Chocolate Tempering By Hand Procedures

March 3, 2010
Chocolates are not really glossy, rich and creamy naturally; chocolatiers have to do chocolate tempering to be able to get the best features of the finest quality chocolate. Even though chocolates go through the process of conching it is still not enough to make the cocoa liquor particles real fine. Tempering turns the texture of chocolate very fine that it could not even be detected by the tongue.
Chocolates that did not achieve the right tempering will be prone to blooming, a chocolate condition where whitish spots appear over its surface. Chocolates also feel flaky and gritty, embarrassing qualities when you’re selling them.
When you try to melt chocolates coming from the manufacturers, it would lose temper immediately. A chocolate with a temperature of 90F and above will require tempering.
Since today is the time of automation, most chocolatiers tend to focus on becoming productive at the quickest possible time so they choose to use chocolate tempering machines. However, there are still some advantages in knowing chocolate tempering by hand.
One way in which you could temper is through tabliering. It is also called the marble slab method, a method from France, which includes constantly working on the melted chocolate on the surface of the marble slab to cool down to its exact temperature.
In this procedure you will need one pound of chocolate, bread knife, chopping board, mixing bowl, rubber spatula and a double boiler. Cut the chocolate into strips and place in the double boiler to melt. Afterward, pour over the marble slab and fold using the spatula. Perform this continuously until it cools down to its exact temperature and thickened consistency.
Afterwards, you are now ready to dip your fruits and other confectioneries. While you are busy with your dipping and molding, make sure that you monitor the chocolate’s temperature using your thermometer as it can lose temper quickly. If it does, you’ll have to re-temper the chocolate again.
Another way you could manually temper chocolate is through the seeding method, somewhat similar to tabliering. The object is to coax the loose crystals to copy the crystals that are already in the pre-tempered chocolate.
Gather the same materials as in the tabliering method, heat three-fourths part of the chocolate strips. Once done, pour the chocolate into a bowl and mix using a spatula. Mix in the remaining chocolate strips until the whole mush has reached precise temperatures and consistency. Regularly check on the temperature to make sure that the chocolate is in its right temperatures. Always keep your calibrated thermometer ready.
Tempering is really a difficult task because it involves a lot of work. It also takes a lot of your time that you may not have a chance to be artistic.
If you are thinking of making chocolates either for selling or simply for gift giving, acquiring a chocolate tempering machine could really be helpful. It will make chocolate tempering much easier and the chocolate candy making procedure more enjoyable.

Hampers for Chocoholics from Fannie May

February 7, 2010

Fannie May had humble origins, but it has shown that marvelous service, high quality, and an extensive range are the recipe for results. It all started in the Windy City in the early 1920s. Since then this innovative company has developed from a single shop to a thriving network furnishing the nation with delightful candies.

If you need in-depth information, you are advised to check out our super source for chocolates guidelines…

Fannie May’s gift of mixing cocoa, sugar and other premium ingredients in the perfect way made them such a favorite that they grew to about 48 outlets in merely 15 years. During the second world war food rationing, the doors of the business were temporarily shut, as they resolved not to scale down the quality of any of their chocolate. As a result, many of the recipes it used back in the early days are in fact still in production and on sale nowadays. Of course each individual chocolate looks as delicious as it tastes. Lovely presentation boxes add that special flourish to make a gift anyone will be over the moon with. How much you spend is completely your decision, going from only one chocolate to a hamper loaded with various types of chocolate truffle, fruit creams and every other filling you can imagine from Fannie May. It is simple to select a premade variety from the website or you can personalize the order with particular chocolate treats to make sure everyone has plenty of the pieces they like best. Fannie May now own stores not just in America but in various other countries all over the world. So you can order on the internet and have your present sent anywhere. While there are a few delivery restrictions during the hotter summer months, Fannie May has the ability to deliver all sorts of their products everywhere. Even if you are diabetic or are unlucky enough to have allergies, there’s something for your dietary requirements. Bakery items and other sweet treats are on offer not to mention chocolates with no sugar added. If you are catering a large event like a wedding, tiny table gifts and wedding favors are a specialty. You just need to shoot them an e-mail to let them know precisely what you need.

