Forum Activity for @Ice Blocks!

Farmers' markets and other mobile options

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Apparently there is even a food grade plaster of Paris... disappointingly used by some Tofu manufacturers.

Farmers' markets and other mobile options

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

We occasionally use foodgradebeeswax for our moulds but you may still have problems with melting in Hawaii.Medical grade plaster of paris may also be an option but I've never used it.

Why not heat your chocolate pouring room?

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I also think having a heated room would be a good idea (and probably unavoidable in Australia .

You would need a heat exchanger for the exhaust of the AC.

New Chocolate Store

Posted in: Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Have you considered a certified ethical section? I for one, now that I more fully understand how the vast majority of our cacao is produced would prefer to buy certified ethical.

Epuipment

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Your in luck. Below is a small production line that someone need to get rid of.

http://www.actrader.com.au/ProductionLines/ChocolateProduction/ChocolateProductionLine.html

I've seen pretty good butter recovery froma simple but powerful hydralic ram organized like a basket press but at thatkind of volume (600 kg / day avarage)you would need an army of them.

Organic Beans Question

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I believe it depends on the origins AND what exactly is being shipped. For examples beans from Africa need some kind of pest treatment for importation into Australia. However there ARE organic pest control procedures for example freezing to -18 degrees centigrade for 7 days.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

I think its important to understand why something became popular then we can build something better. The gelatin based mallows have the advantage of ease of manufacture and taste neutrality.

Fresh Wholefoods Murwillumbah is where I got it my dry marshmallow root. I suspect fresh root works better but am not sure whether it was ever introduced into Australia.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

From the local health food / organic shop. They stock loads of obscure spices and things. Expensive at $95 a kg though. I just like deconstructing confectionary to understand it. Marshmallow clearly has a facinating history. Perhaps the first sweets of kings in Egypt.

What's amazing is how haunting the marshmallow taste is. It survives a meal for example. I can see why this flavour would become popular as your reminded of it so long. I can also see why gelatine and gum arabic came to be used, because the mallow I have are still sticky and not easy to handle. Using gelatine clearly leads to more stable results but bouncy, soft and sticky with a gooey centre is pleasant too.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Wow what a fascinating voyage of discovery. I have combined The Complete Confectioner recipe of 1864 for Syrup of Marshmallow with a recipe of my own for Italian meringue:

egg whites 5

sugar 280 g

marshmallow root 50 g

water 350 ml

Simmer marshmallow root in water for 10 minutes, blend softened root to a soup like consistency with a stick blender, simmer for 20 minutes. Add water if necessary to maintain a soup like consistency. Strain and add sugar to the brown / green liquid. Boil to the soft-ball stage (234F to 240F; 112C to 116C on a candy thermometer). Be careful in the last minutes that the froth does not rise over the pan top.

Whip egg whites to hard peaks. While continuing to whip add in the hot syrup. The mixture will expand and become light green brown. Scoop out mixture onto a dusted baking tray and dry in an oven.

What's amazing about the syrup is its stringiness and bounce. The old texts call it mucilaginous. It's quite possible to pull very fine strand 30 cm or more from the pan. The taste is also quite remarkable. I can confirm that vanilla is definitely not the original marshmallow taste. It's a complex taste with a nice lingering floral, nectar like finish. I detect notes of caramel, not fully cured vanilla bean and mushroom. Nothing quite like it. Fantastic.

I'll try and post some images of the finished marshmallows ifI have time and the kids don't polish them off too quickly.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Very helpful

From what I've read around it looks to me like marshmallow as we know it today was popularised when it was combined with whipped egg whites as a pharmaceutical in France. Perhaps to make it easier to swallow or eat. Thus the most original recipes are probably those containing simply marshmallow root, sugar and egg white. The most original recipes seem to use orange blossom water. I found one recipes that look interesting:

Marshmallows

2 egg whites

1/2 cup raw cane sugar

1 tbsp powdered Marshmallow (root)

Whip egg whites until almost stiff. Then whip in the sugar, 1 tsp at the time. Finally, add Marshmallow and whip again. Place by teaspoon full on cookie sheet. Bake in oven

for 1 hour at 325 F 160 C .

Changing the meringue to Italian style by heating the sugar and marshmallow root with a little water and adding it to the whipped whites then baking may work well too.I like Italian style meringue as it ensures the whites are properly heated. I'll probably make the two in tandem and compare results then tweak until I get a recipe I'm happy with.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Hmm... I'm not seeing any marshmallow recipe on the http://www.valrhona.com/ site? Anyone spot it?

