topic Re: Did I ruin the chocolate in Kitchen

Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:40:37 GMT

I am dipping buckeyes in choclate this morning. I have always used a double boiler but last year I helped a friend with her candy, she uses the microwave to melt her chocolate.

I tried that this year and it was working really well until my last tray of buckeyes. I put the chocolate in the microwave to rewarm and I must have over heated it...it is now THICK, there is no way anything will dip into that chocolate!

Is there any way possible to 'fix' this? I really hate to throw away all that chocolate.

If not fixable to use for buckeyes, I am wondering if I could incorporate the chocolate into another ingredient and use it as a frosting? If so how would I do that?

..and things were going we well.....

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

CritterKeeper — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:49:57 GMT

Add a little coconut oil to the chocolate to loosen it up.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 15:49:55 GMT

@CritterKeeper Thanks, I added the coconut oil, but the chocolate is gritty...I will not be able to use it for candy. I will have to bake with it or figure out how to use as a frosting...I hate to throw it away, the taste is ok.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

KingstonsMom — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:23:45 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

Check out this link from Cooks Illustrated for tips:

How to Fix Seized Chocolate | Cook's Illustrated (cooksillustrated.com)

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:27:44 GMT

@KingstonsMom thanks.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

ValuSkr — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:37:50 GMT

I hope not - chocolate is too delicious to waste.

Usually, when someone suggests a microwave shortcut, I'm skeptical and choose to stay with the tried-and-true.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

deb5555 — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:54:28 GMT

If it's too gritty, I would make a chocolate sundae with some ice cream with it, it will be delicious!

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 16:58:56 GMT

@deb5555 Good idea! It will make a MOUNTAIN of sundaes but ice cream is popular at our house.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

RespectLife — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 18:33:39 GMT

I'd add a cream....heavy/light or even half and half. Not water.

Reheat slowly in the double boiler to try and dissolve the grit.

Good luck!

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Kachina624 — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 19:06:50 GMT

@Mom2Dogs Read the link @KingstonsMom provided. It'll tell you how to fix it and how to use it.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 19:11:35 GMT

@Kachina624 I did read it.and will refer back to it once I am done with candy dipping...sigh. I ran to the grocery and picked up more ingredients so I could salvage my day off.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

RollTide2008 — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 21:39:56 GMT

I use my heating pad to keep my chocolate warm while I make candy.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Pezzie — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 21:51:43 GMT

@Mom2Dogs @I know nothing about how to fix your chocolate problem, but did want to commiserate with you.

Hope the rest of your day goes better and you can salvage the chocolate.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 21:59:48 GMT

@Pezzie Thank you. I woke up early this morning, I could not sleep (4 am!)

I had big plans for the day, and honestly I accomplished most/not all of what I wanted to do....dip the buckeyes, stir up and freeze two different cookie recipes....clean up inbetween and then my husband came home from work --EARLY!

Maybe it's just me, but I like my alone time (yes it is his house as well) and he is older 81... I am younger...I say this because when he gets home from our business, he sits the rest of the day, unless I ask him to do something for me, which he will do.

It's just that I am less productive when someone is in the house.

My next day off work is Thursday....I will have a list of what I need to get done.

I have always wondered what other men, that are older do when they either don't work (retired) or are home a lot.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Pezzie — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 22:07:27 GMT

@Mom2Dogs omg, must be the air! I too was awake at 4 !
I had a good day, but not quite as productive as yours.

Whatever you got accomplished today take it as a win.
Thursday you will be Wonder Woman! I am sure of it.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Enufstuff — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:03:37 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

You were wondering what older men do when they are retired. My husband is 83 and is nine years older than I am.

He likes to take care of the property doing gardening and

lawn care. This fall he raked up over 100 large bags of leaves.

There is a wild turkey who follows him around the yard and likes

to hang out with him while he's working.

He likes to be out in the snow and does the snow blowing.

In the house, he reads or watches TV. (mostly sports)

When he was younger, he played golf, but with back problems, he had to stop.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

SoonerLater — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:10:01 GMT

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
I am dipping buckeyes in choclate this morning. I have always used a double boiler but last year I helped a friend with her candy, she uses the microwave to melt her chocolate.

I tried that this year and it was working really well until my last tray of buckeyes. I put the chocolate in the microwave to rewarm and I must have over heated it...it is now THICK, there is no way anything will dip into that chocolate!

Is there any way possible to 'fix' this? I really hate to throw away all that chocolate.

If not fixable to use for buckeyes, I am wondering if I could incorporate the chocolate into another ingredient and use it as a frosting? If so how would I do that?

..and things were going we well.....

@Mom2Dogs Or take a hammer to it and bust it up and eat it. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

Mom2Dogs — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 18:56:04 GMT

@Enufstuff Thanks for that reply. It sounds like your husband is an outside kind of guy, that's great.

My husband will do those necessary things, with no nudge from me....but once we are stranded in the house for the winter, all is lost. He sits for most of the day.

Like your husband when he was younger, he bowled, was in a remote airplane flying group, played the guitar with friends (yesterday we attended the funeral of one of his last remaining friends).

Like I said if I want him to help me with something he is always willing, I just wish he had friends to call to meet for coffee in the mornings, but he has never been that kind of guy.

I think being self employed all our married lives has limited us in the friend department...we worked (well mostly him) long days for years to get the business off the ground and fast forward to now, the business is not as busy as it was and the hobbies have gone by the wayside. And friends well, he is outliving them, which is a good thing but...for me I need my girl friends

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

ECBG — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 01:42:31 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

DH is 68 to turn 69 January 2.

He is retiring, I am not. He isn't a people person, I am, although, the people in his doctor's offices always loved him. I will alwways work! I love colors and dress ladies from 5 states.

Re: Did I ruin the chocolate

ECBG — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 01:44:47 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

I work a lot with chocolate. Once chocolate is burned, it's done.