Forum Activity for @Sarah Hart

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

How about Vintage Plantations?

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Kristina:Thanks for pointing this out to me. I recently purchased some Zotter bars and did not notice the Fair Trade logo on them I will have to search and see.:: Clay

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Clay,even if it probably won't be a big help for you - Zotter works with FLO cerfified beans. They make lots of filled bars selling them in organic supermarkets, but their Loboko bars (Panama, Nicaragua for instance) are not mass-market.Just an idea...

Is there such a thing as GREAT Fair Trade chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

Along with ChocolateLife member Sunita de Tourreil, I am giving a presentation to a group at the World Bank next week.

Having just come back from the Salon du Chocolat two days ago and taking a look there, I was wondering if anyone knows of a truly world-class chocolate made with FLO Fair Trade certified beans.

Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Divine, etc., all make certified chocolates but I don't know anyone who puts them in the same class as Bonnat, Amedei, Domori, Askiniosie, Amano, et al.

There are very large companies making certified chocolate but that's all mass-market chocolate-like substance, IMO.

Any thoughts?

updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/10/15 16:47:11

Preservatives for longer shelf life

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I don't believe adding glucose to a nut-based filling will help much. There's very little free water in a confection like that to begin with.The shelf life of ganaches, on the other hand, will greatly benefit from products like invert sugar, glucose, alcohols and acids.A good reference is chef Peter Grewelling's book Chocolates and Confections: Formula, Theory, and Technique for the Artisan Confectioner

Preservatives for longer shelf life

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, Techniques

I am doing a consultancy for a chocolate store owner who is looking at adding preservatives to his fillings. Although this is totally against my chocolate religion, I was wondering where I can get info regarding preservatives? What kind suits best each filling without greatly affecting the taste...

I also wonder, will the addition of glucose to a nut based filling (gianduja/praline) help increase the shelf life?

updated by @Omar Forastero: 04/11/25 09:27:36

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Ha! That's hilarious Seneca! Thanks for posting that.I guess you could make most edible liquids solid at room temp by putting them in cocoa butter but it seems like a pain since you have to temper it then too.

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Speaking of other non-chocolate things to do with cocoa butter: http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/01/dave-arnold-makes-chocolate-ketchup.html

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I just bought one of these and their Sundrop truffles with sunflower seed honey filling since the recommendations were so high for all their chocolate. I talked to Elizabeth on the phone and she was able to do lower-cost USPS flat rate shipping on request. Looking forward to trying it!

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Pretty certain you'll have to temper the bar- cocoa butter is a big part of it.

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

What an interesting concept! I just ordered one myself ($7 shipping to here) and may also try making it, depending on how I like hers. Cafe au lait might be nice. I wonder if you have to temper it before molding?

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I have had Sahagun's Kapow bar and it is excellent. Worth every penny.

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Yes. Ingredients are cocoa butter, coffee, and sugar. Tastefulness and execution are excellent. Montes set the standard by which imitators will be judged. It's up to you, of course, but $15 seems like a small price to pay for a product you're considering reverse-engineering.

Sahagun Coffee Bar

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Not achocolate bar, but made in the same vein, has anyone tried Sahagun's coffee bar in Portland? I'd like to try it, or try making my own, but not really willing to pay the $10 shipping for a $5 bar if it's not amazing.
updated by @Nat: 04/10/15 11:13:12

Ella's Sweet Shoppe

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Hello The Chocolate Life.

Nice to be a member. Thanks.

Were a big candy store in GA. We carry everything sweet.

24 flavors of 100% pure Gourmet Italiano Gelato

Artisan Chocolates

5000 different bulk & packaged candies

100+ Soda pops and more.

Check us out if your in Georgia sometime or heres our website so you can see pics & vids:

www.EllasSweetShoppe.com

thanks.

updated by @Ellas Sweet Shoppe: 04/16/15 05:20:48

Chocolate class

Posted in: News & New Products Press

I was planning to do the exact same thing you suggested. But thanks for the help.

Chocolate class

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Best way I've found, make the samples for your own practice, and see what you comfortably needed.

Chocolate class

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Hi, I need a small help, Ive been asked to teach a chocolate class and I was wondering how much chocolate I would need.
updated by @Hilmir Kolbeins: 03/11/26 06:20:34

Uses for cocoa leaves and bloom.