It’s easy to see the reason why Fannie May wares are such a success story. Indeed, the tough part will be choosing from the large assortment of options on the web site. With every sweet treat you can think of from truffles to caramels to choose from, you’re going to get precisely the ideal present.

Get Familiar with Tabliering

January 13, 2010

Tempering used to be uppermost in the worries of chocolatiers earlier on because manual tempering was such a difficult step. Once the tempering machine was invented, most of the chocolatiers have willingly shifted to using it. If chocolates are tempered with a tempering machine, they remain tempered for an extended time, and if need be, even throughout the night.

But there are still some chocolate lovers who go gaga over handmade confectioneries and there are artisanal chocolatiers who cater to this market niche by using a method called tabliering in tempering their chocolate confections. It was in France that tabliering was invented and you’ll use a marble slab to cool the melted chocolate in this method.

Tabliering may go to waste if moisture finds its way into your chocolate so the surfaces and the equipment used must be free of any liquid. “Seizing” results in this case, turning chocolates into a congealed, worthless lump. Seizing may also occur if you heat the chocolate rapidly as well as freeze it.

To start work, prepare a pound of chocolate and such other kitchen paraphernalia as a knife, chopping board, spatula, mixing bowl, double boiler, a cookie sheet, and a thermometer that can read temperatures upwards of 80F. Again, take steps that all these equipment are moisture-free.

Thin strips cut from the chocolate are placed on the upper pan of the double boiler and water for boiling on the lower pan, heating this on low to medium heat so that the temperatures reach 108-115F to melt the chocolate. While pouring the molten chocolate into a mixing bowl, you must be sure that the chocolate flows freely and doesn’t have lumps anymore.

Out of this melted chocolate, otherwise called mush, 2/3 is first worked on a marble slab with a spatula to cool to a temperature of 80-82F. The remaining 1/3 chocolate should continue to stay at 100F else it’ll harden.

After the first 2/3 has cooled, you should mix in the remaining third and work it the same way until the entire lot has reached its necessary cooling temperature. Heat up the mush thus: for dark chocolates, to a temperature of 86-90F; semi-sweet chocolate to 86-88F; and white chocolate to 82-84F. If you dip a part of the spatula in the chocolate and set aside for five minutes, you’ll find your tempering has succeeded if you find that the chocolate is glossy and has hardened. You can then do your dipping and molding routine after this.

Tempering by hand can be labor-intensive and tricky because you’ll need to monitor and maintain accurate temperatures from the time you start melting chocolates to the time you’ve finished crafting them. If there’s even a slight lapse in this, you could repeat the tempering process again until you get it right. For more time to work on your dipping and molding, you can keep tempers longer by setting the chocolate on a bain-marie, being careful about moisture as seizing is still a potential threat.

The Fascinating Tale of Fannie May

January 1, 2010

Even though Fannie May has become a household name in recent years, the business started out small. The story started in the Windy City in the early twenties. And so this innovative company has expanded from one store to a flourishing organization providing the nation with scrumptious goodies.

Please inspect our comprehensive web site for chocolates advice

Fannie May’s talent of blending the finest ingredients in just the right manner made them such a favorite that they expanded to just below 48 shops in merely 15 years. During WWII rationing, the doors of the business were shut, as they refused to impair the quality of any of their candy. Fortunately, many of the recipes it used back then are even being produced and as popular as ever nowadays.

