Chocolates

I'm self taught at dipping chocolates, I learned most of what I know from this book Amazon.com: The Dilettante Book of Chocolate and Confections: Books: Dana T. Davenport,Ruth Reed

In some ways, chocolate and candy making is very much like chemistry. You need to have a tolerance and appreciation for details and precision. I have made many accidents that I have never allowed other people to eat.

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm scaring you, but I'm trying to warn you that this sort of thing is pretty complicated. Actually, I'm having a chocolate dipping party in two days at my house. From my past experiences, many people are surprised at how messy and complicated the whole thing is.


Although chocolate is easy to use as an ingredient in baked goods, using chocolate to coat candies can be very tricky. There are ways to make the process easier, but they usually lessen the quality (using fake chocolate compound coating blocks or cutting pure chocolate with butter or oil).

How fussy and detail oriented are you willing to be?

Can you already make caramels or boiled candy?

Are you willing to try despite the scary things I have mentioned?

Soft Caramels--

 

Ingredients:

Sugar                  12oz

Vanilla Bean        1/2 bean

(can use a tsp of vanilla paste to substitute)

Evaporated Milk    12 oz

Heavy Cream        5 oz

Glucose               10 oz

(Can be substituted for golden syrup)

Butter                   3/4 oz

Salt                      1/2 tsp

 

Procedure:

1) Combine the sugar, milk, vanilla bean or paste, and cream in a pot  and bring it to a boil. Remember to constantly stir this! Usually if I see any sugars sticking to the side of the pot I take a brush and dip it in water and scrape the side of the pot to prevent crystalization.

2) Add the glucose (or golden syrup) when the mixture comes to a boil and continue to cook and stir until it reaches 230 degrees F. Add in the butter.

3) Continue to cook, still stirring up to 239 degrees F

4) Add the salt, remove the vanilla bean (if you used one) and pour into oiled pan. (just take a pan and spray oil on it, place a piece of parchment paper on it and spray that as well)

5) When the caramel sets up you can start cutting it with a knife, just make sure you wipe between cuts. You can dip it in chocolate too if you'd like.

 

If you don't have a scale or thermometer I'd recommend buying one. A scale is really useful for baking for precise measurements every time, you can buy them both at Walmart

P.s. I just realized my reply is supperrrrr late hahaha.

No it's not Andi! I've had a taste for a good Caramel... Thanks!

Can anyone give me some advice?   I make peanut butter truffle type balls and after the filling has been formed, they are to be dipped in chocolate prior to drying.

 

I use my double boiler for melt the chocolate and add a bit of paraffin wax to help the coating set with a nice sheen.. 

Is there a proper ratio I could use to where my chocolate wont be too runny to set or too thick to dry.

 

I am looking for a method to coat them evenly and have them dry nicely on wax paper with as little handling blemishes as possible.

 

Does anyone have any techniques?  It would be greatly appreciated.   :)

Ummmm.... No parffin is needed

 

You do however need "real" chocolate, and one with a bit more cocoa butter in it.  Look at the  ingredient list on the packging.  If it states "sugar" as the first ingredient, then the chocolate is over 50% sugar and not all that great for dipping.  If the list states any other kind of fat, or oil other than cocoa butter, then it's not chocolate.

 

Chocolate and water DO NOT get along.  One drop of water in your melted chocolate, and the whole thing will sieze up and turn to cement.  For this reason, make sure your water never boils in your double boiler.  If it does, steam will escape from the sides and condense above the bowl, and your chocolate will sieze up.

 

Microwaves work fine, as does warm water in a double boiler, and electric heating blankets.

 

Now, go to your medicine cabinet and get your fever thermometer.  Melt your chocolate, but make sure it never goes above 50 celcius.  . You want your chocolate to be precisely  32 celcius to dip and work with--just below normal body temp.  If it's too hot, add more chopped chocolate to it to cool it down and keep using the thermometer to check.

 

Hope this helps

First of all, Foodpump has a lot of hands-on experience, my own is very limited.

But, I just found this great info about chocolate tempering, essential temperature control to produce nice glossy chocolates. Mat chocolates are one of the signs of badly made chocolates.

 

Go to this page;

http://www.callebaut.com/usen/2054

It's part of the webpage "Techniques"; look in the right column "How to process chocolate..."

 

Thank you so much!   Your advice is great!   Can you suggest a good brand of chocolate to use for something like this? 

I am going to try something with less sugar in it...I had always used milk chocolate in the past. haha :)

 

 

Thank you for the link!  

 

You guys are such a blessing to the "home chef" who just shares the passion!