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Hi Ning-Geng,

In our book chapter on cacao chemistry
Bletter, N. and D. Daly. 2006. " Cacao and its relatives in South America: An overview of taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, chemistry, and ethnobotany" in Cameron L. McNeil ed. Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao, University Press of Florida.

we found the following compounds in cacao leaves reported in other sources:
caffeine 0.06trace mg/g
theobromine 1.120.02 mg/g
This compares with the seed which contains around 10 mg/g of theobromine and about 0.6 mg/g caffeine, so the seed which you eat as chocolate has much higher levels of both of these.

In some other Theobroma species, like T. grandiflorum (cupuau) there is
tetramethyl urate 0.07trace mg/g
tetramethyluric acid unreported amount

tetramethyl urate is found in the seeds of T. grandiflorum and T. bicolor also at higher quantities of 2.600.52 mg/g, and these seeds are often eaten in Mexico and S. America as cupulate and pataxte, respectively.

We haven't found any other compounds listed in cacao leaves, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Traditionally we've only found reports of cacao leaves being used medicinally for listlessness, snakebites, and as a diuretic in S. America. Generally if there's not a traditional use of a plant as a food in its native area where people have likely been experimenting with it for thousands of years, I wouldn't try it, since people have probably tried it at some point and figured out it's not safe.

I have seen no reports of the toxicity of the flowers, one way or another. Most flowers, especially in the Mallow/Hibiscus family that cacao is in, are safe to eat, but they are so small and each flower you eat could mean one less cacao pod with much more delicious pulp and seeds, so why bother eating them?

Uses for cocoa leaves and bloom.

Posted in: Chocolate Education

I've been told that young leaves make for excellent salad but I also recall reading that cocoa leaves have a level of toxicity, so I'm not sure if they are safe for consumption. Please share your knowledge on this issue.

I'm also curious if there are any culinary uses for the cocoa flowers, on their own I would assume that it is not recognizable to most people, and they're not very big to begin with.

updated by @Ning-Geng Ong: 04/11/15 11:22:35

New Bussiness/Lianda

Posted in: News & New Products Press

Lianda, My first time on this forum. Where in South Africa are you? I am in Centurion, done an Ecolechocolate course. Maybe we can share some info. ELIZABETH
updated by @ELIZABETH3: 03/11/26 06:20:34

Lana,While you are browsing the show, drop by the Brazilian display and ask for Lola. She speaks English and can explain the Brazilian cocoa situation. The cocoa industry in Brazil is undergoing a major transformation with regards to quality standards and you will be pleasantly surprised at the type of beans available. She is the owner of a farm and has bean samples for those interested. It will be worth your efforts to talk to herJim Lucas

I'm Sure there are trade stands that will sell you couverture but a bigger problem for you would be the strikes and riots that are happening in France at the minute.. You may not even get out of the airport.. Sorry to give you such bad advice !!

I'm sure you can buy both chooclates and chocolate bars. I did two years ago.

Can't answer your question but I'm hoping that you have a wonderful time! Let us know all about it. Bon Voyage!

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Hi, can you give me advice on the production of chocolate pralines? I need molds and another equipment?!

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

hello all ,

this is great info and i;m gonna try it out , i;m searching for a long shelf life mint filling for my dark chocolates .

which is the ideal one of these to start with .

thanks in advance.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Here is a little followup after months of searching, testing. I managed to make this last christmas after the first peppermint test I started here in this post.

Put 3 lbs sugar into a saucepan and add 15 oz water and mix, heat gently until it reaches 107 C

Add 280gr glucose and and mix. increase heat and bring temperature up to 115 - 118 C Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool to about 45c the mixture should be clear.

Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon, it will gradually begin to become white and thicker. If it becomes to thick ad a little water to keep the consistency right. Add flacor and color.

Pipe into pralines.

