So when Pop Poop struck the first time, I thought I had the reason all figured out: the cake ball was cold; the chocolate coating was warm; and the result after the chocolate set and thawed cake expansion took place was...well Pop Poop.
Only this time, I was coating my very good caramel (well, Theo's very good caramel recipe which has allowed me to finally nail caramels) with tempered Callebaut 60% chocolate. The caramel was room temperature (my kitchen was 69 degrees) and the tempered chocolate was at a perfect 87 degrees.
My friend had given me a box of Fran's Sea Salt Chocolate Covered Caramels and I thought I could duplicate them. Theo's caramel recipe is that good. I nailed the dimensions for the caramel, dipped in chocolate and placed a single piece of Celtic Gray Salt or French Maldon salt on each piece using my riduculously expensive Tweezerman tweezers.
Perfect clones. Perfect tempering with no streaks
Then I started coating other caramels wtihout as much attention and when I was finished looked over to my Fran clones. There, on every single one of them was a tiny extruded blob of caramel.
Pop Poop!! Again.
Does anyone know why this is happening to me? Am I just cursed? Is there a temperature delta between coating and coatee that I am unaware of???
Added PS: I just realized my granite countertop is cold. Really cold. But the caramels weren't sitting on it...they were on a Silpat which was on a cookie sheet. I'll have to check the temp with my ThermaPen.
Candy should NOT BE THIS DIFFICULT.
Only this time, I was coating my very good caramel (well, Theo's very good caramel recipe which has allowed me to finally nail caramels) with tempered Callebaut 60% chocolate. The caramel was room temperature (my kitchen was 69 degrees) and the tempered chocolate was at a perfect 87 degrees.
My friend had given me a box of Fran's Sea Salt Chocolate Covered Caramels and I thought I could duplicate them. Theo's caramel recipe is that good. I nailed the dimensions for the caramel, dipped in chocolate and placed a single piece of Celtic Gray Salt or French Maldon salt on each piece using my riduculously expensive Tweezerman tweezers.
Perfect clones. Perfect tempering with no streaks
Then I started coating other caramels wtihout as much attention and when I was finished looked over to my Fran clones. There, on every single one of them was a tiny extruded blob of caramel.
Pop Poop!! Again.
Does anyone know why this is happening to me? Am I just cursed? Is there a temperature delta between coating and coatee that I am unaware of???
Added PS: I just realized my granite countertop is cold. Really cold. But the caramels weren't sitting on it...they were on a Silpat which was on a cookie sheet. I'll have to check the temp with my ThermaPen.
Candy should NOT BE THIS DIFFICULT.