I acknowledge that there are many types of chocolate with different characteristics and taste, and depending on the end use the handling/processing may legitimately vary. But that is looking at the wrong end of the process. The home candy maker wants something straight forward and a list of ingredients that are easy to find and not too expensive. Otherwise, why make chocolate candy at home, ever?
Thus, the goal that matters is not how to become a chocolatier ... It is how to have fun at home and make dependably great candy. What matters is pleasing ourselves and those we care about. All the rest of the complexity is for people who insist on becoming, or appearing to become, experts on the subject.
I decided to create this guide to making chocolate coated candy to provide the home cook relatively simple procedures and choices of chocolate types to use. In short, I want to make it easy to make fine chocolate candy at home.
What I have not provided in this guide is any and all things that are not about chocolate dipped candy. For example, if you want a recipe for chocolate fudge you have to look elsewhere.
Let's begin ...
Here is a list of things to consider and to conclude before taking any actions related to purchasing ingredients:
Do you have ten to fifteen square feet of counter, island or table space to use when making the candy?
How much candy will you make? Five pounds? 100 pieces? A small batch to test if the candy is good?
How many pieces of candy will one pound of the chocolate you buy, when melted, coat?
If you are dipping candy centers into melted chocolate, do they have to be cold or frozen first to avoid having them fall apart during chocolate coating?
Have you made the candy centers already? If not, then note you have to do that first using whatever ingredients and procedure are required.
If your candies will use paper or plastic molds to obtain specific shapes, will you be dipping candy centers or pouring melted chocolate into molds that contain loose ingredients?
What kind of container should you use when you melt the chocolate, and what is the best way to melt it?
What materials besides the chocolate and the candy centers do you need to get ready to make the coated candy and what materials do you need during processing and after the candy has been made and needs to be stored? For example, you will need baking sheets, parchment paper and a good digital instant read thermometer.
How do you plan to introduce each candy center into the melted chocolate, make sure it is well coated, and then remove it, let it drip off any excess chocolate, and then let you move the candy to a non-stick surface (or paper or plastic mold) to cool and set?
Do you need to provide an environment with low humidity and a particular temperature range to help the chocolate set? Sometimes parchment paper lined trays of dipped chocolates are put into the freezer to shock the chocolate into setting quickly.
How will you handle the chocolate candy after it has set for storage in boxes or other containers? Do you need to use separators like waxed paper or parchment paper to keep the pieces of candy from touching each other?
How do you plan to store the containers of candy prior to using them? Will the environment be cool and dark?
How soon do you plan to use the candies or give them away, considering that the candy probably has a limited shelf life of one to three weeks? Typically you won't have vacuum sealing or inert gas infusion equipment to prolong candy shelf life. Be timely.
Okay ... Talk about daunting! Actually, if you aren't prepared to address the questions/steps mentioned above ... If you consider all of those steps combined to be too much ... Then at least you know you are not going to make chocolate coated candy. It is much better to know that before you spend money on any ingredients, right? Also, you don't have to read the remainder of this guide, so think of the time you will save.
Now I assume if you continue reading that you want to proceed to make chocolate coated candy. Nice. Let's learn and have fun ... And best of all simply love eating what we make!
Counter or table space required depends on how many baking sheets covered with parchment paper you want to use at one time, or, some equivalent consideration if you are using plastic candy molds, with or without paper inserts. The idea is that you can get about 12 to 15 pieces of candy on one baking sheet, so that defines how many baking sheets you need and how much resulting counter or table space. Do figure all of that out first, but note that you can have a secondary location to hold parchment paper covered baking sheets of candy while the chocolate is setting.
If you are using a recipe from a book or from the Internet there will be a given batch size indicated and a list of required ingredients and amounts. You can scale up or down to suit your wishes, noting that you can make the candy in a limited batch size to fit your environment and available time, and, over a period of hours or days make multiple batches if wanted. You might also want to consider if there is any benefit in having a helper or partner, both to divide the labor and for socializing.
Let's assume you have acquired all of the needed ingredients for the candy. The smart move is to lay out all of the equipment you will need, placed where it will be easily seen and accessed as needed. This includes even such simple items as spoons. In other words, think your way through each step of making the candy, and as you become aware of some item of equipment needed, get it and place it where it will be needed in your work space.
