Chocolates

I am using Wilton Chocolate melts in a double-boiler and what is the best way to cool the chocolate, in a refrig or slowly cool to room temperature?
The reason I question the cooling time is based on handling the candy. If they cool too quickly does that affect the tempering making them messy when handling? I agree, candy making is a great hobby.

Once you pour melted chocolate into the mold, give it a few gentle but firm raps on the counter and it will smooth right out. You can either refrigerate, freeze or just let the chocolate harden at room temperature before unmolding. Once the chocolate has set up, you can invert the mold, and press gently on chocolate. The chocolate should just pop right out. But be careful of water, not to let any water to get into the chocolate, while it is melting or tempering, not even a drop, because it will ruin the entire chocolate.

I used to make a Betty Crocker fudge recipe that you can substitute peanut butter for milk chocolate candy bars. But I can’t find it? HELP!

~I can’t find the Betty Crocker one you wanted on the Betty Crocker site but here are 2 amazing highly rated Peanut butter fudge recipes from All recipes

Peanut Butter Fudge-

* 4 cups white sugar
* 1 cup light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
* 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
* 1 (16 ounce) jar peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallow creme until well incorporated and melted. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth; spread in prepared pan. Let cool before cutting into squares.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Peanut-Butter-Fudge/Detail.aspx

Quick Peanut Butter Fudge
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
* 1/2 cup milk
* 3/4 cup peanut butter
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over confectioners’ sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth; pour into an 8×8 inch dish. Chill until firm and cut into squares.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easiest-Peanut-Butter-Fudge/Detail.aspx

My friend likes raspberry chocolate truffles and I hate having to buy a whole box of truffles and get only one of that flavor.

www.amazon.com

Dr. Phil

I love making gift baskets or mugs. Do you have a store called World Market near you? They have some really cool and fun things to put into gift baskets. I wouldn’t stick to a strictly chocolate gift basket though unless this person is REALLY into chocolate. Go with a theme such as movies (microwave popcorn, single bottles of pop, DVD, candy, etc.) or Vegas (deck of cards, poker chips, snacks, bevereges etc.) You get the idea.

You should be able to find decorative cellophane at Wal-Mart or craft stores (it comes on rolls like wrapping paper) to wrap your basket in. Just gather it at the top and tie a pretty ribbon around it and slide it into a gift bag if you’d like. Have fun with it!

I’m looking for GOURMET chocolate bars like Michel Cluizel, Amedei, Bonnat, Dolfin, etc.. I am NOT looking for standard grocery store type chocolates like Hershey, Lindt, Cadbury, etc.

I’m primarily looking for places in Orange County (CA), but I’d also be interested in places in the Los Angeles area too.

Thanks!

Trader Joe’s regularly stocks Valrhona and Scharffen Berger and usually a few Belgians, sometimes under their own label.

Mel & Rose (on Melrose, of course) carries Vosges, Michael Cluizel, Dolfin, Cafe-Tasse, MarieBelle, Cote d’Or, Hachez, Dagoba, Americi, Santander, Chocolat Bonnat, El Rey and Guittard, among others:

http://www.melandrose.com/

Wally’s Wines in Los Angeles carry’s Michel Cluizel, Scharffen Berger, Venchi and Amedei, among others:

http://www.wallywine.com/s-627-chocolate-other-candy.aspx

A few basics:

Cacao (not “cocoa”) beans are picked, fermented in the sun for several days, then shipped to chocolate producers, where the dry whole beans are roasted, then the kernels (“nibs”) removed from their shells. Ground into a thick and oily paste, called chocolate liquor, this is the essence of all chocolate.

For milk chocolate, the world’s most popular, the paste is enriched with cocoa butter and conched (slow-mixed), then milk solids, sugar, and flavorings such as vanilla are added, producing a lighter color and milder, creamy taste.

Some US and nearly all European chocolateers use higher quality cacao beans to begin with than the more familiar, inexpensive American chocolate most of us think of when we think ‘chocolate.’ So a Belgian chocolate, whether dark, milk, or any other variety, is probably a better chocolate than your average American chocolate.

I wouldn’t care if it cured cancer. NOTHING in this universe could ever convince me to lick a fuzzy pair of sweaty balls.

I don’t want to leave any of my gift buying to the last minute but I want to get a couple boxes of chocolates to go with a few of the gifts. Will it go bad if I buy it soon? Or will it keep for a month?

Chocolate will stay fresh as long as it is kept packaged correctly in a cool dry place. Also, you can keep them in the fridge if you are still worried.

I am thinking about opening up a candy store in atlantic canada but am having a hard time finding suppliers. Does anyone know where I can find wholesale suppliers in canada that supply bulk candy, nostalgia candy, sugar free, chocolate, etc? Please let me know. Thanks!

at the top of this Yahoo page there is a gray bar,, at the right is "search",,,, you type "wholesale candy" and click "Web search"…..
that will give you a few thousand of options
don’t forget to add your city…

Christmas is coming and stores are stocking up on boxed chocolates. There are so many varieties, I wondered if there any good ones out there?

Thomas Haas chocolates has an assortment of fruit, nut, chocolates that looks like a painter’s palette. Too beautiful to eat yet you can’t stop at one. I also they their matcha almond chocolates. Oh heaven!