping chocolate with a cornet are bowing at the altar of Alana: We're not worthy! We're not worthy!

[sanantone]

Hello fellow chocolate-ears. I'm a new joining eG member and chocolate dipper from San Antonio. I found you all via a search for information on Greweling's book. I had been asking for this book since it came out and it finally arrived in the form of a birthday present last week.

I am self-taught and have learned to cook by working my way through what I perceive as master texts like The Way to Cook, The Professional Chef and more specialized books like Chocolate Obsession. The latter is where my interest in making fine chocolates began. It is interesting to see the different perspectives on how best to accomplish the same task and then figure out how I'm actually going to do it in my own kitchen.

One recipe in the book that really intrigued me was the one for Turkish Delight. I have most of the ingredients on hand and it just looks like something fun to try out. I have a question for the more seasoned candy makers in the group. The recipe refers to thin boiling starch (60° fluidity) but doesn't give measurements from how much starch and water are required to make this. The theory section prior to the recipe says to mix water and starch and use a refractometer to get 78% solids content. The recipe says 60° fluidity and neither of which I know how to produce. I doubt the artisan candy makers in Turkey use refractometers, they probably have a water/starch ratio they start with and adjust from there. Is 60° fluidity just 6 parts water and 4 parts starch boiled for 5 minutes?

Cheers!

Tom

[Kerry Beal]

Hello fellow chocolate-ears.  I'm a new joining eG member and chocolate dipper from San Antonio.  I found you all via a search for information on Greweling's book.  I had been asking for this book since it came out and it finally arrived in the form of a birthday present last week. 

I am self-taught and have learned to cook by working my way through what I perceive as master texts like The Way to Cook, The Professional Chef and more specialized books like Chocolate Obsession.  The latter is where my interest in making fine chocolates began.  It is interesting to see the different perspectives on how best to accomplish the same task and then figure out how I'm actually going to do it in my own kitchen. 

One recipe in the book that really intrigued me was the one for Turkish Delight.  I have most of the ingredients on hand and it just looks like something fun to try out.  I have a question for the more seasoned candy makers in the group.  The recipe refers to thin boiling starch (60° fluidity) but doesn't give measurements from how much starch and water are required to make this.  The theory section prior to the recipe says to mix water and starch and use a refractometer to get 78% solids content.  The recipe says 60° fluidity and neither of which I know how to produce.  I doubt the artisan candy makers in Turkey use refractometers, they probably have a water/starch ratio they start with and adjust from there.  Is 60° fluidity just 6 parts water and 4 parts starch boiled for 5 minutes?

Cheers!

Tom

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Welcome Sanantone. Nice to have another chocolatier aboard.

I think the 60º fluidity referred to is simply a description of the starch, not something we have to achieve. Getting thin boiling starch is a bit of a challenge however and you can't simply substitute regular corn starch. If you only have regular starch then you might want to try a different recipe. PM me if you need one that uses regular cornstarch.

The 78% solids happens around 106º, so if you don't have a refractomer, just stop boiling at that temperature and you should be pretty close to 78 Brix.

[patris]

After reading about and looking at all your work from this book, I took the plunge and am desperate to start playing around!

I just have one question: can anyone suggest an appropriate substitute for the invert sugar that is called for in most of the recipes? Can I swap it out for an equal amount of corn syrup in, say, a ganache recipe?

You all are truly an inspiration to a novice like me who has never even tempered chocolate before. Thank you for sharing your work and your wisdom!

[gfron1]

Here are some previous topics on substituting and making your own. Have fun (maybe you won't have to end up with a 5 gal pail of it like I have!)

[sanantone]

After reading about and looking at all your work from this book, I took the plunge and am desperate to start playing around!

I just have one question: can anyone suggest an appropriate substitute for the invert sugar that is called for in most of the recipes?  Can I swap it out for an equal amount of corn syrup in, say, a ganache recipe?

You all are truly an inspiration to a novice like me who has never even tempered chocolate before.  Thank you for sharing your work and your wisdom!

←

I too would suggest making your own invert sugar. It's easy as pie and you reduce your dependence on 'speciality' ingredients.

[Serj]

I have substituted corn syrup for glucose syrup in these recipes with no problems at all.

--> But it just occurred to me that invert sugar = trimoline. Oops! So never mind!

Edited September 29, 2007 by Serj (log)

[LucyInAust]

I did it ... I bought the book and tried one of the recipes!!! (I'm a home cook with no training ... and most of this book goes way over my head ... but I just love drooling over the photos!).

I've wanted to replicate an Australian Mars Bar ... but use dark chocolate and real ingredients!! From the picture the Sleeping Beauties nougat looked about right ... and I wanted to use another salted caramel recipe I've used before for that layer.

Excuse my chocolate dipping ... I think more chocolate ends up plastered all over the kitchen than on the actual bars!!! And as for my tempering ... umm ... back to the drawing board ... I can't find an effective way to keep the temperature stable!

Other than over heating the caramel a tiny bit so it was too hard ... I was really happy with the nougat. Even using my little hand beater it still came out good (I'm sure it would be better if I had something more powerful, I had to stop beating before it had cooled properly as my machine was making scary noises!!).

