I've been busy playing with chocolate. (2 Viewers)

Its been a while, I geared up to start selling pastry this year but decided I'll just give it all away, the staff at the clinic, doctors , nurses etc who helped me and the employees at the local town hall, mailman, neighbors etc.

I bought almond paste but its just too expensive to use for novelties so I used marmallow instead, can't beat the low price.

 

[retired pastrychef]

Russian tales, white choc filled with praline mousse , Nutella and butter to lighten it. Not real choc but they taste ok.
brushed with gold luster dust.

dates stuffed with marzipan, rolled in uns coconut nib.

sugar plums just visible.

 

[retired pastrychef]

Miniature logs, just 2 marshmallow stuck by heating the end 9ver a gas stove, brush with tempered choc, mini marshmallow dipped and placed on top, sprinkle green sugar for moss and colored deco bits for flowers, powder sugar snow, very quick and CHEAP to make.
pic is sideways, cellphone camera.

 

[retired pastrychef]

victorian sugar plums, assorted dried fruit , dates, prune, apricot, cherries, run it all through a grinder..
mix ube powder and sugar, roll them in it for the plum colour and sparkle.
stems are just orange peel candied and rolled in coloured sugar.

heres a quick video, very simple to make.

 

[retired pastrychef]

choc christmas tree, i made sable cookie dough and added cocoa powder until it looked right.
needs a topper but then it will not fit in a box , doh.

 

[retired pastrychef]

dark choc tales, marzipan slug filling with buttercream...dusted with cocoa powder, I am waiting for an airbrush so I can spray them with chocolate instead for a better finish...I hope.
I cut it in half so you can see.

 

[Angie]

Hi @retired pastrychef, thanks for sharing, and it's nice to see you back again. You seem to be a very busy bee at the moment with all your creative baking, and I'm sure all the recipients will thoroughly enjoy your treats.

I think out of everything you posted, the penguins are my favourite. I think they bring out my inner child as they are cute novelty treats that make me laugh. I've never seen them made with marshmallows before, but I think they look very effective.

The chocolate logs are a great idea too. (I flipped the picture around for you). I was considering making Christmas treats with marshmallows but never thought of burning the ends to stick them together. I was going to use chocolate to do that, so thanks for that idea.

Have you got your airbrush yet for the dark chocolate tales?

I've never made sable dough, as I always tend to make shortbread, but I like the Christmas trees you made with them. I've seen them before but never made with cocoa.

 

[retired pastrychef]

hi there,
i'm waiting on the airbrush, its just a cheap one.
I think the gold dust has to be mixed into gin to spray.

I did a bit using dark choc in the past and had to put the spray gun in the oven when shooting chocolate to make it spray freely.
And enough cocoa butter for flow, thats where it gets pricey, I paid $30 for 500 grams from amazon.

i got some custom labels from amazon with a photo of mini pastries i made.

 

[retired pastrychef]

Stickers

 

[Angie]

hi there,
i'm waiting on the airbrush, its just a cheap one.
I think the gold dust has to be mixed into gin to spray.

I did a bit using dark choc in the past and had to put the spray gun in the oven when shooting chocolate to make it spray freely.
And enough cocoa butter for flow, thats where it gets pricey, I paid $30 for 500 grams from amazon.

i got some custom labels from amazon with a photo of mini pastries i made.

Vodka and lustre dust are usually my go-to to make paint, but I've never used chocolate in an airbrush. I think I'll avoid that, looking at how much you paid for the cocoa butter! Wow, that is pricey.

Are you putting the labels/stickers on the gifts when you give them to all the workers?

 

[retired pastrychef]

ok, i'll use clear bacardi rum because rum has multiple use in pastry, i wouldnt know what to do with vodka.
Stickers might drive traffic, although I'm not too sure I want it now.
I love baking but love retirement, being able to do what I want whenever.

 

[Angie]

Lol! You use whatever suits you.

Good luck with the traffic, and only do as much or as little as suits you.

 

[retired pastrychef]

I packed almost everything up and shipped it to my sister in arizona, she can sell it there, I included boxes.
She lives in Scottsdale, affluent area.
They sell macarons for $34 a dozen.

 

[Angie]

Aww, that's good; she might be able to make you some good money.

 

[retired pastrychef]

i molded some pistaccio pyramids.

 

[Angie]

They look like confetti sprinkles in different colours. That's a good idea, putting them at the top of the chocolates that way you could always distinguish between different flavours by their colours.

 

[retired pastrychef]

Macadamia nut cream.

 

[retired pastrychef]

I bagged out some plain truffle mix and injected rasp center, then dip in choc.

 

[Angie]

Macadamia nut cream.

View attachment 10145

They remind me of Toblerone.

With regard to the truffles, I've not seen them piped freehand and injected with raspberry filling like that before; I've always rolled them or seen them put in a mould. Does your truffle mix set, and then do you dip them in chocolate for the outer coating? Your video didn't show the dipping part.

 

[retired pastrychef]

They remind me of Toblerone.

With regard to the truffles, I've not seen them piped freehand and injected with raspberry filling like that before; I've always rolled them or seen them put in a mould. Does your truffle mix set, and then do you dip them in chocolate for the outer coating? you video did show the dipping part.

Yeh I always bag truffles, eliminates rolling them, its just a matter of catching the ganache at the plastic stage where it holds its shape, any ganache can do it, I should have added some butter to make it creamier but they worked out ok.
I watched some old ladies at a chocolate store, they rolled truffles in the palm of their hand and dropped it on the paper, only one hand touched choc, they were neat and quick, I copied their style.