Now you are ready to use some of the ingredients, perhaps to make a filling for the candy. But note also that some intermediate ingredients, like caramel that you might have to make, might be needed at a specific time in the process and be in viscous form at that time for pouring or dispensing with some spoons. In short, you can't make it until just before it is to be used.
Thus, if you happened to be making something like peanut butter cups you would make the filling first, and possibly measure out a given number of pieces of the filling, and maybe chill them before coating them with melted chocolate, whereas if you are making turtles you have to have roasted, salted pecan halves already placed in groups on parchment paper on a tray before you make the caramel that you will pour over each pile of pecan halves. Note also that candies that are simple to make, like coconut haystacks or chocolate covered nuts don't require any special preparation sequence.
The upshot of this part of the discussion is to sequence what you make to be certain you have everything needed for each step. Make what you can in advance. Avoid making in advance any time or elevated temperature dependent ingredient that is needed at a precise time in the process of making the candy. For example, melting the chocolate isn't done until immediately prior to using it.
Okay ... As each chocolate coated candy recipe will have unique ingredients and procedures there is no need to cover that subject in this general guide. We will now move on to considerations of what types and/or quality or brand of chocolate you will use in making your candy. The most important of these considerations is the quality of the chocolate, and typically that means a product that will be creamy and rich tasting and easy to use.
The first attempts by the home candy maker will likely not involve the use of more expensive block or button chocolates used commercially in making fine candy. The novice home candy maker does have easy access to good quality milk, dark and white chocolate, either in the supermarket or online through sources like Amazon®. For now, simply understand that there are many types of chocolate both in terms of intended end use and in terms of quality and specific content of chocolate ingredients.
For example, Hershey's® plain milk chocolate Symphony® bars in the 4.25 ounce size are convenient and of suitable quality for making creamy milk chocolate coated candies of many types. They are superior to the regular Hershey's® milk chocolate candy bar for making creamy chocolate coated candy. Though I won't go into detail here you should note that the specific ingredient contents of the chocolate you can easily buy in the supermarket vary considerably, making some quite suitable for making candy at home, and others totally unsuitable for that application.
For example, don't use baking chocolate and don't use chocolate chips of the type used in cookies. In general, higher quality and thus more expensive candy bars will produce superior results, in brands like Lindt® or Ghirardelli®. Just be careful that what you buy is what you want in milk or dark chocolate. And note that you can usually combine the two in whatever proportions appeal to you in determining the final taste and texture of the chocolate coating of the candy you make. But I prefer buying white chocolate online.
If you search for better quality, variety and cost of chocolate online you will have many choices. Pay close attention to the quality ratings first, then the pricing, but note that the very same products are likely to be sold at vastly different prices by different suppliers. Amazon® does not protect the consumer from paying too much for a product. That is the responsibility of the consumer, not Amazon®. In short, buyer beware.
As you become more sophisticated in candy making you will likely move on to very high quality chocolate in bulk quantities and carefully store what you don't initially use; for chocolate, stored well sealed in dark cool places can literally last for years and still be good for making candy. I purchase 11 pound bars of Callebaut® milk, dark and white chocolates, of specific types best suited for making chocolate dipped candies, through Amazon®. I cut the bars into roughly one pound blocks and then vacuum seal them and store them well protected in my food pantry. I will use all of each type of chocolate within three years and then repurchase.
Callebaut® chocolate is very high quality Belgian chocolate. There are some other fine brands but I've found that Callebaut® is dependably excellent so I stay with that product brand. Chocolate of this high quality level, purchased in bulk, costs about $7 per pound (with free shipping via Amazon®).
You will find that the cost per pound of the supermarket chocolate bar brands that I named above will be considerably more than $7 per pound. But remember the quantities and choices will be convenient for your first efforts in making chocolate dipped candy.
