Tips For Making Chocolate

by Darla Germaux
(Saxton Pa.)

I have some tips for making chocolate candy that I've learned along the way, and I thought they might help some other new candy makers when they are starting out.

When making buckeyes, freeze the balls a little bit before dipping.
When you want to thin down chocolate, use paramount crystals.
When drizzling chocolate on peanut brittle, wait until you actually crack the peanut brittle and then drizzle with the chocolate.
When you are using chocolate, don't microwave it. You can put it it an electric skillet on warm and use it for hours without having to reheat it again and again.

Hope that helps someone,
Darla

Hi Darla,

Thanks for the great tips for making chocolate candy. It's always helpful to have the "voice of experience" to help you out when tackling something new.

These are really good tips and I'm sure we'll have many future visitors who will appreciate them and save themselves some time and frustration as they apply them to their candy making ventures.

Buckeyes are an old family favorite and I've found that freezing (or at least chilling them) has helped as well.

I do love the tip about the electric skillet. If someone doesn't have an electric skillet, a slow cooker can work, too. Just be sure to keep the temperature on low.

If you are working with more than one chocolate (white and dark, or different colors), you can place them in individual bowls and keep them all warm at once. ;)

If anyone else has some helpful tips for making chocolate candy, please use the comment link to add them below.

Darla, I hope you'll be a regular visitor and contributor to Chocolate Candy Mall. We love all the input and help we can get!

Blessings,
Angie

Comments for Tips For Making Chocolate

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Jul 07, 2013

Melting chocolate NEW
by: Anonymous

I have been making chocolates for many years. I learned from my mom. We find it easier to use a pan with water that is hot and simmering and place the chocolate melts into glass jars (from pickles or relish) in the water. We have found the white chocolate tends to get clumpy and hard faster than milk and dark. so we make sure we don't melt that before its needed. We also use the electric skillets for when we "paint" what ever we are working on. WE only melt a few of the colored chocolates melts at a time because of how fast they go clumpy. Instead of using huge relish jars we use the glass baby food jars. ALso when we are not using the colors for a bit we sit them outside of the water so they dont go bad.

Feb 17, 2012

Tips for Making Chocolate NEW
by: Angie

Hi Ed,

This page is pretty much referring to solid chocolate, like candy bars, chocolate chips, candy melts, etc., that are used a lot in candy making for molded chocolates and dipping or coating things in chocolate.

If you want to try your hand at makings some homemade chocolate candy, you can browse through the recipes here on the site to get the exact amount you need for each particular recipe.

If you're having trouble finding something, use our chocolate candy search feature, or just ask and we'll try to locate what you need.

If you like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, you might want to start out by trying one of these recipes for chocolate covered peanut butter balls. They are really yum! :)

Feb 16, 2012

receipt in amounts used NEW
by: ED

explain "chocolate" in what form ? and the amounts required for given batch. I am 87 and very interested and a milkchocolate lover. looking forward for answer. tnk u.

Jun 16, 2011

Electric Skillet Tips
by: Darla

Unless you are a very experienced candymaker, I strongly advise against using water in the bottom of an electric skillet to melt small amounts of chocolate. My tip is to use a small hand towel in the electric skillet on the low setting, and use small containers to melt the chocolate. You can also use heavy duty freezer quart bags to melt chocolate in the electric skillet. Another tip is to use a heating pad to melt chocolate on the low setting covered with a towel to prevent a chocolate mess on the heating pad. I also have used several crock pots at a time to melt chocolate. Always be careful to use the low setting on any item that you use to melt chocolate, it is very sensitive to high temperatures and water, both enemies to chocolate. Hope these tips help with chocolate melting !!!! Have A Great Day !!!

Jun 15, 2011

Melting Chocolate
by: Angie

I would put water in the bottom of the electric skillet or slow cooker and then place the small bowls of colored chocolate in the water.

Just be sure to NOT get any of the water in the chocolate, or the chocolate will seize up and be all stiff and unmanageable.

Here's a recipe for Buckeye candy. They are yummy. They are basically chocolate covered peanut butter balls. :) They are easy to make and well worth the effort. Give them a try!

Jun 15, 2011

first time pretzel dipper
by: Anonymous

Darla,

What are Buckeyes? Also should I put a little water in the bottom of an electric skillet to keep several colors of chocholate warm all at one time?

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