It looks like my first batch of chemical reduced colloidal gold was a success using the following procedure:
500 ml cold distilled water
2.5 ml 1% gold chloride solution (gives 50 ppm)
1 teaspoon maltodextrin.
10 drops 1 Molar sodium carbonate.
Stir, then heat to boiling in the microwave.
After that, I capped it with 20 ml gelatin solution. It's such a deep Ruby red that I had a hard time getting a decent picture but there it is.