# Trouble melting chocolate chips



## rodentraiser (Jul 27, 2016)

Today I decided to make some no-bake cheesecake bites. It sounded very simple. Mix some powdered sugar and butter with cream cheese, roll into small balls, chill, then dip in melted chocolate.

For the dipping, the recipe said to melt 10oz of chocolate chips. Well, I tried. I really tried. 

Now I've been melting chocolate (baking chocolate) all my life. I put it in a small pan and melt the chocolate over low heat. I've never had to use a double boiler and I've never had the chocolate burn. Ever. Never had a problem until today.

Since I already had the chocolate chips, I decided to melted those, as per the recipe. And I melted them. And I melted them. For 20 minutes they melted over a low setting. They melted into a large semi-solid chunk of chocolate and got soft, but they never melted to the point where I could dip anything into them.

I finally started turning the heat up in increments, and finally the chocolate did start to burn. I threw the whole mess out, including the "cream cheese" balls that were so sweet they would have gagged me anyway.

So now I'm starting to wonder. Have Nestle's snuck some other ingredient into the chocolate chips to keep them from melting in cookies? Because it sure seems like it.


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## medtran49 (Jul 27, 2016)

Chocolate chips aren't supposed to melt in cookies, they are supposed to more or less keep their shape. Sure, they'll soften and mush out a bit when baked, but are still recognizable. They have and always have had an additive so that they will do exactly that. 

If you want to melt chocolate to dip, I'd suggest you either buy the products that are made and packaged to do that or do like my mom did back in the day when things weren't available like they are now. She made candy-like bourbon balls out of 10x sugar, margarine and obviously bourbon, sat them on a pecan, refrigerated until hard, then dipped them in a chocolate bath she made with one of those big Hersey bars melted and thinned out with the food-grade parafin wax I think you can still buy in the stores. People loved those things and she made dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens... to give as Christmas gifts. A person we knew that had a candy/nut store wanted to sell them, until mother sat down and priced out what she'd have to get to make it worth her while to do it commercially, since they were hand-shaped and hand-dipped. 

The last time I made bourbon balls, I used one of the products pre-packaged and supposedly made for dipping. I found it much too thick for the candy personally and will either do it the old fashioned way or just add some wax to it next time.


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## medtran49 (Jul 27, 2016)

The 10x/margarine mixture I mentioned can also be used to make buttercreams like the ones you used to be able to get in the Brach's mix-n-match candy display they used to have in groceries.  The old-fashioned chocolate coating I referenced was very similar to what was on the Brach's buttercreams to give a reference as to thickness.


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## Andy M. (Jul 27, 2016)

I make a chocolate ganache type frosting for a chocolate cake I make.  I microwave chocolate chips in a bowl and add butter and corn syrup.  It mixes up to a smooth pourable topping.  

However, straight up chips alone will give you a problem as they were made to not melt easily.  Try Ghirardelli chocolate sold in the baking section of your supermarket.  They make all kinds.

Consider using the microwave to melt chocolate.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 27, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> ...For the dipping, the recipe said to melt 10oz of chocolate chips. Well, I tried. I really tried...


The recipe writer may have written "chips" but might have been thinking of melting wafers. 







When I used to make chocolates, I would buy Merckens brand melting wafers. Unless you have a candy making supply store near you, they can be hard to find. However, most grocery stores carry *Ghiradelli Chocolate* in some form, so you may be able to find their melting wafers easier than any other brand.


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## rodentraiser (Jul 27, 2016)

Well, I learned my lesson. I'll give it another go sometime with Baker's cooking chocolate and this time I'll also use cream cheese mixed with regular sugar instead of powdered sugar, and a lot less of that, too.

I would have tried a microwave, but I don't have one. I did go back to read the recipe and they said specifically chocolate chips, but they also mentioned microwave, too. I'd post the recipe, but I already deleted it. Not one I want to keep.

Thanks for the info, everyone!


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## GotGarlic (Jul 27, 2016)

Not all recipe writers are equally qualified, or precise  

I don't typically use recipes from random Internet search results. I have a few trusted sites I use, or else I take inspiration for flavor combinations from  a site but use a TNT method.


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## rodentraiser (Jul 28, 2016)

What's a TNT method?

Never mind, I got it. I'm a little slow this morning.


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## GotGarlic (Jul 28, 2016)

rodentraiser said:


> What's a TNT method?
> 
> Never mind, I got it. I'm a little slow this morning.


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## Addie (Jul 29, 2016)

Cooking Goddess said:


> The recipe writer may have written "chips" but might have been thinking of melting wafers.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You local Arts and Craft stores carry the melting wafers. Wilton's makes them in all flavors.


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 29, 2016)

The ones the crafts stores sell aren't always the best tasting ones, *Addie*. They seem to have more wax than the better brands. I know that Wegmans sells the Merckens brand, which are my favorite. I'll buy a short pound when I'm out of them, put them in an airtight canister in the basement "pantry", and sneak a couple when I have a taste for chocolate. They are as melty as a Hershey candy bar, but I'm happy with just a couple of nickel sized pieces. If I keep Hershey bars on hand, I eat the entire one up before I know it.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jul 30, 2016)

I have a problem with the melting wafers as they have added oils in them that help them melt smoothly.  The best option is to go online and look for coverture chocolate.  You can purchase it by the case, or in smaller amounts.  It is the chocolate that candy makers use.  It melts very nicely and can be tempered to make amazing chocolate truffles, or filled chocolates.  I made easter bubbies with coverture chocolate and one of our local restaurants used them in their displays.  I used milk chocolate for the bodies, but small containers of white chocolate, each of which were colored with paste food coloring.  I was able to paint the colors in to make the inner ear pink, the bow-tie black, the vest was light brown, etc.

Coverture chocolate will give you the best results when making chocolate confections.

If you must use Nestle's chocolate chips, place 1/4 cup milk into a saucepan, heat the milk to scalding temperature, then stir the package of chocolate chips into the hot milk.  I won't seize the chocolate.  Add a little salt as it will improve the chocolate flavor.  You won't be able to temper it, but it will be smooth and taste great.  I make hot fudge for DW out of both Nestlie's Milk Chocolate or Ghiradelli Chocolate chips.  I have made it out of four large Lindoor Lindt milk chocolate bars.  That was really good.

Hope that helps.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Cooking Goddess (Jul 30, 2016)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> I have a problem with the melting wafers as they have added oils in them that help them melt smoothly....


In my case, they worked perfectly fine to chocolate coat strawberries or mix with nuts or coconut flakes to make dropped chocolates. I'm a simpler candy maker than you *Chief*, and don't want to bother with fondant. But if you like to fuss like that, God love ya.


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## Addie (Jul 30, 2016)

I buy the semi-sweet blocs when I need to melt chocolate. Usually Hershey's.


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## rodentraiser (Jul 30, 2016)

That's what I've used in the past, but I'll have to look into that coverture chocolate. Thanks for info, Chief!


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