Hi Everyone!
Here I am struggling with a new issue! Lately my so-called tempered chocolate is coming out incredibly shiny but soft and pliable. What on earth is going on? I've never seen such shine on chocolate but if you pick up the bar of chocolate with your handsit just bends like putty. Strangely, the same batch of chocolate came out beautiful with a nice shine and snap in the bit size molds it was poured in. Two completely different"end results"using the same chocolate and poured at the same time. Is there a default setting for tempering chocolate? I was wondering if someone could give me a good starting point for tempering Guittard couverture milk, dark, and white? Thanks for any help in advance,
Lisa
This may be due to the rapid emptying of beverages from the stomach, which facilitates more rapid appearance in the blood, as well as the relative ease of digestive releaseand solubilization from beverages as compared to confections, wrote the researchers. This process would serve to facilitate subsequent catechinabsorption.
Our data combined with that of previous investigations suggest that chocolate confections containing high levels of sucrose may enhance plasma levels of the predominant catechin and epicatechin metabolites as compared to milk chocolate confections, while confections containing moderate levels of sucrose and no milk deliver intermediate plasma levels of these compounds, wrote the researchers.However, the physical state of the product may significantly modulate this effect, as our prior study comparing confections and beverages demonstrated that milk-containing beverages produced generally higher serum [levels] than confections with or without milk, and numerous studies have shown no difference in the overall bioavailability of EC between cocoa beverages formulated with milk versus water."
Hey everybody;
The other day, a customer referred me to the following website: www.bedazzlemybonbons.com
They wanted to know if I could bling out our truffles in the same fashion with similar colors.
I visited the site, and must admit that in true redneck fashion, I was immediately attracted to those shiny little things, so I ordered their sample package and checked it out. LOL
I was far from impressed with the confections, and it was pretty clear to me that the centers of their truffles all used artificial flavors. (I never did get past the hazelnut, which, in my opinion, really sucked).
HOWEVER...
They nailed the glitter down. It's not a fine dust. It's actually an edibleglitter which has almost NO texture whatsoever, and it's very sparkly (oh... and it gets all over EVERYTHING!)
Does anyone know where I could get edible glitter like that which you see on that site?
I'm hoping someone could help me out with this one!
Thanks.
Brad.
Dear Chocolate Life Members,
I recently posted some comments to questions by a member about her upcoming trip to France and Belgium.
Having lived in Europe for more than 10 years, I've learned a bit about Belgium and France and even have a website about Brussels (see site address at end). Clay thought some of you might be interested in my comments, so I'm posting them in this section. I'm sure many of you have some things to add about your favorite chocolate experience in Europe.
Here we go....
Post #1:
Hi!
Great to hear from you.
If you are flexible on when you can travel, flights are least expensive pre-summer and post-summer. If you can stay near the Grand Place - say in the Ibis Hotel - you'll be close to much of the action and chocolate.
For a Grand Place Chocolate Tour here's what I recommend:
1. Tasting at Neuhaus (in the Grand Place)
2. Tasting at Godiva (in the Grand Place)
3. Tasting and a quick demonstration watch at Chocopolis (near Ibis)
4. Tasting and demo at Planete Chocolat (behind the Grand Place - see my website, Belgium Chocolate section)
5. Cafe Tasse tasting - also great place for coffee, hot chocolate and charm - see my site for directions. Five minute walk from Grand Place.
6. Tasting at Galler Chocolate in the Grand Place (nice packaging too)
7. You should be able to do all of that in a few hours. Then I'd go to the Sablon Square and visit Wittamer Chocolate - a small upscale boutique that only has one shop.
8. Across from Wittamer is Pierre Marcolini - also upscale. (See my 'Shopping page' under 'Attractions'.)
9. I don't recommend the chocolate museum in the Grand Place - to me it's a disappointment. You can read my story on it and decide for yourself. If you are able to go to Bruges and visit 'Choco Story' Museum - that's better.
When I say 'tasting' above, you'll have to choose a few chocolates to buy. The only one who will give you a free chocolate (one!) is Chocopolis. At least that's my experience.
There's also a Leonidas in the Grand Place, but I think the other chocolate shops are better.
You might also want to take a walking tour with Brussels Walks. They have a chocolate tour you can look into (also on my site.)
Let me know if I can answer any more questions!
Jeff
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Post #2:
Hi again!
Most people who come to Belgium visit Brussels, Brugges and Antwerp. Not sure how deep you want to go in Belgium, but as you probably know, Belgium is known for chocolate and has some 300 independent chocolatiers. If your focus is chocolate, I'd say a day in Brussels and a daytrip to Bruges (by train) would be enough. Bruges is a very beautiful city, built on canals, and very charming. Plus the Choco-Story museum is there as well as some independent chocolatiers (one was featured in a Rick Steves guidebook.)
If you are only going to Paris and Brussels and not renting a car, I'd say fly in and out of Paris and then take a train from Paris Nord to Brussels Midi. From there, you can connect to Brussels Central which is just a three-minute walk to the Grand Place. You can stay in a Grand Place hotel (like the Ibis), do the Grand Place and Sablon chocolate tours, and then take a train to Bruges for a day.
To get to Barry Callebaut in Wieze, Belgium, I think you might need to rent a car. You can do that from the Brussels airport, which you can access easily by taking a train from Brussels Central directly to the airport.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Happy to help.
Jeff
www.brussels-belgium-travel-guide.com
can those experts who KNOW their cacao butter explain what this cacao butter looks like ... why it looks like this > how it may have been proccessed properly or not? i have posted the pics of thebutter whole / chopped and bag it comes in ( along with what the bag looks like after taking the butter out) for hopes of understanding why it looks this way.
i have received butter from other sources that look solid white/smooth with shine and this is definitely not looking that way ... does it mean something is not right or???
mahalo in advance for the guidance!
Iwould like to invite friends atThe Chocolate Life to visit my Facebook Group: Chocolate Tasting Meditation (CM) tm. The group page is to promote meditation through tasting, to improve tasting skills through enhanced focus and to discuss additional benefits that can be achieved through this conscious approach tochocolate. I share with Clay and others the view that chocolate consumption, and the cultivation and production of chocolate, have spiritual and ecological implications that can benefit humanity in many ways. What begins as "indulgence"can elevate to an experience that raises the tasting bar, deepens inner peace,and aids local economies and our fragile ecosystems.
Gratitude & blessings,
Rev. R. M. Peluso
Facebook Group: Chocolate Tasting Meditation (CM)tm
www.artoftheceremony.com click on Meditation
