Tempering Chocolate

Work with 1-2 lbs of chocolate at a time.  Less than that can be hard to get the right temperatures. 

 Note: talked with Becky Day and her and her mother uses a chocolate melting dipping pot to melt and keep their chocolate warm.  They place some chocolate into a separate bowl and dip about 10 chocolates then add more warm chocolate from the chocolate melting pot  and do another 10.  She said you want to have smooth motions drop the fondant center in pick up with two fingers and then place on wax paper and use finger to mark the top as to the flavor of your chocolates.  They buy their chocolate from Orson Gygi in a big block, Peter's Chocolate comes in a big red bag.    

Orson Gygi has a great Chocolate 101 on their blog:
http://blog.gygi.com/blog/2019/11/14/chocolate-101/

There are three different types of chocolates you can use.  Depending on what you are making will depend on the type of chocolate to use.

Baking chips are best to use for anything you are baking (ex. cookies, bread).

Highest quality and best chocolate is couverture chocolate.  This is the chocolate you want to use for dipping chocolates. 

 

Tempering Instructions from Orson Gygi:

1. When tempering Gygi recommends to use the microwave.  In a plastic or silicone bowl so it doesn’t get to hot. Also you will want a spatula and thermometer. 
2. Start with warming up 2/3rds your chocolate 1 minute in the microwave, stir, then  microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring in each time and checking temperature until you reach the heat to temperature. See chart. 
3. Then add in the last 1/3rd or seed chocolate a bit at a time and stir to melt to get the chocolate to its use to temperature.  
4. Test your chocolate to make sure it is tempered correctly.  Take a small piece of parchment paper and dip it into your bowl of chocolate scrapping off the extra chocolate then lay on another piece of parchment paper.  
1. If it is tempered correctly it will set up within 3-5 minutes, it will have a nice sheen to it, it won’t melt immediately under pressure of your finger tip and it will have a nice snap when you bend it. 
2. If it isn’t tempered correctly you can start again by slowly heating you chocolate up to the heat to temp and adding some seed chocolate to bring the temp back down to the use at temp.  
5. If you need to warm you chocolate back up scrape all chocolate back into the bowl and heat it up no more than 5 seconds at a time in the microwave.  Keeping the temperature of the chocolate under the use at temperature. 
6. If it goes above the use at temperature then you will need to start the tempering process over again.  
7. Dipping chocolate works best in a cool area less then 70 degrees, best between 65-70 degrees.

Compound chocolate is much easier to use, but not as high of quality.

How to best store chocolate:

Salsa

2 cans Diced Tomato's

1 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt (or more to taste)

2 Tbs Elpato Sauce (yellow can with duck on it)

2 Tbs White Vinegar

1 Tbs Sugar (can add less)

1/2 can diced green chilies (other half can be placed in a baggie and then freeze for later)

Cilantro (close to a full bunch)

Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until it is mixed and at the consistency that you want.

Serve with tortilla chips!

From: Holly Nelson & Heather Skanchy

White Grape Soda

Diet Grapefruit Shasta or Fresca (2-liter bottle)
Frozen White Grape Juice Concentrate
Pebble Ice (from Sonic)

Add equal parts of Grapefruit Shasta/Fresca and White Grape Juice Concentrate.  Mix it all together and add the pebble ice.

Enjoy

From: Shawna Borg

Royal Icing

6 cups powdered sugar
8 tsp dried egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
¾ cup warm water

Gel food coloring (like Americolor)
Non-alcohol based flavoring (like LorAnn oils) - Cheesecake
Small Spray bottle filled with water (used only for water)

Directions:

1.       Blend the top ingredients together in mixer. Mix on medium speed until glossy peaks form.

2.       At this point you will have pretty thick and stiff icing, like brownie batter or marshmallow fluff then add your flavoring.

3.       Divide frosting into separate bowls. Do as many bowls as you want colors in squeeze bottles. You should be able to have around 4-6 partially filled bottles. The bottles will be around ½  – ¾  full but this will be enough to frost all of your cookies. If you want more colors, make additional frosting.

4.       Add food coloring and spritz with water if needed. The frosting should be able to flow fluidly in one thick stream from a raised spoon. You should have about a 10-15 second flood consistency (frosting should go smooth after ribboning in frosting about 10-15 seconds).

5.       Outline your cookies first. For seamless frosting, fill right away. For a more distinct line, let the outline dry before flooding.

From: Karen Hunter

Sugar Cookies

• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened @ room temperature
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ T milk
• ½ t salt
• 1 ½ t baking powder
• 6 cups flour

Directions:

1.    Cream butter and sugar in mixer with cookie paddle attachment. You want the butter to lighten in color, this will be about 3-5 minutes.

2.    Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix another minute or so until fairly mixed.

3.    Scrape down sides of the bowl again. Add salt, baking powder and flour. Mix slowly at first, then beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

4.    Dust a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone pad and dust with powdered sugar. Put ball of dough onto paper/pad and flatten with your hand. Dust top with more sugar and place a sheet of parchment paper on top and roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

5.    Preheat oven to 350 convection. Cut dough into desire shapes and place evenly on parchment lined baking sheet. Set baking sheet in freezer for five minutes.

6.    Place frozen sheet of dough in oven and bake 10 minutes. Check for doneness. You may need to cook it longer, depending on oven times and cookie thickness. The cookies shouldn't be browned, just barely done and the dough no longer glossy. The moment you see any browning on a cookie, take the cookies out of the oven. This will keep them soft and fresh longer. Cool cookies on a cooling rack before frosting. Store in a sealed container.

7.    Will make 4 baking sheets, or 4 dozen 3-inch round cookies.

From: Karen Hunter

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

·         4 large eggs
·         2 cups granulated sugar
·         1 cup vegetable oil
·         1 15 ounce cans pumpkin puree
·         1 teaspoon vanilla
·         2 cups all-purpose flour
·         2 teaspoons baking powder
·         1 teaspoon salt
·         1 teaspoon baking soda
·         1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         6 ounces cream cheese
·         6 tablespoons butter softened
·         4 cups powdered sugar
·         pinch of salt

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 350°F. Place rack in center of oven.

2.       Grease and flour one jelly roll pan. or line with a sheet of parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking oil.

3.       In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, pumpkin and vanilla.

4.       Add flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, ground cloves and cinnamon to wet ingredients. Mix all at once, until flour disappears and is blended thoroughly, about 1 minute on low speed.

5.       Spread into prepared pan.

6.       Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or on 350 convection for about 20 minutes. Cake should spring back lightly when cooked.

7.       Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For frosting:

1.       Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and pinch of salt.

2.       Evenly spread over bars after they have cooled.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

From: https://abountifulkitchen.com/pumpkin-sheet-cake-cream-cheese-frosting/

7 Layer Bean Dip

1-2 Cans of Refried Beans
1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream or Greek Plain Yogurt
1-2 tsp Taco Seasoning
3 Medium Avocados
1/2 Juice of a Lime
Salt
Shredded Cheese
1 Medium/Large Cans of sliced Olives
Green Onions
Tomato's
Chopped Cilantro (optional)

Tortilla Chips

1. In a glass 9x13 dish first layer the refried beans in the bottom.  Mash the avocados and mix in the lime juice.  Salt to taste then layer on top of the beans.
2. Next mix the taco seasoning into the Sour Cream/Yogurt start with 1 tsp and taste if it needs more then add another 1/2 tsp-1 tsp more.  Layer on top of the avocado mixture.
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese to cover the sour cream.  The rest of topping are optional add Olives, Green Onions, Tomato's and Cilantro.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Enjoy with tortilla chips.