This worked great and I got a lot of compliments.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Easy way is to start with a basic fondant, then make a bob or thinning syrup of sucrose and glucose syrup at a level and ratio to make the creme thin enough to use and give you the final texture you're looking for. Starting with a basic fondant or better yet making your own(its own topic)will give you a much smaller crystal andsmoother/creamier texture. Most basic fondant is an S-10 type, meaning 10 parts glucose syrup solids to 100 parts sucrose.You can hold the basic fondant for weeks, just using as needed with the thinning syrup, saving a lot of time in production. If you need to lighten the texture and reduce sweetnesss you can add a frappe.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Hi and thanks for the recipe. I tried your recipe for the "trimoline" , Its a good recipe but my outcome was far from perfect it came out a bit "cheap tasting"

I think the chocolate I used where a bit to sweet. It got a bit to sweet together with the peppermint creme. Here is a follow up question. Is there really difference between glucose syrup and trimoline?

The classic sugar syrup is always 2 parts granulated sugar with 1 part water.

Ill try using darker more bitter chocolate next time combined with boiling the "trimoline/glucose syrup" a bit further.

Thanks for sharing and also please let me know if you find any good recipe for fillings in the internet.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

niice. well done man!

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Update, I managed to make my own Trimoline (4 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp citric acid. Boiled until it reaches 114c or 235F. Cover pot with lid and let reach room temp.I then added some glucose for consitency and to reduce the sweetness added some Peppermint flavor and pipped in some shells. It was a hit. It was execetly like the ones I buy in stores.Thanks for the help.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Thanks Omar, Ive been looking into trimoline and it looks like it will be the choice for me.I bought a piece of peppermint choclate bar, made here in Iceland the ingredients for the filling was ,Glucose, Invert Sugar and flavoring.And I use pepperment essence from a company here in Iceland and I got an orange flavor from something called CK og GK, Im not home at the moment.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

hi hilmir,i'm just curious at what temperature do you boil the mix and what kind of flavoring are you after?i'm assuming you are adding artificial ones (like mint essence oil)?You can also buy trimoline and flavor it the way u want.it has a long shelf life too.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

I use boling hot water to dissolve the powdered sugar and the glucose, add flavoring. Let cool and then I pipe it into the cavities.People loved the peppermint ones and I found a small batch of them aboout 6 months later and they were still good.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Sort of similar to a fondant cream but without the actual cooked fondant. Not sure what you'd call that sort?

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

Thank you, all I find on the internet is fondand cream filling. I made some peppermint pralines last year and I combined powdered sugar, clucose and water to get the right consisstancy and added some flavor and piped in the mold. Came out wonderful.I was just trying to see if there was a similar way to do it.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

You are talking about what the americans call a 'cream' I assume? A good source of recipes would be Ruth Kendrick's book "Candymaking". Another older, but also useful book that covers creams is called "Making Chocolates" by Alex Lever.

Praline fillings

Posted in: Recipes

HI, again Im searching for some help. Im trying to prefect a methood of making a filling thats made of Glucose and sugar with added flavor. So I can make a filling for praline.
updated by @Hilmir Kolbeins: 04/09/15 05:42:43

Cacao farms in Vietnam

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

I am going to Hanoi, Vietnam in late November and I would love to see some of the cacao farms there I hear so much about while I'm there. I haven't been able to turn up any leads there yet throughpeople I know in Vietnam, orchocolatepeople in the US, but I know thatyouChocolate Lifers will comethrough for me.
updated by @Nat: 04/17/15 18:37:42

Chocolate Drinking Machine Recommendations

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

Hi Brad

I tried the drinking chocolate yesterday its wonderful so chocolaty.

I made it by mixing the corn starch with the powdered sugar first, then I added the ground cocoa paste 96% cs, I boiled the milk and whisked in the dry mix brought back to boil and let simmer for 2 minutes to thicken.

I did it this way as I intend to supply the mix in a bag for sale.

Do you think this is an ok way to make it. It tasted fantastic and I could not taste the corn starch in it.

(Also whats called corn flour in Ireland and the UK , is actually maize starch, I checked the back of the pack)

Louise.

Chocolate Drinking Machine Recommendations

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools (Read-Only)

It may be a translation thing. - I Googled "corn starch and Ireland" & found that in Europe, corn starch is called corn flour.

- Corn Starch - very fine, white powder, used to thicken gravies...

Corn Meal - Coarse bits of ground corn. i.e. Polenta.

Louise, is the corn flour you have that fine white powder?