If you do the arithmetic you will notice that I use less than a pound of chocolate a month on average. That really isn't a whole lot of chocolate, so the impression you get when someone mentions buying chocolate in bulk is not necessarily accurate. Once you start making chocolate dipped candies at home you will be surprised how much good sense it makes to buy the chocolate in the 11 pound bars or equivalent button form. Beyond that I use most of the chocolate I buy each year prior to Christmas, when I make various special candies to give away to loved ones and great friends.
Now it is time to move on to discussion of melting the chocolate and then using it for dipping. This is the most critical part of this guide to making chocolate dipped candy, for easily made mistakes during melting can turn your best efforts into disaster if you become inattentive at a critical time in processing the chocolate.
There are two main considerations. First, if you significantly overheat any part of the chocolate, to temperatures in excess of 120 degrees F, you will have destroyed it. It will clump and not be creamy or melt properly. You may as well throw it away. Second, the chocolate brands I mentioned above are all tempered as purchased. What does that mean? It means the crystal structure of the chocolate, when it sets, will produce a glossy finished surface and a nice "snap" when a piece is broken off. The chocolate will be creamy. If the chocolate you purchase becomes overheated to a temperature of above 92 degrees F during melting the temper may be lost and you will be upset with the marginal quality of the candy you make - dull, too soft and not creamy, sometimes with light streaks on the surface. Avoid that. A sure way to have excellent chocolate is to take the time to temper it.
I now provide a very short general discussion of how to temper chocolate. You can, for simplicity, ignore tempering and just follow the later instructions carefully and don't overheat the chocolate while you are melting it. Okay, to temper milk chocolate heat 2/3 of it in a bowl in a microwave oven to a temperature of 105 degrees F, with stirring after short heating cycles. Then remove the bowl from the microwave oven and stir the chocolate and allow it to cool. When the temperature drops below 100 degrees F then start adding unmelted chocolate in small amounts with stirring to melt it, the goal being to get the chocolate temperature down to about 83 degrees F by the time the last of the added chocolate has been melted. Then warm the chocolate to 88 degrees F, with stirring, and it is then ready for dipping.
For dark chocolate, you can heat it initially to 110 degrees F, then stir and cool it until the temperature is 100 degrees F, then start adding small pieces of unmelted dark chocolate, with stirring to melt them while reducing the overall temperature of the chocolate. Once it is down to 84 degrees F with all chocolate melted then increase the temperature to 92 degrees F for optimal dipping.
You will melt the chocolate in the microwave oven. You will use a microwave safe plastic container or some other microwave safe container, but not glass containers. As mentioned earlier in this guide, glass containers may be made of materials and may be constructed such that they can develop hot spots during microwave heating, so they are not suitable for melting chocolate.
I use a wide, white, two quart plastic pitcher made by Rubbermaid® with a handle, a pouring spout and a rubber ringed bottom. That pitcher is rated for microwave safe operation as indicated by the special recycling symbol on the bottom, consisting of three curved arrows in the shape of a triangle with the digit 5 inside the triangle. That is an indication of the type of plastic used to make the container, polypropylene, ... one that won't likely leach chemicals into the food you are heating due to it's chemical and structural stability under conditions of high heat.
Note that plastic containers of any decent quality will have such a symbol on the underside and you can tell by looking at the enclosed digit or by the presence or absence of a wavy lines symbol whether or not the container is microwave safe. Any digit other than 5 in the recycling symbol most often indicates that the container is not generally safe for microwave use. The idea is that solvents used when forming the container may still be present and can get into the food product as they are expelled from the plastic during heating, ditto breakdown chemicals from overheating.
Do note that when melting chocolate the temperatures will not exceed 92 degrees F, which means virtually all concerns with using plastic in a microwave oven are moot when you use the type of container I recommended above.
I purchased 50 one quart bowls made of sugar cane fiber. I experimented with those bowls to see if they were suitable for use in melting chocolate. If they were then the home candy maker can buy them through Amazon® cheaply in units of 50 disposable bowls for roughly 29 cents per bowl. My thought was that the bowls will be reusable for melting chocolate. I expected the bowls to develop some heat, but even heat, due to the fact that sugar cane fibers have some hydroxyl groups in the fiber molecule, and as such they will be affected by microwaves and will to some extent heat. So it was. The bowls are fine for melting chocolate and they are reusable. You do not need to have any of these bowls but this process works and it makes life easier for all we chocolate candy makers.
