Making Chocolate (...or at least melting & moulds!)

nicola00

Can anyone suggest a good thermometer, have read and watched some of the tutorials for tempering the chocolate, so thought I'd give it a go

nicola00

ToNik, the possibilites are endless

ToNik wrote: »

wow so many threads too look through. I just want to make everything. I have some moulds we got in the summer from poundland so am tempted to give this ago. What are everyones fav fillings?? Could make a festive bag up to go with pressies! ooooh the possibilities!

midnightraven3

i got my thermometre from ebay.COM

i use a non contact one
its a gun with a laser
no washing up and means i can use it for soap & food with no risk of contamination/smells etc
i love it

it was around a tenner incl postage
you can of course get loads of different ones, and much cheaper
but i hated having to clean my jam one, esp when making tablet

Mayflower10cat

A few Christmas's ago, we used some jars of cherries in kirsch as a chocolate filling. They'd come as part of a hamper and we didn't really know what to do with them - they were a bit 'overpowering' as a dessert. We drained off the liquid and used that up in a black forest type gateau. The cherries themselves we popped into a partly filled, semi set mould and topped up with more chocolate. We used 70% cocoa solids chocolate. Actually, one bar went quite a long way and covered a lot of cherries. We melted our chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure the steam or the water didn't get into the bowl. Another filling which was nice was marzipan. Also, preserved ginger.
The moist nature of the cherries means the chocolates don't last very long - the moisture bleeds through after a few days. But fine if you only make them the day before.

nicola00

I'm liking the sound of that, Have to say never seen one of them before.
I'll have a look for one of them, i can see all this weeks ebaying profits getting spent, do you think I can get away with this being one of my DD's "craft" items

Its free listing weekend again so looking out more things tonight to put on, I've got 31 items on an bids on 11 so far. :T

midnightraven3 wrote: »

i got my thermometre from ebay.COM

i use a non contact one
its a gun with a laser
no washing up and means i can use it for soap & food with no risk of contamination/smells etc
i love it

it was around a tenner incl postage
you can of course get loads of different ones, and much cheaper
but i hated having to clean my jam one, esp when making tablet

nicola00

They all seem to be Hong Kong - China , 12 to 22 days shipping. there is one for £12.
http://home-garden.shop.ebay.co.uk/Kitchen-/20625/i.html?_nkw=non+contact+thermometer&_catref=1&_fln=1&_sc=1&_sop=15&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282

midnightraven3

you can get them for $10 without the laser
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A4132&rt=nc&_nkw=non+contact+thermometer&_nkwusc=non+contact+thermometre&_rusck=1&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=15&_sc=1

thsi is the one i have

http://cgi.ebay.com/Non-Contact-IR-Infrared-Digital-Thermometer-Gun-229-/250566511515?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a56ed8b9b

i love mine, and if anything happened to it i wouldnt hesitate to buy another

nicola00

Thats the same one I looked at Midnightraven

I think I'll go for it

li'l_p

We seem to have become obsessed with melting choc, even my Oh has got involved and came home the other week with various chocs and nuts/raisins he wanted to experiment with. He made some lovey two tone chocs and some with bits of nut in. I would have taken a photo bu they went really quick!

We don't use any specialist equipment, just a glass bowl floated in a pan of water, to melt the chocolate.As long as you take it off the heat once it has pretty much all melted, you should have no problems.

The best bit I think is actually 'licking' the melted choc from the bowl when you have finished... pure heaven!

Legendmum

Anyone know how long this will keep? Just wondering when I can start making?! Dont want to have to eat it all because it doesnt keep for long!