gap
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Post by gap on Nov 22, 2006 16:22:52 GMT -5
I've done a bit of fondant making before. I always pour the sugar into a large baking pan with high sides before I start mixing/beating the mixture. I find that way I dont make too much of a mess anywhere.
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gap
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Post by gap on Nov 20, 2006 18:46:53 GMT -5
well, I managed to find Invertase at a local cake decorating shop and am going to give this a go as soon as the weather cools down a little (35 degrees cent. yesterday and similar today). Thanks to all participants for your help and I'll report back with results.
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gap
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Post by gap on Nov 16, 2006 23:25:08 GMT -5
Hi All,
what is invertase? Is it an invert sugar or something else? Is it a brandname?
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gap
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Post by gap on Nov 14, 2006 17:09:29 GMT -5
Hi sweettooth, I have been wondering the same thing for my Christmas chocolate run. I asked on another forum at: forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=94811From what I understand (and that's not much), the trick to making a "runny" centre seems to be using normal fondant and putting some invert sugar with it. Then enrobe your fondant centres. I think the idea is that over the next few days the invert sugar "breaks down" the fondant into a syrup. As for crystalised violets - you can buy them already made to drop on top. All that said I haven't tried making them myself yet. The problem for me is that invert sugar is not readily available in smaller packaging in my area. I am interested to hear if you or anyone else has more success than me (or modifications to my theory above).
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gap
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Post by gap on Sept 11, 2006 18:26:40 GMT -5
There are a lot of questions here but I'll give it a go and then see what others have to say/correct:
I have only seen "seed chocolate" referenced when talking about tempering chocolate. In this case, seed chocolate is chocolate already in temper. It is added to melted chocolate during the tempering process to help the correct crystals form in the chocolate and achieve correct temper.
It is possible to buy Belgium made chocolate (eg., Callebaut brand) but I'm not sure why you would add cocoa butter and milk powder - you could just buy the chocolate in milk form already. Maybe someone else has some ideas?
As for making chocolate from the bean etc - it all comes down to what you want to sell. If you want to make chocolate pralines/bon bons/truffles etc then you probably want to focus your attention to that part of the business, rather than making the chocolate itself from scratch (although some find the time to do both - depends on staff numbers). If you want to sell solid chocolate bars, then making the chocolate yourself from scratch would be a good marketing point but there are others out there who blend various couverture chocolates to produce a "blended" bar.
I can't help with the storing of liquer but as for measurements, % is just the best way of presenting the information people want. For example, we may want to know what proportion of our chocolate is made of chocolate mass rather than how much is in there in an absolute sense. Eg., 70g of cocoa mass in a 100g bar (70%) is a strong dark bar - well 70% is for me :-) - whereas 70g in a 250g bar (28%) would probably be a mild milk chocolate bar.
Hopefully that answers some of your questions and some other members can add their bit as well.
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gap
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Post by gap on Mar 23, 2006 18:56:49 GMT -5
chocdoc - I lived in Switzerland for a while and apparently the cows, when they go up into the mountains at certain times of the year, eat a lot of herbs that are in the grass. Apparently this helps produce the flavour of Swiss milk and hence influences the taste of the milk chocolate
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gap
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Post by gap on Mar 21, 2006 0:24:06 GMT -5
Hi Alan,
most professional producers I know use a vibrating table. However, if you're after a similar affect at home and don't want the expense (at least at this stage) a similar result can be obtained if you are using polycarbonate moulds - the really thick ones that dont bend - by filling them with chocolate and banging them against the table 10-15 times. This is what I do at home when I'm making moulded pralines. It could be a little tough with the thinner moulds that bend, however.
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gap
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Post by gap on Jan 2, 2007 22:15:16 GMT -5
Alchemist John, am I remembering correctly when you said you had beans from PNG? What do you think of their flavour? I have tried some Vanuatu-bean chocolate and it has one of the strongest chocolate flavours I've experienced in a while.
It seems that I really need to find some Madagascar as well.
Robert - you mentioned Guittard as one producer which uses that origin - are there others worth trying (I'm not sure what will be easier to source here in AUstralia)
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gap
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Post by gap on Jul 17, 2006 1:58:42 GMT -5
Surely some chocolate is better than none? ? Even if it is Hersheys. Imagine living with no chocolate - not a pretty thought.
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gap
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Post by gap on May 25, 2006 1:49:29 GMT -5
I thought this might be appreciated by forum members . . . it is just as we have always expected www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,19250311-38198,00.html Sorry, the link doesn't seem to work because of the commas (,) - try copying and pasting the link into your browser.
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gap
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Post by gap on May 29, 2006 19:07:39 GMT -5
For both sugaralchemy and Sebastian - thanks for the information and thanks for keeping it "relatively" technical.
Even if you don't cover everything about a particular topic, it still gives people like me a good idea on what I can go away and research further. For instance, I had never heard about plastic viscosity v. yield value - it provides a perfect description/term, when I thought about it, for some other things I have read and actually experienced when making chocolates at home.
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gap
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Post by gap on Oct 19, 2007 0:15:25 GMT -5
Joy,
I know Tava in Australia (www.tava.com.au) are completely nut free and offer 100% chocolate for sale over the Net. If you have a Santha maybe you could incorporate sugar yourself??? (I don't know if it would work but it might be worth talking to them)
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gap
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Post by gap on Mar 21, 2006 18:57:17 GMT -5
I am definately no professional chocolatier but would describe myself as an enthusiastic amateur. I don't try to make the chocolate from scratch but rather use chocolate to make pralines/bon bons/truffles and other chocolate coated goodies. It is interesting for me to learn how chocolate itself is made, however, so that I understand how flavour can be influenced in the final products I use (various couvertures). Chocolate making is a hobby for me that I find very relaxing. Its also a good hobby because people are always happy to eat chocolate - even when the creation is a terrible mistake!
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