Of course each individual chocolate looks as good as it tastes. Don’t forget to select a beautiful presentation box or tin if the chocolate is for someone special, it will add something extra. The scale of a chocolate gift is wholly your decision, from a single chocolate treat to a hamper bulging with various types of chocolate truffle, fruit creams and just about any other sort you can think of from Fannie May. It’s easy to buy a carefully chosen mixture online or you can personalize the order with unique kinds and types to make sure everybody has plenty of their particular favorites. To better their delivery to shoppers, Fannie May is pleased to have a strong network of branches all over the United States and around the world. This makes it simple for you to send these much loved treats anywhere in America and worldwide without even leaving home. There are a few delicate chocolates which are not suitable for delivery during the summer, but Fannie May has the ability to deliver the majority of gifts internationally. Even if you are diabetic or have allergies, there’s something for your dietary needs. Fannie May’s have low sugar chocolate and a lot more sweets as well. Should you need a large quantity of gift boxes or special gifts for a wedding banquet, Fannie May can help you there too. Give them a call or contact Fannie May online with your plans and ideas. It’s easy to see why Fannie May products are such a booming business. The truth is, with types such as white to dark chocolate, nut, and maple flavors, the hardest part will be choosing what to send!

Inventive Activities for the Season’s Celebrations and Gatherings

December 11, 2009

You can form a full celebration around wintertime activities too. Instantly your home looks and feels like Wintertime, it’s time to adorn your table and whip up a couple of wintertime formulas. This celebration fuses special ambience, warmth, crisp colours, good treats and cocktail, and most of all, the beauty of Winter with the warmness of being indoors with family and friends. The Decorations will bring your Wintertime Wonderland to life and is genuine to move your guests!

You’re preparing a holiday party and want to make it perfect with festive holiday party games and a absolutely coordinated occasion menu. Wine is optimal to accompany the classic turkey so many households savor over the holidays. The lasting holiday favorite needs a pure and warm wine to emphasize its uncomplicated delectability. If you want to dish out red, try the American favorite Pinot Noir (we are apt to those from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, but for something a little less pricey and just as yummy, go for Pinots from the Sonoma Coast. The Pinot’s lack of tannins perfectly accentuates turkey’s qualities and will make everyone glad. For white fans, put in a Sauvignon Blanc. Its balanced sourness and the touch of herbs found in its palette propose some required complexity for your turkey dinner.

Do not worry. You are not the Grinch if you from time to time get overtaken or down during the mayhem of the holidays. While we tend to endorse a little dash of fun when the going gets tough, we’d also like to point out some other ways to ban the Holiday blues. Fake it ’til you make it!: We’ve said (and encountered) this again and again: positioning a smile on your face and looking your best-even when you feel your worst is the way to draw in individuals. And when you are in the dumps, the greatest way to get a little boost is by getting your flirt on!

Make Chocolate Candies in Your Kitchen

November 5, 2009
Eating chocolates or fatty foods like sweets stimulates the release of serotonin, the regulatory hormone managing your intestinal functions. Any excess serotonin is utilized by your brain to control your appetites, your moods and emotions of anger. When “addicts” eat chocolates, their mood swings from happiness to verve quickly.
Scientists do not name it as an “addiction” but instead, they point their fingers at the flavor and nutrients of the chocolates as responsible for tickling your senses and shifting your moods. You can enjoy more of chocolates because you yourself can make them if you learn the process. A time may come when you may want to exhibit to others the chocolate candy recipes you’ve created. You should start with learning the glossary of terms used in the process.
  • Cocoa liquor that contains about 53% of cocoa butter, which is the major ingredient of chocolates, comes from roasting and grinding cocoa beans.
  • Chocolate liquor is bound to harden after cooling and molding and this unsweetened hard chocolate is the baking chocolate.
  • Cocoa butter is said to be the natural fat of cocoa beans and you can extract it from chocolate liquor. Possessing the quality of giving texture and flavor to chocolates, this is the basic ingredient for making chocolates.
  • Couverture, that contains 35% of cocoa butter, lends shine to chocolate candies and truffles.
  • Cocoa powder that is used in the instant chocolate drinks we enjoy is nothing but dehydrated chocolate liquid devoid of cocoa butter.
  • Bitter or dark chocolate also has 35% chocolate liquor.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate can be made by adding sugar to chocolate liquor of 15% strength.
  • Chocolate candy bars are made using milk chocolate containing chocolate liquor, sugar and milk.
  • Shine, smoothness and long shelf life can be got only by the tempering process.
Before venturing into chocolate candy making, keep ready, a double boiler, a mixing bowl, candy molds or baking sheet and a spatula or wooden spoon as well as the basic ingredient, white or dark chocolate, and optionally fruit.
Chocolate making commences with melting the chocolate on a double boiler. During heating, you must continuously stir the mixture with your spatula or wooden spoon. Pouring this melted chocolate on a baking sheet or into candy molds or holding it in the freezer, dries and sets the candies. Proportionate quantity of fruit is mixed in if you wish to make fruit-filled candies. Air bubbles must be gently eliminated.
Preventing blotches or crystal formations, evenly distributing the crystals and making the chocolates shiny and smooth can be achieved only by tempering the chocolates after heating and while you are working on them. The prime concern in tempering is in maintaining specific temperatures at all times. Tempering machines are the secret behind overcoming such difficulties.
Once you gain confidence in making your products, you can sell them to “chocolate addicts” and earn sizeable revenues.

