Question about melting chocolate

[Minnie824]

I make these chocolate covered, peanut butter ball candies for Christmas, and usually use just bakers chocolate, melt it, cover, etc. But, we ordered Hersheys chocolate cards as gifts - 2 lb milk chocolate bars for gifts for our parents. When they arrived, they were not packed well, and completely broken. So, they ended up sending us new ones and they shipped well. But now, we have 4 lbs of broken chocolate sitting here. Do you think I could melt it to use for my peanut butter stuff, or would that not work? Its really just a big candy bar. Thanks!

 

[smileybrat]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. If I need melted chocolate, I melt chocolate chips and they work well. I don't see why a candy bar would be any different.

 

[KathyTX]

Are the Hershey bars MILK chocolate? Are the Baker's chocolate bars you normally use semi-sweet?

Milk chocolate has a *much* different texture, different melting and hardening properties and different flavor than semisweet.

It might work well for your candies, but I would definitely test it on a small batch before committing to it.

 

[mtemm]

bars are great for melting! should work perfectly. If you have any melted chocolate left over, here's a quick treat. just mix with cornflakes to coat, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, and put in fridge to chill. Once chilled break into cookie sized pieces. So yummy! reminds me I need to buy some corn flakes. we always make these at christmastime.

 

[Lanshark]

Test it by putting it in your mouth and seeing if it melts After about a pound you should have your answer

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Originally posted by KathyTX
Are the Hershey bars MILK chocolate? Are the Baker's chocolate bars you normally use semi-sweet?

Milk chocolate has a *much* different texture, different melting and hardening properties and different flavor than semisweet.

It might work well for your candies, but I would definitely test it on a small batch before committing to it.

I belive the OP is referring to (baker's) melting choclates you can buy at craft stores or candy supply stores, not Baker's the brand- the wafers for coating candies and the like.

I personally don't have experience melting the bars, but I think my cousin used plain Hershey bars to coat pretzels some time ago.


do you have to add milk to the bars for better consistancy?

 

[RUDisney]

The only chocolate that won't melt is made by manufacturers that have factory stores, or second's shops. If a company doesn't sell its mistakes at a discount, it means that they are remelting it to try again.

We have one company that is local that has a seconds shop because they add something to the chocolate that makes it curdle if it's remelted.

Hershey's melts just fine.

We used to make our own crisp bars every year after Easter.

 

[mickeyboat]

I have tried several recipes which require melted chocolate. Every time I melt it, whether in the microwave or in a double boiler, the chocolate turns into a congealed, dried out ball. I used some vegetable oil last time to smooth it out again but I didn't like the taste. Any suggestions?

Denae

 

[KathyTX]

The Hershey milk chocolate bars will certainly melt!

The milk chocolate just don't harden or taste the same as semi-sweet chocolate. This may be fine for coating your treats.

But if you were using the chocolate in a recipe, say for fudge or ganache, the two are not usually interchangeable. I would recommend experimenting with a small batch if there's any doubt.

 

[KathyTX]

Originally posted by mickeyboat
I have tried several recipes which require melted chocolate. Every time I melt it, whether in the microwave or in a double boiler, the chocolate turns into a congealed, dried out ball. I used some vegetable oil last time to smooth it out again but I didn't like the taste. Any suggestions?

Denae

Sounds like you might be heating it too high.

In the microwave, try putting your chocolate (either chips or broken pieces of a bar) in a glass mixing bowl. Microwave on MED for 30 seconds. Stir, repeat, always microwaving it for only 30 seconds at a time.

Depending on how much chocolate you're melting, you may need 6 or 8 cycles.

The chocolate will begin to soften gradually long before you would actually see the chips melting- it might still feel pretty solid the first couple of times you stir it. But soon it will begin to melt gently.

It's important not to overheat it. The short zaps and the stirring will get you the creamy smooth results you're looking for. Good Luck!

 

[RUDisney]

What kind of chocolate are you melting? Again, some manufacturers put something into their chocolate that prevents it from melting to a smooth consistancy. If you've tried it in a double boiler and experienced the same mess as in the microwave, that is probably your problem.

 

[mrsv98]

You might want to temper the chocolate before using it. Here are directions and an explanation from Food TV:

"Definition: A technique by which chocolate is stabilized through a melting-and-cooling process, thereby making it more malleable and glossy. Commerically available chocolate is already tempered, but this condition changes when chocolate is melted. Tempering chocolate isn't necessary for most recipes, but is often done when the chocolate will be used for candymaking or decorations. Chocolate must be tempered because it contains cocoa butter, a fat that may form crystals after chocolate is melted and cooled. If these crystals aren't stabilized through tempering, they can form dull gray streaks called bloom. The classic tempering method is to melt chocolate until it reaches a temperature of 115 degrees F. Two-thirds of the melted chocolate is then spread on a marble slab and worked back and forth with a metal spatula until it becomes thick and reaches a temperature of about 80 degrees F. This thickened chocolate is then transferred back into the remaining one-third melted chocolate and reheated to about 89 degrees F. for semisweet chocolate, about 85 degrees F for milk or white chocolate. The quick tempering method is to melt two-thirds of the chocolate to be tempered to a temperature of 115 degrees F then add the remaining one-third (finely chopped) chocolate to the melted mixture, stirring until the mixture has reached 89 degrees F and is smooth."

This works very well and insures a beautiful product.

Also, mickeyboat, I agree that you are heating your chocolate too much. The melting point of chocolate is between 104 and 113 degrees, about the temp of hot tap water, so you need to go slowly. For example, I just melted 2 oz of unsweetened choc (for chocolate thumbprints..mmmm!) and in a large microwave, using a glass measuring cup, I started with 40 secs, stirred and then went another 30 sec. When I took the choc out of the microwave, it appeared to be not fully melted, but after I gave it a bit more of a stir, it was perfect. Remember, better underdone than overdone with chocolate!