Showing posts with label Melting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melting. Show all posts
Making Chocolate Candy that Lasts
The success of your chocolate candy lies on the ability to temper the chocolate. Even in other chocolate delicacies, the importance of tempering the chocolate mixture will never be understated. Chocolate, to begin with, must have a premium quality to it. You can have fun experimenting on different core chocolate materials that you can use for your chocolate candy.
Sometimes, you will find in the market some melted chocolates that are ready for making chocolate candy. You can make use of this or do chocolate the hard way and start from the cocoa beans. The good thing about melted chocolates is that you can focus on the making of chocolate candy itself. The making of chocolate from cocoa beans can be very difficult and tedious, and you may be robbed of your energy the moment you decide to do both. By the time that you reach the chocolate candy making aspect, you may have no more gusto or enthusiasm to complete it.
But when buying melted chocolate, make sure that it is not made of a processed candy bar. The courveture quality of chocolate is something you must look for since it makes for an ideal chocolate core for chocolate candy.
Other Ingredients and Steps
An electric frying pan is needed with ample space for your mixture. Have a temperature of about 60 degrees for mixing the chocolate and creating your candy. But don't melt the chocolates in your frying pan. It is still better to place them in the oven for melting. Introduce the chocolate by increments and not by instantly putting a large heap.
This way, the stirring part will be easier and you will not run the risk of losing control as you create your chocolate candy. Avoid moisture in the chocolate at all costs because it will affect the taste of your chocolate candy. After you have fixed your chocolate core, you can then dip it into the other components that create the chocolate candy.
The Steps
Coat both sides of your material with chocolate. Make sure that your flip the center for balance of chocolate distribution. You can also use your fingers to have a swirly mark on your chocolate candy, but this must be mastered with constant practice before you can smoothly pull it off. Keep mixing the chocolate in such a way that it does not get too stiff. Chocolate candy usually results in a less shiny quality. If you find the chocolate candy too shiny, you may have overdone or underdone something from the previous steps.
What Next?
You can now store your chocolate in the fridge. With the use of wax paper or other similar material, you can make your chocolate candies appear more professionally made than when you leave them bare in the tray. The good thing about chocolate is that it lasts for a very long time.
The leftovers from your chocolate making may also be turned into other delicacies. Just use your imagination and you will be able to find delight in making other forms of chocolate delicacies. You can also save the leftovers for your next chocolate candy making sessions but gaining the right texture and temperature may prove to be a bit more challenging.
Either way, there are no wasteful moments when it comes making chocolate candy and other chocolate delicacies for that matter.
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Making Chocolate Starts by Melting It
Melting is not the same thing as tempering so never confuse the two. However, melting is part of the tempering process which can be done using a microwave or a hot water bath.
The nice thing about using a microwave to melt chocolate is that you get the results you want fast with little or no effort at all and mess. Naturally, before you put the chocolate in the microwave, you should put this in a microwave safe container that remains cool or only slightly warm after several minutes.
The ideal setting on the microwave should be at least 50% low power. This prevents scorching or burning. How long should you put these in on the microwave depends on how much you will be using. A good basis will be 1 minute for every ounce of chocolate so put this first on a weighing scale.
If by accident you overheated the chocolate, don’t panic. Pour this into a cool bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously.
If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Since the water is just warming up in the bottom, you should only put 1/3 of the chocolate and let it melt first before putting the rest in.
You must stir the bowl frequently so all the chocolate has melted. When this is done, this is the time you pour this into the mold.
Whichever you decide to choose, remember these tips.
• First, chop the chocolates into small pieces because it melts quicker.
• Never let chocolate get into contact with water because it will make the block of chocolate unworkable.
• When melting the chocolate, do this in low heat or temperature so you prevent it from overheating.
• To prevent bubbles, stir the chocolate frequently using a rubber spatula but only when the outer edges begin to melt.
• You have to remember that chocolate retains it shape when melted so again, you have to stir it constantly so there won’t be any problems getting some using a spoon and then pouring this into the mold.
You can also melt chocolate with other liquids aside from water. You can use cream, milk, cream and wine. But most people use water because it is faster and more convenient. But if you were to try other liquids, make sure that you use at least 1 tablespoon of liquid for very 2 ounces of water. This will prevent the chocolate from binding together and becoming lumpy. But if you are using dark chocolate, you may have to add more than 1 tablespoon per ounce.
Melting the chocolate is key in making your final product when you pour this into a mold. It does not matter whether you choose to use a microwave or a double boiler because you will be doing the same thing in the end which is to freeze it and then pack it up to give it as a gift or serve it as part of your dessert.
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You Need To Chop the Chocolate Before You Melt It
The reason why you chop bars of chocolate is to melt it evenly thus preventing overheating. You can use the kitchen knife or use something to cut this more evenly like a pair of chocolate clippers that can also be purchased from the craft store.
People who want to use a knife should make sure it is sharp. The ideal kind should measure at least 8 to 10 inches and when you cut the chocolate make sure that you press the knife down firmly and evenly on the chocolate.
You should start with the corners and then angle the knife slightly outward. You should continue doing so until all the chocolate is chopped into almost sized pieces. When you are finished, you then put this in a bowl so it can be melted.
There are two options when it comes to melting chocolate. The first is to use a microwave. The advantage of using a microwave is that the melting time is very fast. This will be over in a few minutes even if you set the microwave at 50% low power.
How long should you set the microwave timer? The best way to gauge that is 1 minute for every ounce of chocolate? So don’t forget to weigh this first before switching it on.
You might accidentally overheat the chocolate. If this should happen, pour the contents into a cool bowl and add chunks of unmelted chocolate and stir continuously.
If you prefer to use a double boiler, start by filling the sauce pan with hot water from the tap and then put the chocolate over into another bowl. Unlike the microwave where you can put a huge chunk in, you have to put this little by little and stirred constantly to prevent air bubbles. When this is done, this is the time you pour this into the mold.
Some people add nuts to the chocolate. If you want to try that, there are two ways of chopping that. First, you use a sharp, serrated knife. The other option is to use a food processor but if you don’t have one, a coffee grinder will do. Just remember when you are chopping the nuts, don’t cut this into a fine meal because you will hardly taste it when you eat the chocolate.
Aside from chocolate, you can also use marshmallows. The nice thing about this is that this is available in small sizes so you don’t have to cut it. You can also use candy sprinkles which can be mixed with the melted chocolate when you are stirring it. Save some for the latter part when you take this out of the freezer so you can still add it in the finished product.
Chopping chocolate is just like cooking because this is the same thing you do before you throw in the meat or the vegetables into the frying pan. The only difference is that you only use low heat which is more than enough to melt everything so it can be molded into whatever shape of mold you have.
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