# White Chocolate Pyramid



## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Could anyone tell me please the best way to make the above. Haven't seemed to have much luck with my attempts. It was a little grainy for my liking.

If anyone could give me a recipe that will work that would be great. I was thinking of putting a passion fruit parfait inside it, and serving with a mango and star anise coulis. Does this sound ok?

Thanks
Michael


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Can anyone give me some help on this?


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You are trying to temper and mold white chocolate and it is coming out grainy?


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

It is indeed...Maybe because I added a splash of Baileys?? But personally I wouldn't have thought that would have an effect. And the chocolate wasn't melted at too high a temperature. 

I did put the pyramids in the fridge for about 15 minutes could this be why? Surely in this short space of time the chocolate shouldn't have started to separate.


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## munchers (Apr 4, 2007)

hi there, this is an old recipy of mine and it always works. it sets well and the flavour is grand.

white choc mousse
ingredients;
400g Vanilla Pastry cream (home made)
800g White choc ( melted slowly, to prevent grains in the choc)
2pts Cream - semi-whipped

method
1- Melt the choc and cool slightly, whisk in the pastry cream.
2- Fold in the cream.
3- Pour the mix into your mould and freeze. Always easier to demould. And shelf life longer also.

hope thats ok for you. If you hav any probs come back to me and ill give you another recipy, good luck.


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Thanks for the recipe, the one I use for white chocolate mousse is very similar, but I'm wanting to have a white chocolate pyramid but then with a passion fruit parfait inside it. So the it's not white chocolate all the way through.

Sorry if thats really poorly explained, I hope you understand and thanks for the recipe, I will add it to my collection.


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## tammylc (Feb 17, 2007)

You shouldn't ever add liquid to chocolate you're trying to temper. It will seize and get grainy or worse, and won't set up properly.

Can you describe your tempering technique and what kind of molds you're using?


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## munchers (Apr 4, 2007)

M2K
let me know how you get on with the dessert. 
An added suggestion ,why dont you make the mousse fist, only fill it half way up and the sides, freeze , then do your parfait and pipe into the center, freeze , and fill up to the top with the remaining mousse and freeze again. 
Try get a photo of it ,im interested.


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Will get a picture for you Munchers next time I try the experiment. 

And tammy I place chocolate in the microwave for thirty-five seconds on high power until the chocolate it melted. The chocolate should be only slightly warm. Usually the chocolate begins to set (recrystallize) along the side of the bowl. As it begins to crystallize, I mix the crystals into the melted chocolate and they will begin the recrystallization process. I tend to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered for a long time.


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## tammylc (Feb 17, 2007)

I suggest trying it without the Bailey's and see if that helps. If not, you might want to try some alternate tempering methods, like adding some seed to your melted chocolate. Or at least use a thermometer to see if you're overshooting the temperature range and that's part of the problem. But my guess is the Bailey's is the problem. If you want to add flavor to the chocolate, use something oil based, not water based.


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## baddabing (Jun 9, 2007)

M2K
Are you an all-clad user? Just curious? off topic, I know
baddaboom


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Whats an all-clad user?

SOrry for the dumb question!


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## baddabing (Jun 9, 2007)

No, mine was a stupid question. All-clad is a maker of cookware pots and pans. They have a line called M2K.
baddaboom


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## brianthecook (May 2, 2007)

Just simply temper the fine chocolate without adding the irish cream. If you add any liquid to it it turns to ganash. Look online for the silicone pyramid molds. Put the silicone mold in the freezer and get them cold. Pour a thin layer over the mold and refrigerate until the chocolate sets up, then pour another layer of the chocolate over the first one and set it up in the fridge again. fill the hollow inside of the pyramid with a thick filling that will not run.

To seal up the Pyramid with the bottom side do this, refrigerate a slab of smooth marble until it is cold. work quickly from here on out. Take the slab out and lay a smooth coat of tempered chocolate on it thats big enough to lay the mold on top of. put it back in the fridge to set up and then lay another coat and flip the mold onto it while it is still wet, the put back into the fridge to set. Carefully take off the mold being careful not to break the chocolate and cut the pyramid out with a sharp knife. Take a mini spatula and use it to pry the chocolate pyramid off the marble and store in the fridge in an air tight container lined with wax paper.


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## frayedknot (Dec 17, 2006)

Great advice from others here. One quick question about the grainyness, is it possible you are getting "some/any" water in the chocolate and seeding the chocolate? 

When I have made pyamids out of chocolate (I usually layer white and dark tempered) on Acetate. I use a cake comb to make some ridges and then layer on the next layer. Once I have the proper thickness of the of the chocolate on the acetate, I will use a template and cut the sides to what ever size is needed. Put another sheet pan on top to keep the pyramids from curling. Then they stay on the sheet pan until time to use them. Then when plating I construct the pyramids and place what ever filling I am using. I suppose a mold could be easier as BTC has mentioned.


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## finbar (Aug 9, 2007)

michael

im not sure if you`ve sorted your pyramid yet but here is my 2 pence.
as already stated,your baileys is def the problem no chance of tempering with that mixed in.
best bet get moulds,metal ones or plastic i got metal ones from an online site in the US cpl of bucks,cost a fortune here. temper your chocolate dip the mould in for the outside or fill the inside to the top then pour out,if u dont have thick enough coverage do it again till you do.your mould metal will need to be about 25 c and plastic 20 c . make sure that u put the mould in the fridge for 5 -10 mins then out,if u put it in colder temps than say 10 c u may get thermal shock and the choc moulds may have undesirable streaks etc.
your tempering technique/method can u tell me if u r measuring the actual temperature of the chocolate which is upmost important in tempering getting to the desired high temp to dissolve all the cocoa butter crystals then drop where some crystals set then gently raising the temp to a workin temp so that seed crystals remain crystallised.to close the pyramid i would trace the bottom shape,make cardboard cut out.temper choc put it on acetate or grease proof,wee spread lift the paper up bang it down so there is even coverage cut the shape out b4 setting.
first post hope it helps .


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## risque cakes (Apr 20, 2007)

#1 if you keep on using the same method of melting your chocolate, try something else. You cannot change your results if you don't try something new.

#2. Why type of chocolate are you using? ther eis a big difference between chocolates

I temper my white chocolate in a double boiler, I add all my white chocolate and melt to temp and reserve about 1/3 to seed it after.

When it reaches the right temp for whatever chocolate I'm using...I add the reserved chocotate and stir to temp then remove the seed.

I keep the thermometer in the bowl with a Super duck nearby..when I see the temps droping a couple of degrees I give it a lil blast with the superduck. 

When it goes out of temper...I restart.

to coat my molds, I put some of the chocolate inside the cold mold and "brush" the chocolate up the sides. I do this a few times till I get the shell as thick as I like it.

fill my molds, but not all the way up, leaving room for the "bottom" piece....when everything has set or is cold....then I add some more chocolat to the bottom to 'seal' it.

HTH


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## m2k (Jul 31, 2006)

Have been very busy for a while, haven't had any chance to experiment yet- maybe soon.

I use Valrhona white chocolate btw..


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