Comments on: Caucus Canceled, Confections Missed

By: Edward Vielmetti

Edward Vielmetti — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:53:13 +0000

By The Pound is a good source for bulk cocoa too, just in case that matters to anyone.

By: Marvin Face

Marvin Face — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:09:40 +0000

What I mean Ms. (?) Briere, is that it is fine to use mass-marketed chocolate like Hersheys-owned Sharffen Berger or the mega corporation of Barry-Callebaut. Its readily available and most people will not be able to taste the difference anyway. I do not believe at all that couverture is difficult to find in the US. Difficult to find at Kroger? Yes.

I’d rather use Guittard or even DeVries or Amano. Wafers are the only way to go, too.

By: Sabra Briere

Sabra Briere — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:58:46 +0000

My Council colleague, Christopher Taylor, alerted me to Mr. (?) Face’s unhappiness with my choice of chocolate. I have some lemon truffles left, and will bring them to the next Caucus. Anyone who is curious about the flavor is welcome, just to sample the candy.

Of course, chocolate choices are subjective, and anyone who makes chocolate following this recipe is free to adapt it — although I do recommend really good quality couverture chocolate (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couverture_chocolate), not chocolate bar chocolate that you purchase in the store. Most bar chocolate for eating has flavors and stabilizers added to it that make it difficult to use in candy making.

In the US, couverture chocolate is difficult to find. Callebaut is one of the few that is readily available. Sharffen Berger is also good, and offers more complex, subtle notes. I purchase big (5 kilo) blocks of Callebaut chocolate at By The Pound. I went to the Callebaut factory in Calgary just to inhale.

By: Marvin Face

Marvin Face — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:31:01 +0000

ugh…Caillebaut and Scharffen Berger? Pass. Wake me when she gets serious.

By: Leah Gunn

Leah Gunn — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:10:37 +0000

Yummy! And I bet each chocolate is about 1000 calories. Thank you, Sabra.