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Did you try taking the recipe back to the stage of marshmallow root and sugar as in Egypt? Ive found a few recipes involvingmarshmallow root, sugar and egg white similar toItalian style meringue.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

I'd love to get an original marshmallow recipe i.e. marshmalow and sugar. I'm guessing the originalis nothing like the sad chemical imitation we have now and vegans would love it

Rocky road with real marshmallow and good chocolate!Maybe rosewater or real strawberry and real vanilla. We could start a revolution!

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Definitely potent enough. It's the strongest strawberry smell I've ever come across. I'm just not a fan of the lingering dried eucalyptus leaf finish

Finger limes are in season and in good supply this year. Riberries are over. Bunya nuts just over.Davidsons mid way. Raspberries not started yet.

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Sure I got mine from http://www.playingwithfire.com.au/ . I'd seriously warn you off trying to use the leaf directly. The steam distillation of the methyl cinnamate does not sound too unnatural or toxic but it's probably like having vanillin instead of vanilla i.e. no of the delicious complexity of reality.

If your looking for an interesting bush tucker taste have you tried the native raspberries, bunya nut processed correctly, davidson's plums, finger limes (caviar inclusions?) or riberries?

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

I doubt they have seen much actual Strawberry. More likey the "natural" strawberry flavouring methyl cinnamate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methyl_cinnamate extracted from the leaves of the Strawberry gum or Eucalyptus olida.

Crazy plant. I have some of the leaves and even after years of storage (because they taste awfull) the smell ofStrawberry is very strong.

That wiki link is fascinating. I wonder if anyone actually uses marshmallow to make marshmallows anymore!

Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate

Posted in: Opinion

Tradition, it's colourful and because it revives childhood memories? It's cheap for manufacturers to tart up a second rate product? In NZ there is a huge tradition of adding a marshmallow coated chocolate frog as a gift with a hot beverage. Fairy bread is equally odd. Adding artificial colours and gelatine to a quality chocolate seems absurd.I'm also guessing that a decent marshmallow with a natural flavouring such as vanilla could be a nice complement to a coffee or chocolate. Perhaps the tradition was borne of that and has been corrupted over time.

David Lebovitz visits Patrick Roger Chocolate (Video)

Posted in: News & New Product Press

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/03/a-video-visit-to-patrick-roger-chocolate/

updated by @Ice Blocks!: 04/21/15 05:27:17

Need help with Jordanian flavor ideas!

Posted in: Opinion

Rose or orange flower blossom (water), pomegranate, lemon, olive, tomato, cucumber.

Conching with Kenwood Mixers

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

That makes sense.

Using a non grinding conche process would also decouple the grinding from the oxidisation / volatiles evaporation processes. This would give full control of the two variables. I'm very interested in lowering acidity as acidity needs balancing off with sugars.

So the thing to do is grind down to your optimal mouth feel then conche a variety of durations. Making sure the product is tested at the duration from crafting you feel a customer is most likely to consume the chocolate.

I presume it possible to do this conching in one mixer removing part of the cacao liquor at various time intervals to get a series of different volatiles.

Any idea what process is involved once the chocolate is resting? Some kind of crystalisation?

Conching with Kenwood Mixers

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

How exactly is it done? Just using the K beater? I thought conching included some grinding?

Conching with Kenwood Mixers

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

I have seen a couple of references to people using Kenwood mixers to conche cacao for product R&D. Anyone know what mixers are involved (Chefs?) or whether and attachment is used? or how exactly its working??

I've tried mixing cacao in the 703 Kenwood Chef with mized results. The primary problem appears to be thelowest mixing speed is too high. Furthermore the K head does not move close enough to the bowl.

I'm hoping I can use my trusty old 703 for doing a bit of concing R&D work.

updated by @Ice Blocks!: 04/13/15 15:01:02

Natural Chocolate sauce original recipe with decent shelf life ????

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Interesting thought. Since it apparently occurs in every living cell you would imagine cacao pods should contain some for example.

Personally the extraction of lecithin by hexane is enough to put me off.

Natural Chocolate sauce original recipe with decent shelf life ????

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecithin

"In confectionery it reduces viscosity, replaces more expensive ingredients, controls sugar crystallization and the flow properties of chocolate, helps in the homogeneous mixing of ingredients, improves shelf life for some products, and can be used as a coating. In emulsions and fat spreads it stabilizes emulsions, reduces spattering during frying, improves texture of spreads and flavour release."

