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Post by jluke on Nov 5, 2006 10:14:10 GMT -5
Hi - I am making dark chocolates (53 percent cocoa solids) with flavored fondant fillings. Quite a few of the finished chocolates are cracking, allowing small amounts of the filling to leak which spoils the appearance. I suspect that when I put the finished chocolates (still in mold) into fridge to finish tempering, the chocolate outer contracts quicker than the fondant inner, causing a stress fracture, but I may be wrong. Does anyone have any ideas how I can cure this problem? Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Jill
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Post by Brad on Nov 5, 2006 12:33:59 GMT -5
I'm no expert, but I've run into that challenge and managed to solve it. Here's the scoop.
What I found is that as the tempered chocolate cools, it shrinks slightly (which is why it pulls away from the mold sides). If the chocolate coating isn't thick enough, or there is no room for contraction, the chocolate shell will crack. I found a number of solutions: 1. When you pour the chocolate in the molds, let it cool longer before pouring the chocolate out, thereby making sure the sides are a bit thicker. 2. Double dip the chocolates. 3. Use less lecithin in your chocolate (which will make it thicker and less fluid), and thereby create thicker walls for the molds. 4. Save the cracked ones for yourself, and spend an extra hour or two at the gym each week.
If using number 4, the amount of chocolate consummed directly correlates with increased gym time, OR increased pant size. The latter can be very expensive, so use this method judiciously!
Take care. Hope this helped.
PS. I always double dip my chocolate cherries!
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Post by Sebastian on Nov 5, 2006 14:12:34 GMT -5
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