[dylan32]

As this is my first post... hello

I was wondering if anybody has any ideas on how to create a thin coating of chocolate for healthy food bars. The main bulk of the bar is quite soft, so needs to be coated, and chocolate gives it that candy bar look.

Problem is the high calorie content of the chocolate means I need to create just a thin coating. I've tried brushing the centres with melted chocolate, which works but is very time consuming and doesn't look so appetizing.

I've been using standard milk chocolate (cadburys). Would using a high quality chocolate with a high cocoa butter content produce a thinner liquid for dipping?

I've read that I cannot add water to the melted chocolate. Is there a way of mixing chocolate with water and gelatine that will produce a solid shell? The cheaper covering chocolate is not an option as it contain hydronated vegetable oil which is a big no for these bars.

Is there alternatives I could try other than chocolate? Anything that can give a thin solid coating would be fine (even better if it can be flavoured with chocolate).

[Suzanne]

Isn't "healthy candy bar" an oxymoron?

[dylan32]

Well.... Yes

These are not strictly candy. The centres are made from a protein blend, skimmed milk powder, oats, dried fruit and flavouring, all held together with gelatin. No, really, they taste fine and have no sugar or artificial sweetener.

I've heard of yogurt coating, but have no idea how that's achieved.

[kuan]

You can buy yogurt coating chips. Try carob chips as well.

[scott123]

A high cocoa butter chocolate would give you less viscosity when melted. Also, heating the bars before dipping them will cause less chocolate to stick to them.

Are you tempering the chocolate? Without tempering the chocolate will only set in the fridge. If you aren't tempering, you might dip the bars, place them on racks in a warm oven (turn the oven on for a little bit, then off). As the chocolate heats up, it will melt off the bar and leave a thinner layer.

Btw, although these contain no refined sugar, there is plenty of sugar in the dried fruit, so technically, these bars do contain sugar.

[panini]

If you were going to use a couveture type chocolate you would thin it using cocoa butter.

[dylan32]

Yes, there is fructose from the fruit, but dried fruit has a very low GI, lower than the oats in fact.

I'm not sure heating the bars would work. They may become too tacky or melt even. I'm not tempering the chocolate, but keep them refrigerated anyway.

I've never seen couveture chocolate or cocoa butter for sale anywhere. I'd have to find an online seller I assume (I'm in the UK).

[panini]

Dylan,
Are these for personal use? Just trying to figure your needs. Any chocolate purveyor will have what you need, we just need to help you decide on the right thing.
I'm not really as up on nutrition as I shouldbe. You said dried fruits have a very low GI. I assume you not talking Gly.Index. because dried fruits are pretty up there. What is the reference to GI? I lnow it's going to be one of those dah answers
pan

[dylan32]

Yes, they're for personal use.

I'll hunt down a specialist chocolate purveyor and see what they have.

Other than cocoa butter and hydrogenated oil, there is no other sort of firm coating that can be applied is there? I may try rolling them in cocoa powder.

[Suzanne]

Cocoa powder will give you the least extra fat and sugar while adding a chocolate flavor and while making the bars slightly easier to handle than they would be with a chocolate coating. However, cocoa powder carries its own messiness. You could probably also use icing sugar (confectioners' sugar here in the U.S.).

To be honest, I'm still wondering why you feel you have to put ANY coating on them. I used to get mixed fruit-and-nut bars (Abdullah Bars was the brand name) and they were just fine with no coating. A bit sticky, yes, but without the drawbacks of extra fat, sugar, or trans-fats.

[scott123]

Originally Posted by dylan32

I'm not sure heating the bars would work. They may become too tacky or melt even.

Because you're using untempered chocolate, it will be liquid at room temp. At 100 degrees farenheit it will lose quite a bit of viscosity. I'm not saying to stick your bars in a 300 degree farenheit oven. I'm saying dip them, rack them and then place them in a warm oven 110-120 degrees. There's nothing in your recipe that would be altered by being exposed to 120 degrees for a few minutes.

[dylan32]

Most dried fruit has a low glycemic index. Exceptions are raisins for example. Cherries and apricots are very low.

The bar is not a granola or flapjack type bar. It's main bulk is from protein isolates held together with gelatin, so it's pretty soft.

I'm thinking of trying icing sugar too. It can be dilluted, flavoured, and maybe even apply some real chocolate decoration after. I've never worked with it (I cook, but never deserts or sweets until now) so can't wait to experiment!

[m brown]

try a nice dark chocolate. milk is too soft and the dark is better for your use, it has less sugar than milk choc.
If you need some, I can sell you small or large amounts of 64% dark.
once tempered you can paint on or spray on for that super thin coating.

[mudbug]

If you're wanting it "healthy", have you considered using carob instead?

http://www.foodhistory.com/foodnotes...vers/carob.htm

[m brown]

haven't we proven that dark chocolate is very benifitial to our health?
I am talking couveture, not coating.
Carob is good too, but the flavor is carob, not chocolate.
Mud, thanks for the article! I am printing it for informational purposes.