Chocolates

I use melted chocolate for lots of things at Christmas time…candy making, dipping, etc and after the chocolate sets for a day or so it gets spotty looking. It doesnt affect the taste but it isnt very appetizing to look at! Is it the chocolate quality or am I maybe getting the chocolate too hot when melting? Please help!

You must not get any water near your chocolate. Water causes this.

Does anyone know whether you can make a milk chocolate bar from a dark chocolate one? Is it just a case of melting the dark chocolate and slowly mixing milk into it?

This may sound like a stupid question and you may wonder why I don’t just buy milk chocolate. Well, it’s because I cannot have dairy milk and so can only but dark bitter chocolate. I don’t like the taste of this so am trying to find out if I can use soy milk instead.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Well according to cadbury all it takes is a glass and a half of pure milk and voila you magicaly get a milk choc bar!

I thinks genneraly though it is the case. Add enough milk (soy in your case) that the choc stays thick and can set (if its in a hard form you require). add too much and I don’t think it will set. Maybe add something like some kind of setting agent. Read what milk choc manufacturers use or research on home use setting agents. You may need to add sugar to tate as by adding milk you may make it tasting bland.

But why bother. Just pop into the shops and get it ready made. Its a different matter if you have cocoa beans and need to strat from scratch. If you have a bar of dark and don’t like the taste on its own, melt it up and serve on fruit/ ice cream or use its shavings on deserts and just use it up in cooking. Don’t bother using it to make your own milk chock I’m sure its not worth the hassel when theres plenty of variety around, you can even get special dietry ones so theres no need to go through all that.

Good luck anyway.

Ive seen many sites that have the recipe for chocolate truffles. The only thing is that I need the servings so I know how much of what to get before I go to the grocery store….
Yet again…. SERVINGS. I said I found recipes… None that have the SERVINGS. I need the SERVINGS.
Serving size, that is.. How many mouths it should feed, you know.

Ingredients

* 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
* 1/4 cup brandy
* 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, and/or toasted coconut, for coating truffles
* 8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions

Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.

Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.

In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

I think those pre-made baskets are highly overpriced. Then when you take them apart, there isn’t much to them! The basket is filled with stuff to fluff it up and make it look packed with food items.
Why not make your own? You can buy decorative tins or some other nice container and fill them with an assortment of chocolates and candy you picked out yourself. Stores that sell gift wrap usually sell sheets of clear plastic wrap you can tie with a ribbon or bow.
Making your own, there will be more chocolate and less filler like crinkled up paper, styrofoam and cardboard.

Anyone thinks this chocolae is good, any suggestions my friend loves chocolate, and I want to get her the best type and I saw that Godiva is a very well known gourmet chocolate. I would really like it if some one gave my ideas

It’s to die for!

I used to get these every day before school at walgreens and they were amazing. Now i can’t find them at walgreens anywhere. Where can i find this delicious coffee drink?

If your local store doesn’t carry it, ask the manager if WALGREEN still stocks it. If they do you should be able to get them to restock it, if they no longer stock it as a company, It’s gone…DEERFIELD is the Companies Brand Name…

Tried to buy it yesterday….home made cost $12.00 per lb.

I don’t care what the cost! Chocolate is my OBSESSION! I will get it if I have to work overtime for over a yr! I NEED IT!

Peace:
Amanda

I live in the UK, North East and want to buy some montezuma chocolate as a gift but i don’t know where I can get it from. Their website has very expensive postage so I would rather get it from a shop.
Yeah I see they do have it on Ebay but on the website they have all sorts of animals etc and Ebay doesn’t seem to have those :0(

have you searched ebay?

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=montezuma+chocolate&_sacat=See-All-Categories

We are looking to buy at wholesale, clearance line chocolate, sweets, crisps, etc.

Depends where you live,

but we use Hancocks cash and carry confectionery

who have outlets all over the country

I would like to have a go at making chocolates at home but I’m not too sure how to make this filling porperly.

Basic truffle mixture:

5 oz (150 g) very best quality dark chocolate (at least 75 per cent cocoa solids)
5 fl oz (150 ml) thick double cream
1 oz (25 g) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 level tablespoon Greek yoghurt

For the plain truffles:

1 level dessertspoon cocoa powder

For the ginger truffles:

¾ oz (20 g) preserved ginger, very finely chopped, plus some extra cut into small pieces

For the toasted almond truffles:

1 oz (25 g) flaked almonds, very finely chopped and well toasted

For the chocolate-coated truffles:

2 oz (50 g) dark chocolate (at least 75 per cent cocoa solids)
½ teaspoon groundnut oil

a little cocoa for dusting

You will also need some paper sweet cases and, for the chocolate-coated truffles, a sheet of silicone paper (baking parchment).

For the basic truffle mixture, break the chocolate into squares and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Switch on and grind the chocolate until it looks granular, like sugar. Now place the cream, butter and rum or brandy in a small saucepan and bring these to simmering point. Then, with the motor switched on, pour the mixture through the feeder tube of the processor and continue to blend until you have a smooth, blended mixture. Now add the yoghurt and blend again for a few seconds. Next transfer the mixture, which will be very liquid at this stage, into a bowl, allow it to get quite cold, then cover it with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight. Don’t worry: it will thicken up after several hours.

Next day divide the mixture equally among four small bowls, and keep each one in the fridge until you need it. Then proceed with the following to make four different varieties. Make sure you have all the little paper cases opened out ready before your hands get all chocolatey!

Plain Truffles
For these, you simply sift 1 level dessertspoon of cocoa powder on to a flat plate, then take heaped half teaspoons of the first batch of truffle mixture and either dust each one straight away all over, which gives the truffle a rough, rock-like appearance, or dust your hands in cocoa and roll each piece into a ball and then roll it in the cocoa powder if you like a smoother look. Place it immediately into a paper case. Obviously the less handling the better as the warmth of your hands melts the chocolate.

Ginger truffles
Mix the finely chopped ginger into the second batch of truffle mixture using a fork, then proceed as above, taking small pieces, rolling or not (as you wish), and dusting with cocoa powder before transferring each one to a paper case.

Toasted almond truffles
Sprinkle the very finely chopped toasted almond flakes on a flat plate, take half a teaspoonful of the third batch of truffle mixture and roll it round in the nuts, pressing them to form an outer coating.

Chocolate-coated truffles
For these you need to set the chocolate and oil in a bowl over some hot but not boiling water and allow it to melt until it becomes liquid, then remove the pan from the heat. Now spread some silicone paper on a flat surface and, dusting your hands with cocoa, roll each truffle into a little ball. Using two flat skewers, one to spike the truffle and one to manoeuvre it, dip each truffle in the chocolate so that it gets a thin coating and then quickly transfer it to the paper. If the chocolate begins to thicken replace the pan on the heat so that it will liquefy again. Leave the coated truffles to set completely then, using a palette knife, quickly transfer them into their waiting paper cases.

Now arrange all the truffles in a box or boxes and cover. Keep them refrigerated and eat within three days. Alternatively, truffles are ideal for freezing.