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so, a customer made a 'suggestion' - Page 2

post #16 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:28pm
am I the only one who uses chocolate almond bark?
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post #17 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:30pm
i think that the fact you did that to be generous and she couldn't show any kind of appreciation for it just shows that she wanted to find something to cut you down with. this might not be the case.. and suggestions are NEVER bad.. but she could have thrown in a thank you or a compliment as WELL! you did a very nice thing! be proud thumbs_up.gif
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post #18 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:36pm
Candy melts are not really considered chocolate because of the low content of cocoa butter and all the "extra" stuff they put in. That's why they're not called chocolate but candy melts. It tastes terrible by itself. It's ok to use for home or things like that. But I wouldn't sell chocolates made with candy melts. Anyone who knows about chocolate can tell good quality chocolate.

But the fact remains that you did a nice thing and she should just be graceful and shutup.

Alex
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post #19 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:37pm
Jessica, I saw the pics of your strawberries in my Stuffed Strawberries post - they look delicious!!

I would not take the customer's advice as an insult. I don't like the candy melts either. I have used Ghirardelli in the past and now I am using Callebaut. They do cost more - but when you figure that you are going for a high end taste with something as decadent as Keylime cheesecake stuffed strawberries - well then I think that deserves the best ingredients you can afford.

I'll bet she'd be willing to pay the extra it will cost.

Great idea with the filling... yummmmm!!!
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post #20 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:39pm
I generaly use Chocolate almand bark for my cake truffles but I used some on some test strawberries on Saturday and wasn't pleased with the result. I have an order for a grooms cake with chocolate strawberries for the 8th and I have never done them before. I am now going to try Shirley's sugestion. Thanks Shirley.

I think she may have been trying to be helpful but she should have at least been gracious about it and at least thanked you for the berries.
Pam

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Pam

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post #21 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:47pm
Just a thought...when I think of good choclate it is not Cadbury. (like the easter eggs??) I don't even consider nestle chips very real....read the ingredients on some!

I just tried Callebaut in some cookies and they were divine!
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post #22 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:49pm
Thread Starter 
wow, i had no idea candy melts were such a faux pas! icon_redface.gif

i appreciate all the comments and feedback. i actually really like the candy melts and like them with the strawberries. i didn't realize people expected better. i have a huge bag of nestle chocolate chips and one of ghirardelli bittersweet chips, maybe i will try those, at least. or search around for better chocolate.

i am not a chocolate conoseur by any means. give me a plain ol' hershey bar anyday! icon_redface.gif

i will try something different and see what happens. thanks everyone!
.:. jessica .:.

Saltbox Cakes
www.SaltboxCakes.com

married to tyler since 06.21.03

mother to alexander james and jonathan patrick born 09.14.05
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.:. jessica .:.

Saltbox Cakes
www.SaltboxCakes.com

married to tyler since 06.21.03

mother to alexander james and jonathan patrick born 09.14.05
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post #23 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:52pm
I don't think I'd have liked the tone of "making a suggestion", either, but.....another thing to consider is that Cadbury chocolate has a VERY different taste from what we're accustomed to here in the US. I love it, but I know a lot of Americans who don't like it at all.

I can't really think of anything that would taste as different from candy melts THAN Cadbury. I think the lady may have said the same thing if you'd used Callebaut, Ghirardelli, etc.

I agree that with a high end product like dipped stuffed strawberries, using a good grade real chocolate would be a wise move.

You can avoid the tempering issue of real chocolate if you mix 1/3 candy melts with 2/3 real stuff. I've done it and I love the results--great taste and texture with very little extra fuss. Just don't heat either the melts or the chocolate too much--just heat them to the point of melting.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #24 of 40
5/22/07 at 6:52pm
Ganache covered strawberries. Yummmm

I made a ganache chocolate cake this weekend and for some reason I had a ton of ganache left over (wink, wink). Needless to say my pint of strawberries soon went choco-swimming. Ah sweet bliss. There is nothing more heavenly than juicy strawberries covered in smooth dark chocolate.
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post #25 of 40
5/22/07 at 7:26pm
Thread Starter 
okay, so i checked out chocosphere.com and i am totally lost! what is good?

when you use pure (real) chocolate to make strawberries, do you have to temper? do you use paramount crystals (like i do with melts)?

help, please??
.:. jessica .:.

Saltbox Cakes
www.SaltboxCakes.com

married to tyler since 06.21.03

mother to alexander james and jonathan patrick born 09.14.05
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.:. jessica .:.

Saltbox Cakes
www.SaltboxCakes.com

married to tyler since 06.21.03

mother to alexander james and jonathan patrick born 09.14.05
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post #26 of 40
5/22/07 at 7:38pm
If you use all real chocolate, you need to temper it or you may get grey, dusty, soft coating.

To make real chocolate flow easily, you can add tempered cocoa butter, real butter, or some crisco. Too much of any of the above means that the chocolate doesn't set up well and stays soft.

To melts you can add paramount crystals to make them flow easily and to set up very hard. If you want them to set up softer, you add a bit of crisco.

And, as I said, you can avoid tempering by mixing the two--1/3 melts to 2/3 real chocolate.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #27 of 40
5/23/07 at 6:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

And, as I said, you can avoid tempering by mixing the two--1/3 melts to 2/3 real chocolate.

Rae



Rae, isn't that really still tempering? Just an easier method? I took a truffles class at Loretta Paganini's and the chef showed us that method, so that's what I do now. But I'm taking a 4 day chocolate class from Burdick's in August - so it will be interesting to see what they show us.
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post #28 of 40
5/23/07 at 6:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by StephW

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

And, as I said, you can avoid tempering by mixing the two--1/3 melts to 2/3 real chocolate.

Rae



Rae, isn't that really still tempering? Just an easier method? I took a truffles class at Loretta Paganini's and the chef showed us that method, so that's what I do now. But I'm taking a 4 day chocolate class from Burdick's in August - so it will be interesting to see what they show us.



Oh wait, I just reread what you suggested. That's different from what I do. I melt 2/3 of the chocolate on the stove and then once it's melted, I take it off the stove and add the other 1/3 of the chocolate and stir it until melted. Once it's all melted, it should be in temper.

I use all real chocolate and no candy melts at all.
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post #29 of 40
5/23/07 at 6:44am
I wouldn't take her comment as an insult. I am one for giving the benefit of doubt...maybe she is really impressed with the berries, but thinks they would be better with better chocolate. I agree, I don't think the melts would satisfy me but I AM a chocolate fiend. If money was an issue, there are better-quality melts out there (they start with an M but I don't recall offhand). But I think since your berries are so impressive using better chocolate would be a good idea. Just charge more for them...people who will want them will be willing to pay for a better product ( I would).
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post #30 of 40
5/23/07 at 6:45am
Jess, I wouldn't say using candy melts is a faux pas - just a personal preference one way or the other. I use melts for a lot of things because they're more forgiving than the real stuff.

It honestly sounds to me like she's either honestly trying to be helpful (and really doen't know what she's talking about), or wants to sound fancy-schmancy and sophisticated. None of the chocolate snobs I know go for the Cadbury stuff... not that it's bad, mind you, but the name-dropping sort of stuff is Valrhona or Scharffen Berger.

Perhaps the Cadbury sets a little softer, and that's what she's getting at.

I mix melts with my expensive chocolate simply because I don't want to mess with the tempering (and potentially kill the expensive stuff in the process), and add a little butter (like it better than adding crisco). I want a nice look and sheen but very little snap, so 2/3 real to 1/3 melts (or even 1/4 to 3/4) works just fine.
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