Recipes

[Mom2Dogs]

I was making chocolate covered treats....buckeyes, cherries.  I have made these items for years, but this year my chocolate seems softer than usual. 

Everything has firmed up but I am wondering if there is a better chocolate than what I am using and what might be making the chocolate soft.  I use semi sweet, and milk chocolate...Nestles semi sweet and Ghiradelli chocolate.

You know when you bite in to some chocolate the chocolate is a bit 'hard' not overly crunchy but not soft.   I feel like my chocolate is soft, but it did set up.

I have searched online for tips but I have learned nothing new, so I thought maybe someone on the boards might have experince and a few tips for me.  thanks.

[Kachina624]

If you've been making chocolates for years, you probably know more about them than the rest of us combined.  That's  one thing I've never tried.

[Mom2Dogs]

@Kachina624    It is an all day affair, make the fondant, wrap the cherries and dip in chocolate.....I think I cleaned up the kitchen 3 times.

[Kachina624]

@Mom2Dogs.  I bet it's fun though and the results extravagantly delicious

[Zhills]

On "The Kitchen" this week, she put them in the fridge for a while.  Said she stored them in a tin.

Made lots of candy but never chocolate covered!

[Carmie]

@Mom2Dogs   Is the humidity high where you live?  The humidity is not your friend when you are making candy.

My DH is away for two weeks and I have time to make my Christmas candy, but the weather here has not been the best, so I am waiting until the air is dryer. Thursday and Saturday are supposed to be low humidity days.

I just got a beautiful new solid copper sugar candy pot from Mauviel and I am dying to use it.

I use Ghiradelli semi-sweet dipping chocolate, never chocolate chips or candy bars.  They are not the best for coating candies.

Also, I am guessing you might have just melted the chocolate and did not temper it.  Tempered chocolate is smooth, shiny and has a snap.  Untempered chocolate will be dull, sometimes streaky and soft and sticky..it doesn't have that snap that is so desirable.

I always temper chocolate when making candy or chocolate covered strawberries,  but usually not when I am dipping pretzels.

[deepwaterdotter]

When I make dipping chocolate I melt 4 oz chopped dark chocolate with 1/4 oz chopped white chocolate.  I like to use Ghirardelli chocolate bars.  

Microwave 3 oz dark chocolate at 50% until melted, stir often.  Stir in last 1 oz dark chocolate and white chocolate, microwaving and stirring every 5 seconds until melted.

[BirkiLady]

@deepwaterdotter  That sounds like a good idea to add the white chocolate. Imagine it helps smooth everything out and coat evenly. Thanks for the tip!

[KatieB]

@Mom2Dogs   

Have you thought of  adding paraffin wax to the melted chocolate.   The wax helps the chocolate set up and remain solid.  When I used to make candies I would always add wax to the melted chocolate.  I always used Gulf wax.

[Nightowlz]

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@KatieB wrote:

@Mom2Dogs   

Have you thought of  adding paraffin wax to the melted chocolate.   The wax helps the chocolate set up and remain solid.  When I used to make candies I would always add wax to the melted chocolate.  I always used Gulf wax.

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@KatieB @Mom2Dogs 

I always add some shortening. It seems to help it set up better plus it makes the chocolate smooth. Online it says to use 1/2 t shortening per ounce of chocolate.

I remember my dad using that wax when he made Martha Washington candy when I was a kid.