I did have one replacement in the nougat recipe ... the only cocoa butter I could find was 5kg .. and I wasn't buying it just for the 20g required in the recipe, so I replaced it with copha (vegetable shortening) ... seems to have come out OK.

A question ... in the recipe it states heat the sugar to a certain temp, then set the egg white mix beating in a stand mixer, then once the sugar reaches another temp - pour it in ... but it doesn't say what the egg white mix should look like!! Obviously depending on the mixer used and how fast you heat the sugar - this could be very different!! Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for??

[choux]

I've never really found much difference if the egg whites are just starting to mix or if they are closer to soft peak stage. It seems to whip fine either way. I think that the rise in temp that he indicates wouldn't really give you enough time to get to soft peaks if that was what he wanted, maybe he would say to mix them to peaks before you started to heat the sugar if it was a critical step. But I haven't ever bothered and it turns out fine for me. I made the Sleeping Beauties today too, along with the Gingerbread Squares which are totally awesome. (no alcohol though)

[gap]

Hi LucyInAust,

if you check the Theory section on nougat (just before the recipes in that chapter) I seem it talking about soft peaks before adding the sugar syrup(s). Unfortunately I don't have the book on hand to check . . . Also, adding a little sugar when whipping the egg whites can help them maintain some stiffness when the syrup is added.

[mrose]

Kerri, Where would I find albumin? Would I go to a pharmacy or to a health food store?  I am in Calgary.

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I got it at Baker's Warehouse in Toronto. It would be worth checking out health food stores.

You can make frappe with just egg whites, it's known as Mazetta in Candymaking by Ruth Kendricks.

2 egg whites (50 g), 275 g glucose, 60 grams water, 100 grams sugar. Beat egg whites to stiff and set aside. Bring glucose, water and sugar to 120C, beat into whites.

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Can you use powdered egg whites as a source of albumen? This is the info on Egg white powder from Chef Rubber

"Spray dried egg albumen, which can be used in most recipes requiring egg white. It produces an exceptionally high volume, stable egg white foam. Used for uncooked foods such as marzipan and buttercream icing because it has been heat treated to meet USDA standards for being salmonella negative."

[alanamoana]

Can you use powdered egg whites as a source of albumen?  This is the info on Egg white powder from Chef Rubber

"Spray dried egg albumen, which can be used in most recipes requiring egg white. It produces an exceptionally high volume, stable egg white foam. Used for uncooked foods such as marzipan and buttercream icing because it has been heat treated to meet USDA standards for being salmonella negative."

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i think you can, but they need to be hydrated in the appropriate amount of water before use...you'll have to figure that out.

[alanamoana]

A question ... in the recipe it states heat the sugar to a certain temp, then set the egg white mix beating in a stand mixer, then once the sugar reaches another temp - pour it in ... but it doesn't say what the egg white mix should look like!!  Obviously depending on the mixer used and how fast you heat the sugar - this could be very different!!  Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for??

←

this step is very similar to making italian meringue and other egg white based confections. the whites should be at around soft peak when adding the cooked syrup. you can, as someone mentioned above, add a touch of sugar to the whites while they're whipping to help stabilize them before adding the syrup, but you should be okay either way. don't add the sugar before the whites have started foaming though...because even as it helps to stabilize, if the albumin hasn't had a chance to unwind a little, you won't get full volume.

oh, i think you did a very good job for your first time. if you read some of the other topics on chocolate (now conveniently linked in the Pastry Index), you'll get a lot of helpful tips and ideas for working out of a home kitchen and keeping your chocolate in temper. Kerry Beal did a great demo on straight tempering of chocolate and there are tons of other demos and resources.

[Kerry Beal]

After reading about and looking at all your work from this book, I took the plunge and am desperate to start playing around!

I just have one question: can anyone suggest an appropriate substitute for the invert sugar that is called for in most of the recipes?  Can I swap it out for an equal amount of corn syrup in, say, a ganache recipe?

You all are truly an inspiration to a novice like me who has never even tempered chocolate before.  Thank you for sharing your work and your wisdom!

←

Honey is a reasonable substitute if the flavour isn't an issue.

[renam]

Hi All,

This is my second post. I just joned Egullet last week. I've reading the posts for a couple of months and decided what the heck may as well join! I'm a home chocolatrier. I don't have my own business but I do sell to family and friends and there family and friends.

I recently purchased Peter Grewelings book and it's just fantastic!! I have Roger Geerts book and Pierre Wybauw too.

I'm going to attempt to make Sleeping Beauties this weekend. I bought all the ingredeients including powdered milk.

My question is the powder milk I bought in non fat. Is that ok?

Thanks in advance!

Rena

[Kerry Beal]

Hi All,

This is my second post. I just joned Egullet last week.  I've reading the posts for a couple of months and decided what the heck may as well join!  I'm a home chocolatrier.  I don't have my own business but I do sell to family and friends and there family and friends. 

I recently purchased Peter Grewelings book and it's just fantastic!! I have Roger Geerts book and Pierre Wybauw too.

I'm going to attempt to make Sleeping Beauties this weekend.  I bought all the ingredeients including powdered milk. 

My question is the powder milk I bought in non fat.  Is that ok?

Thanks in advance!

Rena

←

Welcome Rena.

Looking at the recipe I think non fat milk powder is fine. Let us know how they turn out.