Trouble with chocolate?!
I'm trying to make a filling for molded caramel truffles!. I made a caramel extract by melting sugar and adding cream!. I added it to white chocolate and the chocolate seized!. I tried again thinking that maybe the caramel was too hot so I melted the chocolate and let them both cool a bit this time!. The same thing happened!. I need to make these for my creative practicum for culinary school tonight!. HELP! Why did the chocolate seize!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Well first of all you need to get these both hot and the same temperature and consisitency!. Next you need to add a little carmel to the chocolate first and then add it little by little!. With it still warm you should be successful!.I assume you are adding enough cream to both the chocolate and sugar ( i think this is the filling)!. You need like a white chocolate ganache and enough cream in the sugar!.!.!. I would probably add a little water to the sugar though to get it thin enough!. hope that helps good luck!.!.!.!. emailif you have more problems!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Hmm, that sucks!. A lot!. It can happen for a few reasons:
1) Moisture got into the chocolate!. A couple sprinkles of water or something!.
2)The caramel was too cool for the chocolate to be added to!.
3)Your chocolate was overheated!.
The solutions:
1) If you think it could be the moisture, only simmer the water in the double boiler (if that's how you are making the chocolate)!. Don't bring the water to a roaring boil!. also don't use a wooden spoon, because that could hold moisture!. Don't cover the chocolate, or else the condensation will cause moisture to form!. And transfer the chocolate to a *dry* bowl!.
2) If you think the caramel wasn't warm enough, make sure it is before adding the chocolate!. Cool liquids often cause chocolates to seize into a sloppy mess!.
3)If you think the chocolate was overheated, make sure during tempering or melting that you don't overheat it!. It can be difficult, as chocolate is sensitie, but its important so that it doens't seize!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
1) Moisture got into the chocolate!. A couple sprinkles of water or something!.
2)The caramel was too cool for the chocolate to be added to!.
3)Your chocolate was overheated!.
The solutions:
1) If you think it could be the moisture, only simmer the water in the double boiler (if that's how you are making the chocolate)!. Don't bring the water to a roaring boil!. also don't use a wooden spoon, because that could hold moisture!. Don't cover the chocolate, or else the condensation will cause moisture to form!. And transfer the chocolate to a *dry* bowl!.
2) If you think the caramel wasn't warm enough, make sure it is before adding the chocolate!. Cool liquids often cause chocolates to seize into a sloppy mess!.
3)If you think the chocolate was overheated, make sure during tempering or melting that you don't overheat it!. It can be difficult, as chocolate is sensitie, but its important so that it doens't seize!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
According to http://www!.essortment!.com/food/cookingwh!.!.!. "If you put too much heat to it, white chocolate can scorch, turn grainy, or separate!. White chocolate is even more sensitive to heat because it contains less cocoa butter than other types of chocolate!. "
I guess you might just really have to maintain the temperatures really carefully!. You could try keeping the white chocolate itself warmer, and make sure there's no water extruding from the caramel, too!.
Sorry if this isn't much help, it's all I can come up with!. I wonder if the humidity of the air (assuming it's summer weather where you are) might even be a factor!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I guess you might just really have to maintain the temperatures really carefully!. You could try keeping the white chocolate itself warmer, and make sure there's no water extruding from the caramel, too!.
Sorry if this isn't much help, it's all I can come up with!. I wonder if the humidity of the air (assuming it's summer weather where you are) might even be a factor!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Is any water/steam getting into the chocolate!?
http://candy!.about!.com/od/workingwithcho!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
http://candy!.about!.com/od/workingwithcho!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I always have ttrouble with white chocolate seizing as well no metter what I do!. try milk chocolate!.Www@FoodAQ@Com