Eric Menchen wrote:Glenn, as firm as mine was I'm slightly doubtful that cutting back the gelatin alone would make such a difference. I believe I read on one of the sites when I was looking for gelatin conversions that the amount of sugar also affects the solidity. I think it was both the gelatin and sugar reduction combined that made the difference, but that's just a suspicion.
Could it be the hot water used to unmold was left too long in contact? I did not use boiling water, simply hot water out of the tank for about 2 mins maximum. I had to shake it a little
We should share more simple recipes, we have good participation.... We're still waiting on Andy's attempt
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
I was presuming Glenn tested how hard it was before removing, but your point Frederick is certainly worth making. My molds were small Pyrex bowls and I used boiling water. I tried the first one with 5 seconds of boiling and that wasn't enough. Then I tried 30 seconds--way too much and that one was liquefied on the outer edges. So then I tried 10 seconds which worked perfectly with a little gentle shaking. Mold thickness will probably require each person to adjust, but I'd advise everyone to start conservatively.
When trying to unstick something that is cold-set, you want to use the hottest possible water for the shortest time possible. That way, the heat has less time to travel into the food. If the mold is made from something thin that conducts heat quickly the heat will get to the food that much faster. Thin metal molds should work well. Glass, being both thick and a slower conductor of heat works less well for something like this. If you DO use glass, be sure it is Pyrex (or Bomex/heat-resistant), so the hot water won't cause the cold glass to shatter.
For a quick reset of the film of melted food, put the unmolded food on its plate into a cold refrigerator for a bit, or even a freezer for a few minutes. Pre-chilling the plates can help as well.
{for the copyright police: Pyrex and Bomex are copyrighted tradenames belonging to their respective manufacturers; I'm tired of getting nasty letters from lawyers }
Peter W. Meek wrote:{for the copyright police: Pyrex and Bomex are copyrighted tradenames belonging to their respective manufacturers; I'm tired of getting nasty letters from lawyers }
And I was too lazy to look up the code for the little TM or R-circle character, and I'm not sure if the board software would support it if I did.
Eric Menchen wrote:Glenn, as firm as mine was I'm slightly doubtful that cutting back the gelatin alone would make such a difference. I believe I read on one of the sites when I was looking for gelatin conversions that the amount of sugar also affects the solidity. I think it was both the gelatin and sugar reduction combined that made the difference, but that's just a suspicion.
Hmm... in that case I think I'll try reducing the water a bit as well. If less sugar makes the gelee softer then less water should firm it right back up, yes? Plus this has the added advantage of increasing the Port ratio, thus making the flavor more concentrated.
Another thought - could an excess of alcohol also affect the firmness?
The glass I used was thin plastic, so probably transferred heat very quickly. The metal baking pan was, well, a baking pan so it also probably transferred heat fairly well. I simply used hot tap water, but our water heater is set very high so that seemed to work very well.
Those are beautiful desserts, guys! I am tempted to try this myself. Seems like a very nice summery way to enjoy Port. I think I might try adding some carbonation into the mix. I'm leaving town this week though, so it'll be awhile before I can join in the experimentation.
Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves, for we shall never cease to be amused.
Finally looks like I found a place on the other side of downtown that has sheet gelatin, so hopefully Friday I can pick some up and try my hand at cooking this weekend.
My attempt firmed up quite a bit by just sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, so I'm going to inflict one of them on Eric Ifune when he gets here.
So I think that means that I just didn't give them enough time to set before I tried them. They probably need at least a couple of hours instead of the 45 minutes that I gave them. They taste great and the Devonshire cream works really well, so I'll definitely be making these again (but with better molds)!
Glenn E. wrote:So I think that means that I just didn't give them enough time to set before I tried them. They probably need at least a couple of hours instead of the 45 minutes that I gave them.
I gave each layer at least two hours. I was worried the second layer liquid left out at room temperature might set while the first was setting in the fridge, but it didn't harden at all at about 78 degrees F.
I figured finding sheet gelatin would be the hardest part of this, but looks like I'm wrong. Everything was easy to find except the Lagrima white Port. Been to three stores that normally carry it and they've all been out. I'm hoping to find a bottle this weekend so I can finally try making this.
I figured finding sheet gelatin would be the hardest part of this, but looks like I'm wrong. Everything was easy to find except the Lagrima white Port. Been to three stores that normally carry it and they've all been out. I'm hoping to find a bottle this weekend so I can finally try making this.
OK, I am feeling guilty and must confess ... I bought up all the Lagrima in your area, my friend, to protect you from yourself. I did not want to see you getting hurt this way. I am sorry, but I had no other alternative.
I figured finding sheet gelatin would be the hardest part of this, but looks like I'm wrong. Everything was easy to find except the Lagrima white Port. Been to three stores that normally carry it and they've all been out. I'm hoping to find a bottle this weekend so I can finally try making this.
OK, I am feeling guilty and must confess ... I bought up all the Lagrima in your area, my friend, to protect you from yourself. I did not want to see you getting hurt this way. I am sorry, but I had no other alternative.
WOOHOO I did it, and I didn't burn the house down. I used Krohn's Lagrima white Port and Fonseca Bin 27.
It came out pretty nice. Although getting it out of the pan was harder than I thought, even using the hot water trick. I'm not sure I really like it though. Between the residual sugar already in port and adding in that much more sugar it's really sweet, too sweet IMO. Honestly, I would rather just have a glass of chilled Lagrima or a Reserve Ruby instead. But it was fun to try and make it and who knows, maybe I'll make it again for an offline.
Hard to believe that the result was sweeter than, say, a Gummi-bear, and people eat those by the ton. It's not a replacement for Port -- it is a different treat entirely. (It HAS to be better than Jello Shots.)
Has some interesting history, anecdotes, and chemistry relating to alcohol in gelatin. First recorded in 1862, but later rumored to have been invented by Tom Lehrer (mathematician and satiric singer/songwriter) in the 1950s in order to sneak booze into NSA buildings. Max alcohol by volume is 30% to allow setting up.