I purchased Ghirardelli melting chips for my holiday baking now??

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

I am using Ghirardelli chocolate for the first time this year, I read that if you use 'better' chocolate I don't need to add any wax to the melted chocolate, is that true?

Clover29 · ‎03-09-2010

I've never heard of adding wax to chocolate. I've never even seen wax for sale anywhere. Is it a specialty store type thing?

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

The wax used is parafin, just a small amount to help the chocolate 'stick' to what is being dipped as well as the sheen it gives the chocolate....it DOES NOT make the chocolate taste waxy....but if I don't have to use it I won't....

KYToby · ‎02-19-2012

The Ghirardelli melting wafers are a compound chocolate, meaning the cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable oils and waxes. You do not need to add paraffin to them, and you do not need to temper it -- just melt and go.

If you were using chocolate chips -- which are manufactured to maintain their shape and usually of a lower quality chocolate -- a bit of paraffin helps with the overall look and texture.

If you were using premium, coverture chocolate, you would need to temper it. Simple melting it would result in an inferior finished product.

I think you have made a great choice. Compound chocolate is much easier for home cooks to use, and the better brands (such as Ghirardelli) are far superior to Wiltons.

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

I hate the wax added to chocolates because it tastes like those lips you get at Halloween! YUCK! I will say mini-chocolate chips, peanut butter and apples makes for a nice dip. Instead of buying those fancy apples, buy the caramels and melt and dip into candies and let cool and do the same with peanut butter and mini-chocolate chips. I do this with those long pretzel sticks as well. The kids love making them for the grown ups and eating them as well!

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

KyToby, thank you for the lesson in chocolate, I appreciate it!

Tigriss....as I stated earlier, there is only a small amount of paraffin added to the chocolate, not enough to taste it...read what KyToby wrote.

Tigriss · ‎03-12-2010

Then I'm not sure the ones I had that were homemade had just a bit of it in it. They just had a texture/flavor to them that made the chocolates off. I'm picky when it comes to my chocolate, so that could be it. I also prefer dark chocolates and find homemade treats too sweet by the added sugars. I also don't like icings, so sweet is not really my thing.