trap
Neophyte
Posts: 2
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Post by trap on Mar 19, 2009 16:19:10 GMT -5
Hi! i am a new member :-) yesterday i tried to make some truffles. I chopped the chocolate and poured hot cream in it at once! stirred for a while but the texture couldnt get smooth... then i added some cognac in the non-smooth chocolate mixture and the whole mixture leaked oils which i threw away... :-( any idea about what happened?
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Post by Brad on Mar 19, 2009 18:50:10 GMT -5
Your emulsion "broke". An emulsion is essentially a suspension of oil and water. Here's what I've learned: Chocolate and cream mixed together will, if mixed too long, separate and go lumpy. Liquors contain alcohol (which curdles milk BIG TIME), and water - which if added to an already borderline mixture will cause the emulsion to break almost right away. Make sure you find a balance between the liquid and the chocolate, then reduce the liquid by the amount of liquor you want add for flavour. Mix the liquor in first, and THEN the cream. It is my experience that many chocolate companies don't in fact use true liquors in their ganache centers due to the issue with the emulsion breaking or the cream curdling. They use a concentrated flavouring. You can also create a concentrated flavouring of your own out of the liquor you wish to use by first boiling the alchohol off. Alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water and will be the first to boil when reducing the liquor. If you're in the "out back", put a lid on the liquor, attach coiled copper tubing, seal the lid and let the copper tubing cool the steam. Essentially you will have created a still, and can drink in moderation the hooch that comes out of the tube, and when you're sober you can make chocolate centers with the reduced liquor remaining when the temperature jumps to begin boiling the water in the liquor. Keep this on the "Down low" though. I hear stills are illegal. Brad.
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trap
Neophyte
Posts: 2
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Post by trap on Mar 20, 2009 5:02:24 GMT -5
Oh my god... I thought it would be easier. However, from what i learned through searching, you only can add the alcohol after the fat(cream) has been added to the chocolate! Isnt that true? Thank you very much you replied! There are a lot of things i have to learn... Next time i 'll be more carefull :-)
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