Forum Activity for @Rosie

Pricing

Posted in: Opinion

Ive been offered my first catering job: to create 150 desserts while keeping with the theme of my very new chocolate business. The dessert is to follow a dinner following a summit on local businesses and mine has been chosen to make dessert. I have decided on giving them a choice of one or the other or both and letting the people choose like a menu. First is a dark chocolate mousse served in a white/milk chocolate cup garnished with chocolate covered orange peel the second is a square of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake(no crust) enrobed in dark chocolate. I have never priced something like this out before but have calculated that I could make each dessert for around 2-3$ I would like to make a reasonable profit on this job but also don't want to over charge. I was thinking 500-550$ for one dessert for everyone or 650-700 for the option of one or the other. Is anyone out there familiar with these kinds of things?
updated by @Rosie: 04/20/15 05:56:31PM

Redipping bloomed chocolate

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

Thanks for your reply! It's so frustrating when something like this happens. But you don't think it could have something to do with the salt? It was my first time doing a salted caramel and I know salt can do funny things with moisture.

Redipping bloomed chocolate

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

This is my first post. Today I tempered by seeding about 3kg of dark chocolate for dipping and molding. I did a temper test which was fine so I filled my molds and let them set while enrobing some salted caramels. I enrobed a batch of about 40 and decorated them with a small sprinkle of himilayan crystal salt. They set up nicely, I put them along with the molded cherry cordials and some dipped marzipan and ammereto truffles. I let them cool in my cold room for a few hours and came back to check on the molds for removing. Every single salted caramel was 100% covered in bloom. I'm not sure if it was sugar bloom or fat bloom but they were white!I've got two questions1) what the heck caused the bloom the molds released perfect and shiny and the marzipan and truffles look beautiful. I've only ever had bloom problems once or twice when I was impatient and dipped with chocolate I knew wasn't in temper. Was it the salt?!?2) these were to sell and I dont want them to go to waste. Can I thin down the same chocolate with cocoa butter and dip these again or will the second coat of chocolate just bloom also because of the bloom underneath it?Please help!!!
updated by @Rosie: 04/26/15 03:29:31AM

BRIGHTNESS ON CHOCOLATE

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

I'm curious as to why this extra thin layer of chocolate will create a superior shine?

Sugar Free Chocolate

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

Hi there, this is my first post I have also had many requests for sugar-free chocolate. My supplier carries Foley's dark calets that are sugar-free and made with Maltitol. Moltitol as a sweetener has similar effects as sugar but the effects vary so ilable what sweetener is used and let people decide for themselves whether or not it's ok for them! If there was a chocolate out there that used stevia I would be all over that!!

Tempering help

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

I'm definitely no expert but i noticed no one else had replied. As far as I've learned and experienced ambient temp of the room in which your tempering should be closer to about 20. Also you can temper without seed by tableing.

Chocolate Thermometers

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

I'm also an advocat of the infrared thermometer! After fiddling with a slow probe thermometer for a couple months i got so frustrated that infrared was the only way to go! I purchased a Fluke Mini 62 for just under 90$cnd on eBay it was some of the best money I've spent so far!

Weird Flavors and Inclusions in Chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

The weirdest one I've tried I think would be a cardamom piece from a chocolate shop in Delft. It was delicious but a very unusual combo.The weirdest one I've made, which people either loved or hated was a layered piece with strawberry pate de fruit and white chocolate Parmesan ganache dipped in white chocolate.