Forum Activity for @Seth A. Hager

question about meltaway flavorings

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

Hi, I'm mostly a lurker here, now it's my time to post. I'm a hobby chocolate dipper for few years, I've fairly experienced at what I do, but have probably pick up all sorts of bad habits since I know almost no one with experience handling chocolate.

I occasionally make meltaways and have been using oil based flavors, but I just read a recipe at serious eats that calls for alcohol based flavor OR oil based. The recipe supposedly is based on Greweling's, but his book only lists oil. So the question is, does alcohol seize or affect chocolate or not? Does the added fat content make the alcohol less harmful to the texture? Anyone here with experience with using both oil and alcohol based flavors for meltaways?

Thanks for any help.

updated by @Seth A. Hager: 04/10/15 12:22:19AM

Mini Rev Opinions

Posted in: Geek Gear - Cool Tools

I don't know if you have bought one yet, but my mini rev arrived today. I'm going to take it for a test drive tonight, and hopefully put several miles on it in a couple days. I'll tell you my experiences. Like you, I'm a hobbyist and my chocolate production has gotten too large for my kitchen stove double boiler. I have to say I'm a little worried about only a 1.5 lb. capacity, I'll have to use a reserve of melted chocolate to keep refilling. I guess I can't toss out the double boiler yet.

Weird Flavors and Inclusions in Chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Your right. I even explained to people not to think of them as candy. Of course, if I had sprinkled salt on top or added bacon, they'd have gobbled them up.

Weird Flavors and Inclusions in Chocolate

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I made some mole truffles once. They had cinnamon, clove, chilies, cumin, sesame, tomato paste. I was going for a savory hors d'oeuvre kind of thing, only slightly sweet. I tried them out at work but nobody liked them. maybe it was the onion and garlic. I loved them though. I also did coconut and green curry paste white chocolate ganache. Again, they hated it, I loved it. Go figure