Instead of cotton balls, try cotton dish towels. The very thin ones work well. We use the warming cabinet, then wipe away residue. Seem to work pretty well. We don't wash every time.
I use fruit purees, but they have to be reduced. I use cream and/or butter so I don't have many suggestions for you. I know of some folks who use coconut oil or even vegetable oil, but I have no recipe. Sorry.
Are you molding your shells? Or were you planning to pipe or scoop them?
Have you tried reducing a puree?
Are you using colored cocoa butter?
Have you tried Harold Guttman? I think you have to get a full case from him, but he deals directly with mills and he will send you samples of possible papers before you commit to a large order. His contact info:
800-203-9213
fax 866-372-2403
I am jealous of your SELMI;
Have you tried making your bark thin and sprinkling the inclusions onto it? Like mendiants, very large mendiants.
I have a wheel based temperer, a forty-four pounder. Whenyou change over, if you can storethe pan ina warming cabinet; then tempering doesn't take forever. Then we usually wash up the wheel and the little spout/waterfall, whatever it is called. It's not too bad. Of late we have a bit of a problem with the chocolate over-tempering during the enrobing run. Parts of the enrober itself are a bitch to clean. I dream about the Selmi.
