Cooked and photographed in your home kitchen ...

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19162031
Sounds delicious.

I agree, sounds fantastic. Thanks for the recipe, think I'll try it.

id10t wrote in post #19161992
This is a quick snapshot of a family soup recipe that is made once a year on Thanksgiving. It's from small village in Italy where my mothers side of the family is from. We call it Gigidee soup, but we have no idea how it's supposed to be spelled, which is probably why I haven't found another Italian that has heard of it or had it. It's made in 2 parts the week before and put together on Thanksgiving which is why it's only made once a year and it is also usually made for 20-25 people. You start with chicken soup made from a foul and then remove everything so only the broth is left. The Gigidee's are dough rolled and cut to the size of your baby finger tip then fried. The meatballs are also made in advance and frozen. On Thanksgiving the Gigidee's and meatballs are placed in a large pot and about 6-8 eggs are scrambled and poured in the pot and all stirred up to coat everything, then a cup or two of Romano cheese is added and stirred again. After heating the soup stock to nearly a boil we add the soup to the other ingredients and then it's put on the stove to cook another 45-60 minutes to allow the Gigidees to absorb the soup and soften. I guess if you add it to the soup it comes out more like egg drop soup, who knows we just follow the recipe. Most people think it's Italian wedding soup but the taste is nothing like it. We serve it right after the antipasto and before the turkey which nobody has room for after 2 bowls of the soup and antipasto. Everybody brings containers to take some home. I'm afraid the new generation won't have the time or the patience to put the work into making it after we are gone.

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Thanks for sharing the recipe.

Some years ago I made some chocolate filled with marzipan. Thought, I'd try that again. Do you have any tips on how to get a really shiny finish? Mine look like they have some sort of water spots and of course a lot of fingerprints.

piQturesQue wrote in post #19164054
Some years ago I made some chocolate filled with marzipan. Thought, I'd try that again. Do you have any tips on how to get a really shiny finish? Mine look like they have some sort of water spots and of course a lot of fingerprints.

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They look very nice. Tempered chocolate takes up the finish of the surface on which it hardens. So you need to get your moulds extremely clean and dry. Depending on their material you could possibly dry them in a cool oven and then never touch the insides. As for fingerprints, you need to wear latex gloves when handling them and make sure they are totally set and hard before touching them (with the gloves). You may not need to touch them at all but move them using a small, flat spatula. If you are using traditional moulds they should be very shiny. Another thing to watch out for is that the chocolate is properly tempered. Does it have a 'crack' when you bite into it?

BTW if the chocolates are dipped and not moulded they will be slightly shiny (I guess as is the air!) If you have any more questions, fire away. I used to sell handmade chocolates and have made every mistake in the book!

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19164057
They look very nice. Tempered chocolate takes up the finish of the surface on which it hardens. So you need to get your moulds extremely clean and dry. Depending on their material you could possibly dry them in a cool oven and then never touch the insides. As for fingerprints, you need to wear latex gloves when handling them and make sure they are totally set and hard before touching them (with the gloves). You may not need to touch them at all but move them using a small, flat spatula. If you are using traditional moulds they should be very shiny. Another thing to watch out for is that the chocolate is properly tempered. Does it have a 'crack' when you bite into it?

BTW if the chocolates are dipped and not moulded they will be slightly shiny (I guess as is the air!) If you have any more questions, fire away. I used to sell handmade chocolates and have made every mistake in the book!

I'll take you up on that

I have some cheap moulds that are made of some kind of rubber. It is very easy to get the chocolates out of it, but they are a pain to clean. => Now I know why the chocolates turn out to be spotty...
I have tried to keep the temperature around 33° C when pouring (is that well tempered in your experience?) and they do make some sound when bitten in half. However, I let them sit outside the house for 20 minutes (probably 2-5° C) after filling them, because my filling was not viscous enough for the final layer of chocolate. Is that the normal approach or should the filling be thicker?

piQturesQue wrote in post #19164080
I'll take you up on that

I have some cheap moulds that are made of some kind of rubber. It is very easy to get the chocolates out of it, but they are a pain to clean. => Now I know why the chocolates turn out to be spotty...
I have tried to keep the temperature around 33° C when pouring (is that well tempered in your experience?) and they do make some sound when bitten in half. However, I let them sit outside the house for 20 minutes (probably 2-5° C) after filling them, because my filling was not viscous enough for the final layer of chocolate. Is that the normal approach or should the filling be thicker?

