Don't waste your money using Callebaut as a shell. Use a product
called Melt n' Mold for your shell. Save the good stuff (Callebaut)
for other uses. Melt 'N Mold works great and is very cheap. I have a
question..

It should be cheap...
..Its a compoud coating, and not a real chocolate...just sugar Cocoa
powder, cocoa butter replacer( lecithn , antibloom agents and
flavor),...
It cannot compare with the quality of real chocolates...
However it depends also upon your market.....If your clients are used
to cheapo chocolates they will not mind the imitation chocolates nor
even know if they are eating the real thing....

at Tue, 14 Feb 2006 17:08:02 GMT in S7oIf.8387$C02.5096@trndny02,
(Janet Puistonen) wrote :

Alex Rast wrote:
snip

I'm interested in how you would make a white chocolate ganache. I
have tried several different approaches, but always find the texture
not what I would wish.

I use the same approach I use for dark ganache. I grate the chocolate
with a box grater, heat the cream, and pour the hot cream over the
grated chocolate. With white chocolate the cream should be really
quite cool, in relative terms....
Do you bring the cream to a boil and let it cool, or not boil it at all?

I don't let it boil at all.

Do you have any idea what temperature the cream is when you combine it
with the chocolate?

It's in the range of 75-85C/167-185F. I don't get too obsessed over *exact*
temperature but I've always kept it short of bubbling.

And have you experimented with adding other
flavorings?

A few, mostly mild, subtle flavourings.

I originally wanted a key lime ganache that would resemble
key lime pie filling in flavor, with the white chocolate standing in for
the condensed milk. (I started with a truffle ganache, then moved to a
filling ganache because the texture wasn't good enough. I've now stopped
making that also because I just wasn't happy with the flavor and
texture, although other people liked it.) I've thought about infusing
the cream with lime peel and adding lime oil instead of using the juice,
in order to avoid cutting the fat content of the liquid.

I would *definitely* infuse with lime peel. The acidity would certainly
interfere with the texture of the ganache. That's the real problem about
using lime and/or lemon juice. Besides, the peel gives a more robust and
pleasant flavour.

In actual fact, I would use the Indian sort of super-condensed milk called
khoya to make something like you claim. Khoya, milk-fudge, is made by
taking whole milk and condensing it using a reduction method, stirring
constantly, until it becomes very thick and is tan in colour. You could
introduce lime peel somewhere about halfway into the process. OTOH, making
this product takes a LOT of time - 1 hour for every 1/2 liter, which
condenses down to scarcely 100 ml or less.


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Alex Rast wrote:
I would *definitely* infuse with lime peel. The acidity would
certainly interfere with the texture of the ganache. That's the real
problem about using lime and/or lemon juice. Besides, the peel gives
a more robust and pleasant flavour.

I haven't had a problem making a lemon ganache with milk chocolate and lemon
juice, etc. But I add the lemon juice at the end.

In actual fact, I would use the Indian sort of super-condensed milk
called khoya to make something like you claim. Khoya, milk-fudge, is
made by taking whole milk and condensing it using a reduction method,
stirring constantly, until it becomes very thick and is tan in
colour. You could introduce lime peel somewhere about halfway into
the process. OTOH, making this product takes a LOT of time - 1 hour
for every 1/2 liter, which condenses down to scarcely 100 ml or less.

This sounds very much like dulce de leche.

at Wed, 15 Feb 2006 17:04:34 GMT in CaJIf.6775$lG.4981@trndny01,
(Janet Puistonen) wrote :

Alex Rast wrote:
In actual fact, I would use the Indian sort of super-condensed milk
called khoya to make something like you claim. Khoya, milk-fudge, is
made by taking whole milk and condensing it using a reduction method,
stirring constantly, until it becomes very thick and is tan in
colour.
This sounds very much like dulce de leche.

The big difference is that Khoya doesn't have *nearly* the amount of sugar.
Dulce de leche is more sugar than milk. Some versions of Khoya have a
little bit of sugar added but you can make it just as well with no added
sugar at all. So, for instance, you couldn't make it with sweetened
condensed milk, which, as I've said before, is a complete misnomer - it
should be called milk-fortified sugar syrup. IMHO a chocolate made with
dulce de leche risks being cloyingly sweet - not so with khoya which has a
much more subtle sweetness to it.


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Janet Puistonen wrote:
Mark Thorson wrote:
Alex Rast wrote:

One thing I wish is that someone would make a controlled-temperature
chiller for storage and creation of chocolate and chocolates in small
volumes. Something about the size of a half fridge should do it.

That sounds just like a wine refrigerator.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-wine-refrigerator.htm

Is 55F too cool? Too warm?

It sounds about right, but it also ideally has very low humidity and some
airflow.

A good wine fridge should be humidity controlled. We have an old pastry
display display case which is both temperature and humidity controlled,
but of course way bigger than a half-fridge like the wine cabinets, but
if you have the room you can find them used for reasonable prices.

In general, in my wife's shop we depend on AC and fans, and some regular
refrigerators. A timer helps to keep from leaving stuff in the fridge
too long. I have been thinking about building a cooling room that would
hold a couple of tray trucks.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

I have been thinking about building a cooling
room that would hold a couple of tray trucks.

A cooling room for chocolates is IMO and expensive use of limited
space. in the long term.

The room for chocolate work should be cool anyway....but
Its better to have cooling tunnel inside it and then install other
equipments needed for the chocolate work.in that particular room.
There is no need to run between two rooms as there is wasted effort and
working efficiency running between rooms from the point of time and
motion study..

Chembake wrote:
I have been thinking about building a cooling
room that would hold a couple of tray trucks.

A cooling room for chocolates is IMO and expensive use of limited
space. in the long term.

