Receipt shock

So far, I have found three sources that discuss the grades of chocolate used in candy making.  I have created a spreadsheet to keep track of chocolate brand recommendations.  Anybody can see that chart at this link (which should open in a new window).  So far, four brands come out on top:  Callebaut, Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, and Guittard.  There is actually a company that carries all of these brands.  It is Chocosphere (which should open in a new window).  Although the price per pound is very reasonable, one has to purchase 2.2 pounds of each different chocolate.  Depending on the brand, there are as many as seven different chocolates.  That means I would have to spend over $300 just to try all the type of all these brands.  That is why I am writing this blog right now; I am hoping it will break the logjam in my head so I can make a decision as to what to purchase.

Book remarks

Okay, I just scanned through the table of contents for Seventy-Five Receipts for Pastry, Cakes, and Sweetmeats (1832).  While there are many cake (including cheesecake), pie, pudding, and jelly recipes, there are no specific candy-making recipes.

Definitions, definitions

Wow.  Finding out what something is called can be almost as hard as figuring out how to make something.  Here are some terms I have been researching in order to determine whether or not they fall within the Victorian (1830-1900) period.  As some chocolate sites have stated, there is no governing body to make sure the names are used correctly.  Therefore, some misuse has muddied the definitions for certain candy terms.  Here, then, is some of what I have discovered.

Bon-bons are technically a filling "the size of a dollop" that is coated with hard chocolate.
Praline is a bon-bon filled with a nut mixture.
Truffle is a bon-bon filled with a ganache mixture, although the outer coating could be something other than hard chocolate, such as cocoa powder.  This, by the way, is known as a Swiss truffle.
A European truffle is made with syrup, cocoa powder, milk powder, fats, and other ingredients to form an emulsion.
An American truffle is a mixture of chocolates with butterfat and, in some cases, hardened coconut oil.

The bon-bon was created in Italy around 1865.  The praline was created in Belgium around 1912.  The truffle was created in France in 1895.  So, what does all of this mean?

Small chocolate-coated candies existed as early as 1865.  To this point in my research, however, I have not come across any specific Victorian techniques or recipes for dipping chocolate candies.

Books, books, and more books.

I have just spent about the last 2 hours going through links on the internet to download about 40 Victorian-era cookbooks available as on-line facsimiles or pdf files.  The downloads include Art of Confectionery (1866), Candy Making at Home (1884), Complete Confectioner (1844), a different Complete Confectioner (1849), Pastrycook & Confectioner's Guide (1889), and Treaties on the Art of Boiling Sugar (1865).  And to think, I was just trying to do a little research on chocolate truffles.

Merry Christmas to Me.

I just paid my spring 2012 tuition, and it came to about $1000 less than I thought it would, so I decided to treat myself.  I went ahead and ordered some enameled cast iron kettles.  I paid $40 for a 3-quart Wolfgang Puck kettle and another $51 for a 4-1/2-quart FancyCook (which I have never heard of).  We shall see how they last.  Now, I just want to find a 1-1/2-quart saucepan, and I think I will have all the candy-making pans I need.

Acid Drops

I have come across a period recipe for "Acid Drops".  These require tartaric acid, which the local grocery store does not carry.  Between looking for chocolate and other ingredients, I should start a business that specializes in premium and weird candy ingredients.  Anywho, my internet search says tartaric acid is available as a home brewing supply.  Now another decision: Do I just buy from the internet and hope the post office doesn't screw up or do I look around town for a home brewer.

Useless book

I bought The Victorian Kitchen Book of Candies and Confections in order to do research, as it claimed to "reveal the recipes and techniques perfected by the Victorian cook."  Well, almost nothing in this book has anything to do with the Victorian cook.  Nearly all the recipes are modern redactions, and very little is said of actual Victorian technique.  This turned out to be a nearly useless book when it comes to researching Victorian candy making.  Good think I paid less than $1 for it.

Decisions, decisions

I am looking for a slightly smaller granite pan in which to make candy.  I have a 6 quart, but I want something for making smaller batches.  Macy's has an enameled 2-3/4 quart for $44.03, but there is a 4-1/4 quart on eBay for $51.52.  I know the difference is only $7.50, but which pan is going to be better for my purposes.  The eBay pan has 4-1/2" sides; Macy's does not list the dimensions of its pan, and I can't find it elsewhere on the internet.  What to do?  What to do?

According to Macy's, they have it at a mall store about 10 miles from here.  Now, do I take the time to go look at it?  Decisions, decisions.

Well, I came to a decision.  I have a total of $140 to spend on this stuff.  I would rather buy ingredients and work on technique until I can afford the kettles.  Besides, I can keep looking at thrift stores, flea markets, and antique shops for the right stuff.

Chocolate Search 2

I was looking around for where to buy my chocolates when I came on a page at About.com that describes the various types of chocolates (semi-sweet, etc).  It also states that couverture is the chocolate type used by confectioners because of the high cocoa butter content.  So, that pretty much means I should be looking for couverture chocolates.

Chocolate Search

Well, school is ending Sunday, so I will be able to dedicate my study time to Victorian candy research, including making stuff!  In view of that, I started searching for chocolate.  For this break at work, therefore, I am going to go looking for info on high-quality candy-making chocolates.

Okay.  According to Gourmet Candy Maker, the best chocolate is couverture (called "pure chocolate" on this website) by Callebaut, Sharfen Berger, Veliche, and Valrhona.  The next grade down is premium chocolate (or "real chocolate" as they call it) made by Merckens, Peters made by Nestle, Guittard and Ghiradelli.  The remaining grades in descending order are a regular candy bar, a baking bar, baker's chocolate (not really made for candy), chocolate chips, and coco buttons.  At lunch, I am going to search for a source for the pure and real chocolates mentioned by this website.

A further search revealed a list of recommended chocolates at About.com.  They are Belcolade, Blommer, Cacao Barry, Callebaut, Carma, El Rey, Felchin, Ghiradelli, Guittard, Lindt, Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, Van Leer, and Wilbur.  Only 5 of these are also on the Gourmet Candy Maker list.