33C is a bit too warm. The ideal temperature is 31-32 but may depend on the brand of chocolate you are using. What brand do you use? Would you mind posting a photo of your moulds? The best ones are not pliable but, if the chocolate is well tempered and set you just need to tap the mould on the table and they all fall out like magic! You should really never need to touch them. I think if you want to do this seriously it would be worth investing in a good-quality polycarbonate mould.

Yes, it's easier to have fairly set centres or it can become quite a mess. The moulds need to go in the fridge before you fill them so they set quickly, then pipe in the filling (easiest way), and then quickly apply the top (which will be the base) all the while making sure the chocolate remains in temper.

BTW you can make moulded chocolates with liquid centres with a product called 'invertase' but that's the advanced class!

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19164191
33C is a bit too warm. The ideal temperature is 31-32 but may depend on the brand of chocolate you are using. What brand do you use? Would you mind posting a photo of your moulds? The best ones are not pliable but, if the chocolate is well tempered and set you just need to tap the mould on the table and they all fall out like magic! You should really never need to touch them. I think if you want to do this seriously it would be worth investing in a good-quality polycarbonate mould.

Yes, it's easier to have fairly set centres or it can become quite a mess. The moulds need to go in the fridge before you fill them so they set quickly, then pipe in the filling (easiest way), and then quickly apply the top (which will be the base) all the while making sure the chocolate remains in temper.

BTW you can make moulded chocolates with liquid centres with a product called 'invertase' but that's the advanced class!

My mom's favorite candy was chocolate covered cherries made by See's Candy in the States. See’s version is mostly a soft fondant, with a small reservoir of syrup. See’s calls them simply Milk Cherry and describes them as, A plump, dipping cherry surrounded by a liquefied soft center covered in milk chocolate. Yum *Nom...nom*

navydoc wrote in post #19164254
My mom's favorite candy was chocolate covered cherries made by See's Candy in the States. See’s version is mostly a soft fondant, with a small reservoir of syrup. See’s calls them simply Milk Cherry and describes them as, A plump, dipping cherry surrounded by a liquefied soft center covered in milk chocolate. Yum *Nom...nom*

Gere, I've had them when I lived in the States. Of course, they are made in a factory setting - making them at home is quite tricky. I hope you are going to treat yourself to a few over the Holidays!

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19164191
33C is a bit too warm. The ideal temperature is 31-32 but may depend on the brand of chocolate you are using. What brand do you use? Would you mind posting a photo of your moulds? The best ones are not pliable but, if the chocolate is well tempered and set you just need to tap the mould on the table and they all fall out like magic! You should really never need to touch them. I think if you want to do this seriously it would be worth investing in a good-quality polycarbonate mould.

Yes, it's easier to have fairly set centres or it can become quite a mess. The moulds need to go in the fridge before you fill them so they set quickly, then pipe in the filling (easiest way), and then quickly apply the top (which will be the base) all the while making sure the chocolate remains in temper.

BTW you can make moulded chocolates with liquid centres with a product called 'invertase' but that's the advanced class!

I am not home at the moment, but they are very similar to these. And the chocolate is some home brand of my local supermarket. I am definitely not doing this seriously Both cooking and photography will have to remain hobbies, but that doesn't keep me from trying my best. Thanks for the tips, next batch will probably already look way better!

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19164322
Gere, I've had them when I lived in the States. Of course, they are made in a factory setting - making them at home is quite tricky. I hope you are going to treat yourself to a few over the Holidays!

As long as they're keto friendly, I'm all in.

piQturesQue wrote in post #19164347
I am not home at the moment, but they are very similar to these. And the chocolate is some home brand of my local supermarket. I am definitely not doing this seriously Both cooking and photography will have to remain hobbies, but that doesn't keep me from trying my best. Thanks for the tips, next batch will probably already look way better!

They look fine though the flexible moulds are harder to work with. As long as your chcolate is tempered properly your chocolates will be delicious. Good luck and be sure to post more photos.

Here are some of mine:

Photo from AnnieMacD's gallery.

AnnieMacD wrote in post #19164396
They look fine though the flexible moulds are harder to work with. As long as your chcolate is tempered properly your chocolates will be delicious. Good luck and be sure to post more photos.

Here are some of mine:

Gallery photo:
posted by AnnieMacD originally in forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive

Those look delicious!

Kids like the dutch baby for breakfast. Took quick 2-3 hand held shots before digging in. Should have setup the tripod, TSE etc but they were impatient. Sun created by strobe and 7" reflector with 1/4 CTO gel.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2kga​X4a

I decided to challenge myself with the Apple Pie, which I have not baked before.
Turned out quite tasty, yet I think a little over-baked to my taste.

Few shots

Snickerdoodles

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2khC​8cV