The room for chocolate work should be cool anyway....but
Its better to have cooling tunnel inside it and then install other
equipments needed for the chocolate work.in that particular room.
There is no need to run between two rooms as there is wasted effort
and working efficiency running between rooms from the point of time
and motion study..

I've read, in the Wybauw book, that the temperature differential between
chocolate and item to be dipped should not be more than 18F. This means that
if the working temp of the chocolate is 86F at the lowest, that the coolest
the room should be is 68F. This is not what I would consider a "cool"
room--at least not in the winter.

Any comments?

I've read, in the Wybauw book, that the temperature differential between
chocolate and item to be dipped should not be more than 18F. This means that
if the working temp of the chocolate is 86F at the lowest, that the coolest
the room should be is 68F. This is not what I would consider a "cool"
room--at least not in the winter.

Well based on practical experience...If I dipped centers more t han 8
degree C cooler( equivalent to 18F) the chocolate tends to harden
undevenly....sometimes moisture condensation can even occur and that
can affect the quality of the coaitng.and the resulting product
In many cses if the centers are too cold the chocolate coating tends to
loosen up and flake off.

Therefore if the centers are kept under refrigeration I allow it to
thaw in the chocolate room ambient before I enrobed it to minimize the
temperature differential.
Besides the coating can bind better if the center is a bit warm.

If I back up filled shells with chocolate I even warm gently and
quickly the centers with a heat gun before I place the final coating.
to ensure a good adhesion

Janet Puistonen wrote:
controlled, but of course way bigger than a half-fridge like the wine
cabinets, but if you have the room you can find them used for
reasonable prices.

Any advice on good sources of used equipment?

There is a used restaurant supply place in Roanoke, Va.
Is that close enough to be helpful? If so, contact me
by e-mail and I'll look up the number. We actually got
ours from a restaurant that was out of business, but
we've bought other stuff from the guy in Roanoke.

If you are in another area, check the yellow pages for
"restaurant equipment, used" and you should find some
sources.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

Chembake wrote:
I have been thinking about building a cooling
room that would hold a couple of tray trucks.

A cooling room for chocolates is IMO and expensive use of limited
space. in the long term.

The room for chocolate work should be cool anyway....but
Its better to have cooling tunnel inside it and then install other
equipments needed for the chocolate work.in that particular room.
There is no need to run between two rooms as there is wasted effort and
working efficiency running between rooms from the point of time and
motion study..

I'm not talking about a separate room, but more of a closet within
the main room. I'm not convinced it is the way to go, but way
cheaper and less space taken up than a cooling tunnel. Those
beasts can be pricey, at least the ones I've looked at.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

I'm not talking about a separate room, but more of a closet within
the main room. I'm not convinced it is the way to go, but way
cheaper and less space taken up than a cooling tunnel. Those
beasts can be pricey, at least the ones I've looked at.

I understand....its more like a cabinet where you can store your
chocolates.

That is good if you are just looking for a hobby or a very small home
business and have no option for expansion...in the future
A cooling tunnel do cost more but is for a long term business with
option for expansion....Besides it produces consistency in results
regardless of the product that is run through it.

wrote:
Janet Puistonen wrote:
controlled, but of course way bigger than a half-fridge like the
wine cabinets, but if you have the room you can find them used for
reasonable prices.

Any advice on good sources of used equipment?

There is a used restaurant supply place in Roanoke, Va.
Is that close enough to be helpful? If so, contact me
by e-mail and I'll look up the number. We actually got
ours from a restaurant that was out of business, but
we've bought other stuff from the guy in Roanoke.

If you are in another area, check the yellow pages for
"restaurant equipment, used" and you should find some
sources.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

I live in Maine, and I've never seen any used chocolate equipment for sale
here, unfortunately. Too small, population-wise.

Janet Puistonen wrote:

I live in Maine, and I've never seen any used chocolate equipment for sale
here, unfortunately. Too small, population-wise.

Well, the display case I was talking about is a "pastry"
case. It's like a deli case except the temperature range
is not as low. Some deli cases might be adjustable enough
to be used for chocolate cooling. You want something around
55 to 65 degrees, and humidity control around 50% if I
remember correctly. Pastry cases are set up for just
that range.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

Janet Puistonen wrote:

I live in Maine, and I've never seen any used chocolate equipment for sale
here, unfortunately. Too small, population-wise.

Oh, another thing I've found is to try to find things
that work for chocolate but are not advertised as such.
For example, a vibrator for getting air bubbles out of
chocolate in the mold is handy, but the models sold as
being for chocolate are expensive compared to dental
laboratory vibrators. They are a little small, but good
enough for low volume production.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

For example, a vibrator for getting air bubbles out of
chocolate in the mold is handy, but the models sold as
being for chocolate are expensive compared to dental
laboratory vibrators. They are a little small, but good
enough for low volume production

The vibrator is part of the tempering machine. It has another
attachment which can be used to fill spun products like easter eggs,
bunnes and other large molds .But for chocolate shells It can handle
usually two molds at a time, but if you are skilled at using it you
can prepare shells a minute-or two per pair of polycarbonate molds in
sequence....In half an hour you can fill roughly 50-60 molds for
shells and run it in the cooling tunnel continuously.
The backing off ( covering the filled shells with chocolates )takes
approximately the same time.

If you look closely at the construction( an if you have good hands in
doing mechanical things )
You can always improvise by making your own vibrator where you can
allow it to fit in more molds, The platform is supported by strong
spring with an electic motor that transfer the motion to a form of
contraption that creates the shaking action which is converted to
vibratinga action by the supporting springs. The rate of vibration can
be modified by turning a screw or nut to tighten or loosen up
vibrating know which will equate with different intensity of vibration
you need.