Great melting chocolate?

[Anonymous]

I’d like to step up my holiday game this year.

I typically give chocolate dipped strawberries and pomegranate seeds together with homemade cookies and nips of Baileys and a couple of hot chocolate packets. I use the dipping chocolate from the local grocery store but would love to try something fancier if anyone has a suggestion for great melting chocolate for dipping.

Tia.

[Anonymous]

I use these:

https://www.target.com/p/ghirardelli-dark-chocolate-melting-wafers-10oz/-/A-14919573

[Anonymous]

If you want to use real chocolate, you have to temper it in order for the cocoa butter crystals to reform properly when it cools. Tempering is a real PITA without a machine. So instead, you can use forms of “chocolate” that have a different fat instead, usually palm oil. That would be your chocolate chips, candy melts, etc. Presumably “dipping chocolate” although idk you have to check the label.

Here is a helpful article on tempering chocolate. If you’re willing to deal with it, it would certainly be the yummiest option.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-way-to-temper-chocolate

If you’re doing any kind of “white” “chocolate,” the flavor of Merken’s wafers is the best. You can buy them on Amazon. Like chocolate, you need to be careful melting them because any higher than 115F or so and they will seize. You can thin out the melted wafers with Crisco.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to use real chocolate, you have to temper it in order for the cocoa butter crystals to reform properly when it cools. Tempering is a real PITA without a machine. So instead, you can use forms of “chocolate” that have a different fat instead, usually palm oil. That would be your chocolate chips, candy melts, etc. Presumably “dipping chocolate” although idk you have to check the label.

Here is a helpful article on tempering chocolate. If you’re willing to deal with it, it would certainly be the yummiest option.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-way-to-temper-chocolate

If you’re doing any kind of “white” “chocolate,” the flavor of Merken’s wafers is the best. You can buy them on Amazon. Like chocolate, you need to be careful melting them because any higher than 115F or so and they will seize. You can thin out the melted wafers with Crisco.

Good luck!

Thanks to both, pps! I might just try tempering it this year. At least try a small batch to see if I can get the hang of it. This is my neighborhood/teachers gifts so I do a lot.