Goood morning ladies.. After a nice long weekend out of town, I got home yesterday and paid a visit to my Sam's for the chocolate and was really disapointed to find that my Sam's isn't carrying it...... They have some off the wall cheap brand instead... Oh well, the merckens is fine.. just keep using it...
A trick a chocolatier taught me once was to mix in some real chocolate with the melts (never more than 25%) to give your melts a richer chocolate taste. It won't need tempering if you don't use more than 25%...
Confession here.... I have a tempering machine, but the cost of real chocolate inhibits my use of it..... I use it when I am making it for something very special, otherwise the melts are cheaper, easier, and honestly, most folks don't know the difference.. wheeeee, I'm glad I got that off my chest.......

Welcome back Laura!!!

Wow, Laura! That is quite a confession sooo early in the morning! I guess I better call Sams before I make a trip to see if they have the chocolate bars!

Thanks fiddlesticks, and Linda... I feel soooo much better now..

I want to make some with the chocolate but I'm not a member of Sam's but I think my niece is so I might borrow her card.

Is it possible to use a chocolate fountain for dipping chocolates? Maybe not thin the chocolate as much as you would normally would? Or is this a disaster waiting to happen?

pamconn.. I have a fountain and have wondered the same thing. I thought it was a neat idea !

I've been to 2 weddings where they used Merkens for the fountains. I'm not sure about the dipping chocolate though, you would probably have to add some veg. oil to thin it down some.
I've done events where they have had to thin the chocolate this way.

I didn't know if the chocolate used for the fountains was the same as Merkens or Wiltons. I know it looks like it to start out with and my leftover chocolate hardened. I only used it one time and don't have anything special coming up where I would need it, but I'm tempted to dig it out and experiment.

If it didn't work I could still eat the chocolate.

Pamconn - if you do try, let us know how it goes

Laura - I completely agree. The cost of chocolate, even in bulk, is ridiculous. Don't tell, but I mix the Ghiradelli bars from Sam's with real Chiradelli chocolate (Trader joes has it in about 1lbs chunks) and it tastes EXACTLY the same as real chocolate and I save some money. I still temper my chocolate though, guess I'm just paranoid.

Speaking of which, I'm not a Sam's member either, but my Aunt is and her and I have little lunch dates every now and then and end with a quick trip into Sams, but is the economy hurting anyone to the point where you've sacrificed baking? I'm not sure I'm going to mix any real chocolate into my christmas chocolates this year, whereas in the past it's been mostly real chocolate with a bit of melts mixed in to strech it a bit. I've been experimenting with margarine for the first time too. Just trying to save where I can, anyone have good ideas?

For those of you who aren't Sams members....I just heard an ad on the radio that said they are offering memberships for $10 that are good for the rest of the year......great bargain if you just want to get stuff for the holidays. I wish ours was closer...we have a 3 hour drive over two mountain passes to the closest one!

Thanks for the great chocolate ideas....!!!!!

WOW! $10 is nothing! I guess I'll have to check that out. Thanks Kathy!

I am so upset now. I went to a third Sam's club today (one that is 100 miles away...I was up there for a dr. appt for my son) and they didn't have any Ghiradelli chocolates there either. This is a large city and I was shocked not to find any. I hope I'm not just overlooking it. As fiddlesticks said, I guess it is a flat package with pics of candies???

Guess I'll be ordering some Merckens online

Yes its a larger flatter type box. Its a 2.5 lb box of dipping choc. It has pictures of dipped pretzels, strawberries,and candies on the top! When I first saw it I thought it was a box of chocolates.In my Sam,s it was in the same isle as the large bags of sugar, but accross the isle from it. And there was the same brand of choc in chips form next to it.

Thanks fiddlesticks. I'm sure it wasn't at any of the 3 Sam's clubs I've checked over the past week. I guess not every Sam's club will be carrying the Ghiradelli chocolate.

My Sams did NOT have it with the sugars and flour. It was a few aisles down- on the aisle with the coffee creamers and jellies. It's also the same aisle as the powdered milk, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, etc. I've been to three different Sams and it's all been in a similar spot.

Ouch! That's actually $3.50 more per box than I pay at Sams.

is it really? Well then, disregard my advice and call around to see when/which Sams will have it. lol. I should do that myself...