"For example, lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a candy bar from separating."

From what I have read elsewhere it helps the flow properties of chocolate through and in manufacturing machinery. For dark chocolate without lecithin the there is a marked viscosity increase at 90 deg C. For milk chocolate without lecithin this viscosity increase occurs at 60 degrees C.

Apparently the claims regarding bloom are more controversial and whilst it definitely has an effect on tempering and seeding correctly tempered chocolate without lecithin will not bloom under normal conditions.

In my experience anything using fresh cream in largish quantities will have a quite short shelf life unless frozen.

Marañon Chocolate - Cacao Thought to Be Extinct Found in Peru

Posted in: Chocolate Education

http://discoverhopefund.org/who-we-are/advisory-board

Brian Horsley, International Business (Cajamarca, Peru)

Brian Horsley served on the Board of Directors for DiscoverHope from our inception in April 2006 until November 2009, with two years as Board President from 2006-2008. Brian is President (COO) of Sovereign Global Marketing (SGM), a Nevada-based company that serves as an import export international investment banking firm specializing in mining and energy with 5 years experience in Peru. Brian is from San Diego and works and resides in Cajamarca, Peru, guiding the operational development for SGMs projects in Peru, including cacao cultivation in Northern Peru. Brian helps guide the work of DiscoverHope through his specializations of nonprofit program building and management, international business, and Peruvian culture.

Marañon Chocolate - Cacao Thought to Be Extinct Found in Peru

Posted in: Chocolate Education

"The trees thrive at some of the highest altitudes ever reported for cacao, between 3,500 and 4,100 feet."

By my reckoning if thats 4100 ft it grows up to and 2000 ft isnormal Cacao's maximum altitude that's an4Cdrop in temperature it can survive at.

Marañon Chocolate - Cacao Thought to Be Extinct Found in Peru

Posted in: Chocolate Education

Fascinating story that reminds me much of the Wollemi pine or more to home the super local variety of Davidsons plum.

It's also interesting that this variety seem to grow quite high up on the hillside equating presumably to tolerating much lower temperatures.

Aloha! Our bitter tasting product needs some guidance to turn tasty!

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Try lightly roasting the Macadamia nuts before grinding. Makes for an exceptional taste.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ...

Have a look at these http://shop.chocolatealchemy.com/collections/equipment they are even hobby sized. I may be getting confused mysef but i think a melangeur is basically a conche.

To work it appears the cacao liquor must be molten i.e. > 36 degrees C but presumably if you had a spot IR thermometeryou to just switch the machine off if its getting too hot.

I'd also assume if you can modify the gearing you could in principle do a REALLY slow grind where the friction heat generated was mostly lost during the grind. I have also seen AC motor speed control where you could presumably lower the grind speed as you desire.

Tempering raw chocolate

Posted in: Make Mine Raw ...

Coconut oil melting temperature is 24C. Butter melts at about 33.5 C. Cocoa butter has a melting point of around 36 C.

Would conching help drive out water, impove granularity and general consistancy. I've been sampling some of the raw bars available in Australiarecently and their texture, taste and temper generally leaves a lot to be desired. After reading about tempering temperatures it should be possible to produce a raw tempered bar though.

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Cheers Tom that's really useful. I've got some samples from Nui coming and have tried again contacting Big Tree Farms but have yet to get a reply.

Normal ice blocks in Australia seem perfect examples of product "incremental degradation" i.e. the slow replacement of ingredients by cheaper replacements until the product is a sad parody of the original. The leading Lemon / Lemonade "flavours" don't actually have lemon in them at all.

Cacao butter sounds promising I hope it also increases the stability and makes an ice block less drippy. Can't go wrong with replacing cream with cacao butter health wise either.

Any tips on your raspberry cacao sorbet? Raspberry seeds usually need straining but I have good local supplies of the European and some access to the two Australian native raspberries. I'm betting blackberry or sour cherry would work well too. I've recently tried partly candied sour cherry and orange which was great.

It would be great to get them down to SA...

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

We make a milk chocolate ice block. I'd like to make a vegan chocolate ice block / sorbettoo. It's not our greatest seller but something we feel we need to do anda recipe we can improve upon. Current ingredients milk, cream, raw cocao powder and sugar. I'm hoping that upping the cocao butter will allow the lowering / elimination of cream. We are also experimenting with a aussie classic vegan chocolate / banana recipe but will probably blend the entire thing.

Vanuatu beans sound excellent. Papua too. Do you have a conche / melangeur? I've been instructed by my partner I've gotto focus on on ice blocks and diversifying into bean processing is too far off course.

