So begins the Candy holidays

[La Quinta]

This entire thread is fascinating to me....thank you...(and on a smoking forum, no less) EVEN BETTER!!!  ;D

[Drac]

After a week or so of working on centers I'm down to 4 left.  The new salted caramel came out well but the salted dark chocolate truffles have failed twice.  One more try and if it doesn't go well I'll have to come up with a different flavor.  I recently saw a Green Fairy (absinth) truffle, hmm...

I got to head to Pensey's for some vanilla beans.  I need 4 for the vanilla truffle (one for Amy) and that is the only place I can get them at a reasonable price.  Nice that they are also some of the freshest and best ones.

Tonight I start on the shells so if everything goes well (been a bit of a rough an annoying weekend) I should have some pics on it.  Spent a bit of time sitting on the couch yesterday polishing the molds with cotton balls.  It helps make the molds release better. 

Jim

[Caneyscud]

I am just fascinated with this thread.  I love candy making when I used to do it for the holidays - but never made fine chocolates. 

My only question - where is the brisket truffle or the chocolate covered poke rib?  Or even a chocolate covered moink ball that had been basted in pineapple and coconut?  Then a fatty - oh my head hurts with all the possibilities!!! 

[Drac]

I am just fascinated with this thread.  I love candy making when I used to do it for the holidays - but never made fine chocolates. 

My only question - where is the brisket truffle or the chocolate covered poke rib?  Or even a chocolate covered moink ball that had been basted in pineapple and coconut?  Then a fatty - oh my head hurts with all the possibilities!!! 

From last year's post -



Chocolate covered bacon.  Close enough?

Jim

[ghost9mm]

That's just plain wrong, you are going to hurt someone with pictures like that... :D

[Quarlow]

So Drac, you get Absinth down there? I heard it was illegal in the U.S.

[La Quinta]

Q...it is now made in Cali...(and maybe other places now) but very highly regulated as it has those silly kinda LSD properties to it!!!  8)

[Drac]

I've always wanted to try it as I am a Poe and Lovecraft fan.  There is a mystic and air about it just for the almost ritual way it is traditional enjoyed.  I got a chance to enjoy it in San Diego Old Town a year or so ago.

It will take quite a bit of research before I use it though.  Not so much about the properites or the chance of poisoning.  Both are rarely an issue with the regulations on the manufacturing.  Big issue is seperating the look a likes, Absinth flavored and the real stuff.  Regulation there is a lot more lax.

Last night wasn't a good night for shells.  Who would have thought it would be in the 80s in Nov?  So I worked at finishing up the next two centers.  Got the vanilla and salted dark chocolate done.  The vanilla is for my wife Amy and uses 4 vanilla beans for the batch. 

Hopefully will be cool enough for shells tonight.  More good news is that the transfers I ordered should be here tomorrow and I will be able to get going on the fancy ones.

Jim

[Drac]

Here we are after a lot of work -



Next step, the making of the shells.  The setup.  Got this machine several years ago and it has made my life so much easier and faster.  Have the molds, forks, transfer sheet and the tempering machine -



Here is one of the magnetic molds and the transfer sheet.  It is silk screened, colored cocoa butter -



Trim it up (so I get 3 runs) to fit the mold -



Fitted in and ready -

[Drac]

As I get ready to do up some milk chocolate.  Got the machine loaded up -



Got the machine going.  One issue with the wafers is they spill over so I use the saucer to hold them in -



First step is done.  This is melting the chocolate to a temp that melts the cocoa butter completely -



Add the seed chocolate.  This will cause the cocoa butter to crystallize in the correct shape -



Ready to use -

[Drac]

Filling the molds.  One technique is to fill a piping bag and fill each cavity -



The neater technique -



Empty back into the machine and run the trowel over the mold -



Ready for the fridge to set -



The rest are done using the ladle to scoop the chocolate into the molds.  I like using the bag for the magnetic ones but the scoop is faster but messier.  Here are the molds setting up in the fridge.  Will do up some of the dark chocolate ones tonight, fill and cap them tomorrow a bunch at a time.



Someone asked about cleanup?



Jim

[squirtthecat]

GOOD GOLLY!    You need some stainless steel tables and a pressure washer.......

[ghost9mm]

You need someone to lick the spoons, and I'm going to volunteer...lol...it is sure is interesting to watch...

[SiFumar]

You need someone to lick the spoons, and I'm going to volunteer...lol...it is sure is interesting to watch...

I agree!  I'm waiting for the video to come out too!  ;D

[La Quinta]

Wow Drac....you are an amazing chocolatier...very, very kool...Our own Jaques Torres!!!