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The key to success when dipping chocolates at home is to temper the chocolate and then keep it at the optimum temperature while coating your centers. There is a lot of mystique and myth surrounding this process but it is really very simple to master.
START WITH TOP QUALITY CHOCOLATE
There is glove-box chocolate and then there is courveture chocolate. If you are dipping centers for chocolates, then the only chocolate you will be interested in is courveture. This is confectionery chocolate, made expressly for coating centers. It melts smoothly and has excellent working characteristics as well as wonderful flavor and mouth feel.
There are several companies making courveture chocolate. Callebaut is one of the best, and at $48.00 for eleven pounds of dark semi-sweet chocolate, an excellent value. Other good choices would be Merckens or Van Leer. These chocolates come in several styles, including dark, milk, and white and are available in small bars and jumbo eleven-pound blocks. The large blocks are the most economical for chocolate dipping as you need a minimum of two pounds of melted chocolate.
Do not use baking chocolate from the super market or milk chocolate candy bars. You will not be able to get professional results with these products and the flavor will be poor. Good quality courveture chocolate can be purchased for under $5.00 a pound, which is comparable to what lesser-quality chocolate costs.
WHAT YOU NEED
Before you begin melting chocolate, make sure you have an electric frying pan, ample space for the centers before and after dipping, and a cool room to work in. It is not possible to dip chocolates successfully if the temperature is above 70Âş F. Chocolate dipping is a cool-weather project or you need to set the thermostat on your air conditioner very low. The best temperature range for working with chocolate is 62Âş to 68Âş F
One of the easiest ways to melt chocolate is in the oven. Break off about two and a half pounds (or more if you have more than two pounds of centers) of chocolate from the big block (the block is marked in segments, like a Hershey bar) and break this into smaller pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster it will melt. Put the chocolate in an oven-proof container and place in the oven with the temperature set at the lowest setting. Keep checking frequently to stir as the chocolate melts. Do not allow the chocolate to get too hot or it will scorch. The ideal temperature range is 130º - 160º F. You can also use a double boiler for melting chocolate but be very careful not to get any moisture in the pot. Moisture can cause chocolate to “seize” and it will then be worthless. Do not use a microwave, it is too easy to burn the chocolate.
While the chocolate is melting, set up your work area. You will want to be able to keep one hand clean for picking up centers or answering the phone. Put your un-dipped centers on your left (for righties), the electric frying pan in the center and trays lined with waxed paper on your right for the dipped centers. Plan to do several pounds of centers at a time, as this goes very fast once you get the hang of it.
TEMPERING THE CHOCOLATE
Once the chocolate is melted, transfer three handfuls into the cold frying pan. With your fingers together, cup your hand slightly and start moving the chocolate in an “S” motion until it feels cool. The correct temperature is about 85º F. At this point it is tempered and ready to start dipping. Test the temper of the chocolate by touching a chocolate-covered finger to a waxed paper-lined tray to leave a dot. If this dot hardens within three minutes, the chocolate is ready for coating centers, if not, keep moving it around and test again in a few minutes.
DO NOT add anything to the chocolate, like cooking oil or paraffin wax. These additives are not necessary for successful dipping and will only ruin the flavor of your candy. If you are using top-quality chocolate, it already has everything in it that you need.
THE METHOD
Take a center from the tray and drop it into the chocolate. With your chocolate hand, flip it over to coat both sides then lift it out, tapping the back of your hand on the edge of the frying pan to remove the excess chocolate. Flip the coated center onto a waxed paper- lined tray with your thumb and allow to set up.
You can get fancy and mark each different flavor center with a little squiggle on top. This is done by bouncing your middle finger up and down in the chocolate on top of the candy until a string forms and “writing” with this string. This takes practice, but eventually you will become good at it and will be able to mark all of your candies.
Keep moving the tempered chocolate in the “S” motion when you do not have a center in it. When you have used approximately ¾ of the original tempered chocolate, add two more handfuls from the bowl. Mix the new chocolate with the remains in the pan until it is cool and tempered and continue dipping in this fashion until you have coated all your centers.
If the chocolate starts to get too stiff, turn on the frying pan for two seconds, no more, and keep the chocolate moving at all times. If you heat it too much, you will cause the cocoa butter to rise and leave white streaks in the finished candy. When this happens, it is called “bloom” and does not affect the taste of the chocolate, only the appearance.
As the coated centers cool, they should become shiny if you did everything correctly and did not start too soon. It they don’t get shiny, don’t worry too much about it, just take your time tempering on the next batch. The flavor will be the same even if you did not get the temper right and you will soon get the “feel” of the chocolate as you continue dipping.
LEFTOVERS
Always have a few things to dip in the left over tempered chocolate. Pretzels, raisins, nuts, marshmallows, or dried fruits are all yummy when dipped in chocolate. You can even dip cookies. If you have a lot of left over chocolate it can be saved and remelted next time you dip centers. It takes approximately one pound of chocolate to dip one pound of centers. The first time you try this you may use more, but with practice, it will work out this way.
CHOCOLATE STORAGE
When the coating is hard, after several hours, put each candy in a little candy cup and layer them in tins or plastic storage containers. Put a sheet of waxed paper between each layer of candy. The little glassine candy cups can be purchased from confectionery suppliers and some craft stores. They come in many colors and are the finishing touch that makes your candy look professional.
Keep chocolates in a cool place. Chocolate is moisture sensitive and absorbs odors from food, perfume and smoke. Do not store chocolate in the refrigerator as it will pick up off-flavors and moisture. Chocolate can be frozen but it must be carefully wrapped to keep out moisture. If you do freeze your chocolates, allow them to thaw at room temperature for several hours before opening. Never leave chocolate candy in the sun or in a closed car, it will melt.
DON’T GET DISCOURAGED
If your first dipped chocolates do not look as nice as the ones from the candy store, eat them anyway and do another batch. It takes some practice to master the tempering and dipping skills, but the more you do the better you will get. In no time at all you will be turning out beautiful, professional-looking candies every single time.
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