A few years ago my husband’s brother came to live with us for a few months. The idea was that he would take some time to dream up a variety of fantasy futures, and then see which one would rise to the top and become real. It was a really fun time for me. It was wonderful to get to know this new brother of mine. Plus, I also got caught up in imagining fantasy futures for me, too. I liked the idea of opening a gourmet foods shop in our wonderful tourist town of Bethlehem, on Main Street. (I don’t want to be stuck in one place all day. So that shop idea is still up for grabs. I remain convinced that it is a viable business concept.) As I dreamed of this business idea, I started to research a potential product line. The thing that really caught my heart is the fascinating artisan chocolates. I couldn’t believe the bizarre combinations I was reading about! Hot pepper in chocolate? Ginger? But OH, when I started to taste these marvelous concoctions, I was hooked. I had to start making my own brainstormed creations, experimenting with techniques and ingredient combinations. For the next few years I continued to make and perfect my own private stash of what has now been named “Junkie Chocolate”, my own personal favorite. I have so many ideas! I am overflowing! This has become a hobby and a passion for me. I have become The Amateur Chocolatier!
By trade I am a glass jewelry artisan, a certified master craftsman in my field. My husband and I are self employed. Our company is called Hayden Brook Studios. We ship our hand crafted jewelry all over the USA. We like to make pretty and colorful jewelry that remains affordable, for tough times like these! People often say our gems looks good enough to eat! To see my professional profile go to: http://haydenbrook.com, http://haydenbrook.com/blog1/
My husband and I are crazy about God! We are finishing our Masters in Practical Ministry at this time. We have also started a ministry website with more information about our adventures with God. To see my ministry profile go to:http://miraclewaters.org, http://thegiftlist.net, http://www.miraclewaters.org/blog3
Hi there,
I am a product designer, based near Nottingham, and was hoping you could help me out. I have been following your blog for some time now, and as an official expert on the topic of learning to make chocolates, I would really value your feedback on a chocolate decoration tool I have been developing.
It is a pen which writes with melted chocolate. Solid chocolate is inserted and out comes melted chocolate- the pen melts and pushes the chocolate through the nib allowing the user to write with it like a calligraphy pen. The idea came about since piping bags and other similar tools can be tricky to use and control, especially with chocolate which sets up quite fast. I am hoping this device will mean that people (who aren’t necessarily trained with a piping bag) would be able to design intricate cake wraps, chocolate decorations, in mould-patterns etc. with little mess and frustration.
Please can you tell me your thoughts?
Kind Regards,
Alice Hood
Wow Alice, that sounds like a really cool product~! I guess my main feedback/concern would be tempering chocolate. In your marketing, it might come up. So, make sure you cover your bases, at least in the fine print, of mentioning what types of chocolate works, and what might happen with high end chocolates that require tempering. Would those chocolates firm up again, or require a colder temperature range to set firm, or could it be spun that the chocolate stays a bit softer, like truffles consistency? And mention why that might be beneficial. Best wishes for Great Success~!