Shiny Chocolate?

What can I do to have shiny chocolate candy?

It comes out shiny and then as soon as I touch it it seems to lose its shine. I have to handle my chocolate from time to time when I am using it to make a display for parties.

What can I do to keep my candy from getting dull?

---

The best way to make sure your chocolate candy comes out shiny is to take the extra time to temper the chocolate first.


If you don't have the desire or patience to go through the tempering process, you can "cheat" a bit by just adding some paraffin to the chocolate when you are melting it. This helps make the chocolate shine.


Depending on what chocolate you are using to start with, it may already be tempered. If you melt it very carefully without letting it get too warm, the chocolate will keep it's temper and save you all the hassle.


I suspect that most chocolate when handled is going to lose its shine to some extent. Your body temperature alone will affect the sheen on the surface of the chocolate.


Do your best to place the chocolates on your display without touching them. Can you use a flat metal spatula like the kind for frosting a cake? Or maybe a small pair of tongs?


Even with tempered chocolate, you need to handle the candy as little as possible.


We'd love to see some of your chocolate displays. Why not take some photos and upload them so that we can all see your creative work.


Have fun!
~ Angie