What Do You Add To Chocolate For Dipping?

Dipping strawberries into thin dipping chocolate fondue

Heating couverture chocolate using a bain-marie is platonic for melting chocolate into the thin consistency platonic for dipping foods.

Image Credit: yasuhiroamano/iStock/Getty Images

Dipping fruits, nuts and other foods in chocolate is a tasty style to elevate your snack or dessert. Chocolate-covered strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, cookies and nuts are fun variations of already delicious treats. They're also great for gifting.

Only fun can quickly turn into frustration if you run across one large snag: dipping chocolate that hardens.

And so what's the all-time way to melt chocolate? The respond lies in your technique. When information technology comes to making splendid dipping chocolate, it'south all about the process — and ideally, your method doesn't involve zapping information technology in the microwave and crossing your fingers everything turns out OK.

Here, Chinelo Awa, a professional cake maker in London and owner of Good Cake Day, explains how to make thin dipping chocolate and tips to thin chocolate that'southward a bit too viscous.

1/2 pound couverture chocolate ($29, Amazon)
Medium saucepan
Glass or stainless steel basin
Rubber spatula
Kitchen towel
1 cup water
Thermometer (optional)
Fork

Step 1: Choose Your Chocolate

Awa recommends using couverture chocolate for dipping. Information technology's unmarried-origin chocolate that contains a large amount of cocoa butter — it consists of 35 percent cacao and at least 31 pct cocoa butter, according to the Establish of Culinary Education.

This results in a more fluid-like melt and overall thinner consistency that is suitable for dipping.

Step two: Suspension Chocolate Into Minor Pieces

Yous will need about a 1/2 pound of chocolate. Some chocolate bars are already cut into small pieces or pellets, only if yours isn't, break it into smaller pieces to encourage faster melting.

Step 3: Simmer Water in a Bucket

Cascade one cup of h2o into a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat until information technology reaches a simmer.

Stride four: Create a Bain-Marie

To brand dipping chocolate, y'all'll need to use a double boiler. If you don't have one, yous can create a bain-marie with kitchen items y'all likely already have. The University of Illinois Extension defines a bain-marie as a heated bath that usually involves a custard dish or basin over a larger dish or saucepan that is surrounded by hot h2o. The hot water creates steam that melts the contents of the smaller bowl.

In this instance, you'll need a drinking glass or stainless steel bowl to place on meridian of the saucepan. The steam will heat the bowl, which will cook the chocolate.

Tip

When choosing the size of your bowl in relation to the saucepan, Awa recommends that the basin should sit snuggly on the saucepan to avoid steam escaping from the sides. The bottom of the basin does non accept to touch the water in the bucket.

Footstep 5: Identify Chocolate in the Basin to Steam

In one case you lot've created a bain-marie, identify the chocolate pieces in the bowl.

Step vi: Allow Chocolate to Melt

Get out the bucket on low heat. It will accept almost 1 infinitesimal for the chocolate to melt.

Step seven: Stir Chocolate Occasionally

As the chocolate melts, apply a spatula to occasionally stir the chocolate until it is completely and uniformly melted. The consistency should be sparse. If you're using a thermometer, the chocolate should be at least 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

The chocolate is ready once it's shiny and shine, per Le Cordon Bleu.

Pace 8: Remove the Bowl from the Heat

One time the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Awa emphasizes that it'southward important to have extra intendance to avoid the water in the bucket getting into the basin of melted chocolate. When moisture is added to chocolate, information technology can curdle and become rough and grainy.

Use a kitchen towel to wipe off the h2o from the sides and bottom of your bowl earlier placing information technology on your counter.

Step 9: Dunk Your Food Into the Dipping Chocolate

Apply a fork to dip your chosen foods into the thin dipping chocolate.

You can as well try incorporating melted dark chocolate into some of our recipes, such every bit:

How to Make Melted Chocolate Thinner

If you lot accept dipping chocolate that hardens, that likely ways that some h2o entered your bowl by accident during step 8.

To remedy this, add a minor amount of fatty — such equally butter or kokosnoot oil — to thin the chocolate. Use sparingly, though — a little bit goes a long style.