Nui is these guys? http://www.nuicoconut.com/categories/Nui-Food/

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

How much do you make Tom? I probably dont need that much initially, we get through about 30 kg raw Cocao powder a year currently projected to rise to 80-100 kg. But obviously if it's liquour that willbe more.

I've not used liquour for making ice blocks yet though which is another unknown.I guess the thing to do would be start with a kg or so and make a trial batch or two.

No replies for the hippies up north either, ive tried a "yummy" "cocao & almond"bar that contains some Australian cocoa, it was nice, but the taste of dried fig over powered the cocao and I don't personally like unroasted almond.

Definately keener on PNG, Vanuatu or Bali cocao too. It seems silly importing stuff from Peru when great stuff (in PNG's case) is on our doorstep.

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

Another interesting little company wholesaling organic chocolate ingredients. http://www.organictimes.com.au/

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

I'd prefer to use some form of 100% powder or blocks.

My experience with couverture (e.g. Rapunzel) is that they contain soya lecithin and added sugar. The first is unacceptable to me as Soya is a common allergen and I would like to be completely in charge of additional refined sugars. I guess cocoa butter separation and recombination that seems to be a common practice is to facilitate easier grinding to the correct size?

Do any couverturs contain 100% bean i.e. is just ground conched fermented bean maybe lightly roasted to bring out flavour if necessary? Thus the ingredient would be "Ground conched fermented [roasted] country variety cocoa bean"

I've got a couple of email to hear from yet but if they don't come through I may give Zokoko a call and see if they can produce someting from their PNG beans.

Here is some notes I've collected.

http://www.oxfam.org.nz/resources/onlinereports/learning-from-experience6.pdf

Pacific Spices Ltd. PNG www.pacificspices.com.pg

Bris Kanda PNG www.briskanda.org.pg .
They are currently working with around 1500 cocoa growers and are distributing seedlings to a larger group.

Vanuatu Organic Cocoa Growers Association (VOCGA)
VOCGA was established in 1989 and is an umbrella cooperative for ten primary processing cooperatives that supply organically-certified dry cocoa beans.
VOCGA BP279 Luganvile Santo. Vanatu. Phone. 00678 36337 / (687)7747345. Fax. 00678 36337. Email pwaresul@hotmail.com

Alternative Communities Trade in Vanuatu (ACTIV) ( www.activ.com.vu );
TradeAid in New Zealand has given them a letter of intent to begin importing cocoa value-added products (cocoa butter, powder and chocolate) once they obtain the certification.

MARALUMI 64% from Markham Plantations at Lae, Papua New Guinea. Sell to Chocolaterie Michel Cluizel (Paris, France). Markham Farm

about 30km outside Lae City along the Highlands Highway. Po Box 3419 Lae 411 Morobe Province Papua New

"Local" Supply of Cocao Powder

Posted in: News & New Product Press

We are having troubles with our local cacao supplier ensuring we get the same product (Northern NSW Australia). Thus we are looking for something better and with more "local" origins. We currently use raw Cacao powder. Organic and fair trade is important as is carbon miles. Raw is not hugely important as we are more concerned about taste, but having as pure and natural product as possible is important (as is ethical packaging).

I've seen good things about pacific cacao (Vanuatu), Papua New Guinea (Markham Farm?) and Indonesia (Bali). There is also some fledgeling Cacao farms up in Cairns?

Any ideas from the experts and enthusiasts our there? We would love to help some farmers who are producing some high quality cacao for our mutual benefit. We don't want to get into bean processing at the moment and are not chocolate experts. http://www.iceblocks.name/

updated by @Ice Blocks!: 04/15/15 04:00:59

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I've found and Australian Certified Organic farm listed as producing Cocao in Killaloe QLD but as yet had no reply from them.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

http://australianrawqacao.com/australian-raw-qacao-cacao-fruit-bean

This site purports to sell raw organic Australian beans already.

updated by @Ice Blocks!: 01/24/15 16:14:51

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Not sure whether these guys can be classified as bean to bar yet but they seem to be heading in that direction.

Farm by Nature
Phone: 392128188
Website: http://www.farmbynature.com.au/

When it comes to the Cocoa itself, Farm By Nature is on the road ( through their sister company Cocoa Australia)
to grow Australias first cocoa Plantation in Far North Queensland.
The first of these little Aussie beans should be available in 2010 and used to create a unique Australian Cocoa Farm Range.