Working with Chocolate & hard Candy.

Before the xmas break I was really getting into working with chocolate, I was mostly making ganache and truffles and giving them out as little gifts. Overall I really enjoyed it (despite not being able to eat them, stupid diet ) and everyone enjoyed them .

I'd like to get more serious about it (possibly even look to selling it at some point), and for xmas asked for a variety of chocolate and candy related items and also visited an amazing bake shop in Austin.

I'm mainly working from this book - Although all the recipes in it are for huge yields (150 pieces) it is really interesting and quite technical.

I can temper pretty effectively now, and I've been using Couveture rather than cooking chocolate. I picked up some polycarbonate moulds and some transfer sheets in Austin, so I'm going to try and do some moulded chocolates with pretty patterns on this weekend

I've not tried moulds yet, just dipped chocolates, I do need to get some dipping forks though as using a toothpick is tiresome  

Does anyone else work with chocolate? Anyone got any tips, tricks recipes? I'd be really interested in anyone else's experiences

I know nothing about making chocolate but I know all about tasting it. Let me know if you need any help in that department!! 

I know nothing about making chocolate but I know all about tasting it. Let me know if you need any help in that department!! 

heh heh, will do!

We're looking for a place to move to at the moment, and our ideal is to find somewhere where I can have a decent sized kitchen (with table!) to work at, once I do that I can start working on the larger batch sizes.

I'm hoping to buy a temperature controlled melter next month to keep my tempered chocolate fluid, I'm using a chocolate fountain base at the moment, which is a bit rubbish!

I love candy making!!   

I actually find the microwave really good for melting chocolates especially in small batches.

Moulding is really fun and really pretty fail proof.  My friends once made 150 moulded red (white chocolate) lobsters, one at a time for their wedding favours and that was pretty awesome- the hardest part was just waiting for the chocolate to harden. 

I make mean peanut butter cups and chocolate covered cherries and I also think its fun to make taffy, pull candy, toffees, etc.  I actually have an old school Betty Crocker kids cookbook that has no fail recipes in it and its fun.   

I haven't made boiled sweets or lollipops, though I think that would be fun as well.

Jaque Torres aka Mr. Chocolate offers lots of recipes and tips

Enjoy the candy making, it can really be an adventure and I can imagine . 

 

I haven't tried making chocolate, as such.  I have made fudge a few times.  I'm interested in trying other chocolate, but I don't really have the space for it at the moment.  Plus, there's the fact that there's no one but me to eat it.  And honestly, I'm not much of a chocoholic.  I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it, though.

I do make toffee every Christmas, and I've recently found a much better recipe than the one I'd been using.  Now that I know how it comes together, I'll start experimenting with variations.  Which won't be a problem, because I love toffee.

I haven't tried making chocolate, as such.  I have made fudge a few times.  I'm interested in trying other chocolate, but I don't really have the space for it at the moment.  Plus, there's the fact that there's no one but me to eat it.  And honestly, I'm not much of a chocoholic.  I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it, though.

I do make toffee every Christmas, and I've recently found a much better recipe than the one I'd been using.  Now that I know how it comes together, I'll start experimenting with variations.  Which won't be a problem, because I love toffee.

Can I have your toffee recipe?

L - Is that betty C cookbook still in circulation? I wouldn't mind having a go at some of those

Sure, I'll PM it to you.  And to anyone else who wants it.

Does anyone know if fondue chocolate can be used in place of couveture? I'm assuming so as they're both chocolate with high cocoa butter content, and both solid at room temp?

I'm thinking about getting this :
http://www.gilesandposner.com/acatalog/900g_Dark_Chocolate.html

L - Is that betty C cookbook still in circulation? I wouldn't mind having a go at some of those

Well I pulled it down and its from 1970, so I can imagine you'd probably find ones that are better out there now. (Though I love its retro appeal- mustard yellow kitchens, melanine dishes, bell bottomed kids, flowers!)  Kids cookbooks are actually really fun to make candy and sweets from, because they're inherently made to be easy!