Make Your Job Simpler. Use Cream Whippers

September 27, 2009

Cream Whippers are instruments also known as syphons or cream syphons. Its truly simple how they operate. They are employed together with a cream charger. To emusify the cream, the nitrous oxide contained in the cream chargers are used. The actual whipping of the cream takes place within the whipper. Inside the whipper, the amount of the cream is multiplied with the aid of nitrous oxide. With a whipper, whipping cream is now really light and can be spread just as quickly with a squeeze of a lever.


In seconds, you can create delightful whipped cream with the assistance of a Cream Whipper! For those who delight whip cream, you need to have one of these in your kitchen closet. They are impeccable in making desserts, pies, cakes, chocolate and Other pastries.


You can maintain your energy and save your finances for different designs when you use Cream Whippers. The optimal thing about them is they raise twice the quantity of whipped cream as manual whipping does. Another gain you can certainly have is whipped cream created from Cream Whippers can last in the refrigerator for up to ten days. You can straightaway prepare your own whip cream just the way you like it and not have to subject yourself with what is purchasable in grocery stores.


Making your favorite treats doesnt have to be as slow as it was. With Cream Whippers, you can now afford to have your small children join you in preparing treats for guests and household members alike.

Japanese Restaurant for Lunch and Dinner

August 4, 2009

Takumi is the place to visit if you are in the mood for a culinary chef-d’oeuvre. This Melbourne Japanese restaurant is the best of its kind. Not only is the food top notch, but the design of the restaurant produces a relaxing and beautiful ambiance.

Being the only Japanese restaurant in Melbourne that offers Wagyu beef, you can rest assure that it will be tremendous. If you don’t know what Wagyu is, it is a premium grade cut of beef. The meat is so tender and juicy it melts in your mouth. You can get this beef prepared in multiple styles. The Wagyu beef burger, grilled and marinated with Sukiyaki sauce is a favorite selection among lunchtime visitors. I highly recommend the Wagyu Yakiniku lunch set. The beef is served raw and is cooked on a tableside grill. It is also served with vegetables and a complimentary glass of beer or wine. Not only does this taste flavorsome, but being able to see it prepared is an excellent experience.

This Japanese restaurant may specialize in Wagyu beef, but that is not the only Japanese delicacy it has to offer. The bento box is also a famous lunch option among regular visitors. The restaurant offers a few options on the main entree for the bento box. A common Japanese entree is Gyoza. These pan fried dumplings are extremely good and addictive. You cannot stop at one. If you are a seafood fan, order yourself the Unagi Bento Box. Unagi is smoked grilled eel and is a very popular and delicious Japanese restaurant dish.

The decor and lighting of the restaurant has a very zen-like feel. You will feel right at home when dining here. The sleek tan chairs and subtle decorations have a tranquillizing affect and lets you to feel like you are having a quiet meal at home, even though you are in a restaurant with other people.

Overall, Takumi is a fantastic Japanese restaurant. From their delicious menu offerings, to the many different Saki choices, this Melbourne Japanese restaurant is number one on my book.




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