I did make some chocolates today. Not pretty or molded or anything, but yumm-o! I made milk chocolate fudge, let it set up but instead of cutting it, I poured a batch of homemade marshmallow on top and let that set up. Delicious, double decker bars of good I couldn't help thinking that for christmas, you could do the same thing but use peppermint bark on the bottom instead of fudge, and then throw a little bit of peppermint in the marshmallow, maybe some color for kicks.

I just made the White Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache It was a little runny so I added some white chocolate to it. It seems to be setting up, but I won't know until morning. If it works, I'll post the amounts that I used. Has anyone ever made chocolate cayenne truffles or balsalmic truffles? Just wondering. I found a few recipes that I think I'm going to try out. Oh, can you freeze truffles? Before dipping them of course, but can you freeze the centers and then pull them out the day before you plan to dip them?
LOL, I'm so excited. I love making candy for people. The pumpkin truffles will probably only be for my two brothers, my dad, and me since we're the only ones that like pumpkin. Well, my SIL too, but she's diabetic and I'm not sure how to make a sugar free version.
Does anyone have a good recipe for making caramel to use as a truffle center?

Fiddlesticks, I started looking for the dipping choc last niight and according to the Sams website none of the ones around Birm. have it. That is really a bargain compared to other places prices like the G website. I don't think I would pay that plus shipping, so thats really a bargain! Got my new book today soo I am going to be reading sometime today! Will keep watching for the dipping choc too!

Ok, here are the measurements I ended up using for the White Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache. My best friend, who doesn't like pumpkin said that these were absolutely delicious!

[u]White Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache

18 oz. White Chocolate Chips
5 1/2 TBSP Pumpking Puree
8 1/2 tsp heavy cream
1 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Boil the pumpkin and heavy cream together and pour over chocolate. Stir until incorporated and the ganache forms. Let it sit overnight, roll into balls and dip in melted chocolate.

It's been in the fridge for a few hours now and has begun to set up beautifully already! The taste is out of this world! I just can't decide if I want to dip the truffles in white chocolate or dark chocolate.

The pumpkin truffles sound really good. I'm planning on making them for thanksgiving, but maybe I'll have to do a test run About how many truffles did you get?

I would think that balsamic truffles would start with a basic dark chocolate ganache, plus a table spoon or so of balsamic vinegar, maybe?

sayhellojana,
I haven't rolled the pumpkin truffles yet, but the recipe I used ended yielding about 2 cups worth of ganache. You'll definitely love them.

And if you like something with a little bit of a kick, I highly suggest the chocolate cayenne truffles. I just made the ganache for those and they are absolutely exquisite! It's hard to explain the taste. You can't taste the cayenne, but as the flavor of the chocolate reaches it's height in your mouth, you begin to feel the tingle of the spice. I don't like spicy things at all, but these are definitely an experience.
I'm going to try the balsalmic later this evening.

Ooooh, I want those recipes for the different kinds of chocolate. I just bought balsamic fig glaze for regular cooking and was wondering how it would be in chocolate. My DH thinks I've lost my mind. I think fig and chocolate would be a good paring myself.
The pumpkin-white choc ganache sounds wonderful.

mkolmar,

I'm getting ready to take a nap, but as soon as I get up I'll post the cayenne and balsamic recipes.

Thanks for sharing the recipes heavensgaits Sounds like your making some really fabulous chocolates.

i just stacked a cake, its two layers of chocolate and two layers of princess cake (Thats what I call my white cake. It's actually a TON of vanilla extract and praline flavored lorann oil. best scratch white cake I've ever made) and filled with fresh strawberry puree. It's a huge cake. I thought it would be a good, solid 4' cake. It's more like 6. N idea how I'm gonna cover this in fondant...

How is every one else's confectionary lives going?

All the recipes and ideas sound yummy! I dipped truffles today with the Sams choc dipping bars ,They are delicious! I love the bars ,This was my first time trying them and they chop easy, taste wonderful and melt easy, they are very creamy to!

Don't those bars rock hard! I like using them too.

Thanks for sharing Heavengaits. I sometime sprinkle red pepper into whipping cream to put next to mexican hot chocolate. I like different flavors with sweets.