I made two new flavors yesterday, Strawberry Banana (heavier on the banana than the strawberry to my taste buds) and Lemon. Flavorwise, I'm pretty happy with the results.
In an attempt to reduce the processing time (8 hours start to finish) I reversed the order of two steps (out of ~100). Not only did it not save any time, it precipitated two unanticipated reactions.
"Precipitated" is the right word, because the product is now "textured" with little bits of cheese curd (from the buttermilk) and egg yolk. This gives it a speckled appearance and the mouthfeel is less smooth and creamy than I wanted. Otherwise, the matrix is about the same and the heat level is still medium. (Though for many here, it will definitely come across as mild.)
Initially I thought I'd have to dump the whole batch, but after sampling it a few times, I've come to realize it's just different, not necessarily bad. Others who have tried it, including a master chef, feel the same way.
I won't repeat this process until I'm ready to start blending in granola to make "Gravel Bar" (and maybe not then.) In the meantime, my learning experience is your best opportunity to get an idea of what I'm up to here.
For $7.90 for a SFRB, I'll ship from three to eight 4 oz bars of Strawberry Banana and/or Lemon flavors for $1 per bar. For one or two bars, there are less expensive shipping options. I'm just trying to recover the costs of ingredients and kitchen time.
Next Tuesday, I have kitchen time scheduled to make new batches of Cherry Vanilla and Hazelnut Coffee. I won't be getting creative with my proven process this time.