Dipping

Dipped foods are a simple way to make something worthy of a gift or serving as a dessert.

Dipping Techniques

Dipping foods into chocolate is one of the most delicious and simple ways to make basic candy. Not only does a chocolaty shell make fruits, cookies, and sometimes savory items taste better, but you now have something worthy of gift giving or serving as a dessert.

Anyone is capable of dipping foods into melted candy wafers; however, there are a few tips that will help to ensure success.

• Make sure foods are dry when dipping them. A newly washed strawberry may not allow melted candy to stick to the sides of the fruit, or even worse, it can transfer water into the candy. See page 11 for Seizing.
• Always use a small, deep bowl for dipping. You will use less candy than you would with a shallow bowl and it will make life easier when dipping something like a cookie or a large piece of fruit, such as a banana.
• Make sure to use the proper dipping tool for the job. For example, sliding a metal dipping fork into the cream center of a sandwich cookie to dip makes for a very polished dipped cookie, just make sure you can get the tool out after you’re finished!
• Work in small batches when dipping items. Also, place finished items on lined baking sheets to be chilled in the refrigerator.
• Do not forget that candy wafers need to set-up in a cold environment. If candy hardens at room temperature (even in a cool room), you run the risk of having streaks on the surface of the candy. See page 11 for Fat Bloom.
• Always work on wax paper, parchment paper, or a non-stick baking mat. Dipped foods will peel off of these surfaces much better than they would on a hard surface.
• Throughout the dipping process, if you see that the melted candy in your bowl is starting to set-up slightly around the edges, stop working and re-melt the candy again. By ignoring that or stirring that candy back into the bowl, your finished candies will not look as nice.