Making Profession-Looking Dipped Chocolate Candies

Chocolate Candy Equipment

Making chocolate candy recipes can sometimes require specialized equipment such as molds and scrapers but it can also be as simple as just using a fork to dip a ball of ganache or filling into your melted chocolate. A good place to find chocolate molds is your local arts and crafts store. Not only will you find some generic molds, but you are certain to find seasonal molds as well so you can create Christmas themed chocolates or Valentine’s day themed chocolates or whatever holiday happens to be on hand. Chocolate molds are usually made of thick, sturdy plastic that can be reused innumerable times and withstand some rather sharp knocks. If you are going to be making chocolate candy, you will be giving your chocolate molds some good solid thwacks.

Once you have your chocolate molds in hand, take a quick trip to the local hardware store. What you want here is a paint scraper. I happen to like the ones that have plastic handles and metal blades. I tend to avoid the paint scrapers that have wooden handles because I feel the plastic handles sanitize better.

Bring your molds into the store with you and make sure the blade of the paint scraper is wide enough to scrape off the chocolate from the top of your mold.

Take your new gear home and wash everything thoroughly. Then, using a piece of cheesecloth or the softest clean cloth you can find, buff the inside of the chocolate molds. The cleaner and dryer they are, the better your chocolates will pop out of the molds and the shinier the chocolates will be. Place the chocolate molds into your freezer and let them chill for a few hours. These directions are for commercial chocolate molds but your molds may not need to be chilled, so check with the instructions that come with the mold.

Dipping truffles and other foods in a coating of chocolate adds a beautiful, delicious finishing touch to many candies. The chocolate imparts a good flavor while also adding a protective coating, and dipping candy centers, nuts and fruits is easy if you follow these basic instructions.

Room Temperature
A cool kitchen is crucial for making perfect confections. 68 degrees is ideal. Work on a marble slab if possible.

Choose Your Chocolate
Use any high-quality chocolate that you enjoy eating on its own. After all, you will be imparting this flavor to all of your dipped candies!

Temper the Chocolate
For professional-looking dipped candies, your chocolate should be tempered. Chocolate that has been tempered is smooth, with a shiny finish and a satisfying snap. Tempering is not a difficult process, but it can take time and require a few pieces of specialized equipment. For tempering instructions, read How to Temper Chocolate. Note that if you are pressed for time you can simply melt your chocolate with a small amount of shortening to thin it, but the resulting candies will have to remain refrigerated or they will begin to melt at room temperature.

Prepare Your Workstation
It is best to have everything ready before you begin dipping. Place your bowl of chocolate at your clean workstation and set out your dipping tools or dinner forks. Cover a baking sheet with a clean piece of parchment or aluminum foil for placing the finished candies on. Keep your truffles or soft fillings in the refrigerator until right before you are ready to use them.

Dip the Centers in the Prepared Chocolate
Slide the edge of your fork or dipping tool under the truffle or candy center, and lift it up gently. Drop the truffle into the melted chocolate and push it just under the surface of the chocolate. Lift it out of the chocolate with the fork, and tap the fork several times against the side of the bowl. Slide the bottom of the fork over the lip of the bowl to remove excess chocolate from the bottom of the candy. Place the fork over the prepared baking sheet, and tilt the fork so the edge of the truffle touches the sheet. Smoothly slide the fork out from under the truffle. If you are adding decorations or garnishes to your candies, do it now, when the chocolate is still wet. Repeat the process with the remaining centers and chocolate.

Allow the Chocolate to Set
If the temperature of your room is moderately cool (60 to 70 degrees) your candies can be left out to set, but if your room is warm, or you want to speed up the process, you can refrigerate them for approximately 30 minutes to set the chocolate. The exception is untempered chocolate, which should always be refrigerated after dipping.

Trim and Store the Candies
Once the chocolate has set, you might notice a small pool of chocolate forming "feet" at the bottom of your truffles. If desired, you can trim them with a small sharp paring knife. Wear gloves to avoid getting fingerprints on your candies, and place them on a flat surface. Grip the candy in one hand, and use the paring knife to press down on the excess chocolate and cut it off in short clean strokes. Trimming the candies is purely an aesthetic decision, and you can certainly skip this step if desired. Store the candies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.