Once you have the proper melting container you need to be sure you have a relatively small wooden paddle or a metal spoon for stirring the chocolate multiple times during the melting process. The idea is you want to use mechanical action to blend the melted chocolate with the unmelted pieces very well between heating cycles, which will equalize the temperature and thus keep any area from getting too hot.
As for the chocolate to be melted, if you buy it in button form it is directly ready to be heated. If you have chocolate in bar form you need to cut it on a wood cutting board with a butcher knife to create small pieces not more than 1/4" thick and preferably not larger than 1/2" on a side.
Given the fact that you need to stir the chocolate well multiple times you need to limit the amount of chocolate you melt at one time. I suggest starting with no more than half a pound, and then possibly adding more unmelted chocolate to the melted chocolate and mixing it in very well, then resuming heating and mixing, with the goal being to have about a pound of melted chocolate (if you need that much). That amount of melted chocolate is about perfect for candy coating, to provide depth for easy coating and a limited amount of chocolate so that you use all of it before the temperature drops below about 82 degrees F.
Speaking of temperature, let's define the right range for melting and using chocolate. First, make sure you have an instant read thermometer. Second, do not exceed 90 to 92 degrees F at any time during heating. Third, measure the temperature of the chocolate between heating cycles after stirring. If the temperature measures between 90 and 92 degrees F do not heat the chocolate further. Simply continue to stir it until all of the chocolate pieces are melted.
Now for the actual heating directions. Operate the microwave oven on full power. If you are melting half a pound of chocolate all at once then initially heat the chocolate for 45 seconds, then stir as best you can. The chocolate will not appear to be melted much at all, but it is still important to mix it. Next, microwave it for 15 seconds and repeat the stirring. There will likely still be a lot of unmelted chocolate, so after the stirring heat it again but for only 10 seconds. Repeat the stirring and heating for 10 second cycles until almost all of the pieces are melted. At that point simply stir until the chocolate completes being melted. Do not further heat the chocolate.
The best temperature range for coating the candy will be 83 degrees F (for white chocolate only) to 88 degrees F for dark or milk chocolate. In other words, if you are using milk chocolate, dark chocolate or a blend of the two then try to do all of the coating of centers when the chocolate is between 88 and 84 degrees F. Obviously the chocolate will start to cool immediately after heating, but you can measure the temperature and stir to make the temperature uniform, and when it reduces to 88 degrees F you can start the dipping process. Don't worry about the chocolate cooling too much if you work at a steady pace. You will use all of it before it cools too much. If it does start to stiffen before you have used all of it, a few seconds in the microwave oven will eliminate that problem.
About the dipping ... There are various tools used by candy makers to dip candy centers into chocolate and then remove the coated chocolate candy to a tray covered with parchment paper. The purpose of the parchment paper is to avoid having the candy stick tightly to any surface after the chocolate has cooled and set. For tools, I often find it easiest to simply use two dinner forks to turn the candy center over in the melted chocolate and to remove the coated candy, allow it to drip off excess chocolate for a few seconds, and then move the piece of candy to the parchment paper.
I suggest you visit a candy making supplies shop or look online for the various simple plastic tools used for dipping. As you gain experience with different tools you will favor some particular tool or set of tools.
Once you have a tray of chocolate coated candy you want to move it to a safe place to allow the chocolate to set. I like to use relatively cold places to hasten the process, but if you want to be a perfectionist you can set the chocolate at a room temperature of 70 degrees F with low humidity (not more than 60% relative humidity) for up to 12 hours. After setting the candy pieces can be moved carefully into storage containers with cut out sections of parchment paper between layers of candy.
Once you have packaged the candy then store it in a cool and dark place that has no odors of any kind. You don't want the candy to pick up odors that might ruin later enjoyment. For that reason sealable plastic or metal canisters are favored for storage. You can always fill paper/cardboard boxes later when you are ready to give some of the candy away as gifts. Note that candy making supply stores have gift boxes and you can also find them via the Internet.
Okay, folks, that's it. The explanations, while long, were important to your success making chocolate dipped candy.
Enjoy!