What went wrong? Melting chocolate

[Pegasus]

DD wanted to make peanut butter balls and dip them in chocolate. We only had chocolate chips so we tried melting them in the microwave, 20 seconds at a time, and stirring.  The chips melted but became a thick paste, never a lovely liquid chocolate.  Extra microwaving just made it thicker.  So, figuring that we overcooked them, we then tried to melt some in a small metal bowl in a pot of water on the stove.  Again, as the chips warmed, they melted but never got thin enough to dip things into. We ended up spooning some of the chocolate paste onto the top of the pb balls - they look like they are each wearing a bad toupee.

 

So, are we using the wrong kind of chocolate?  She wants to make these treats again next week to take to her dance class so we'd like that batch to turn out pretty.

 

Thanks.

 

Oh, I should add that the only thing we added to the chips for melting was a small amount of butter. Was that a mistake?

[Mommyof4ks]

What brand of chips? I have found that Hershey's brand clumps a lot, but the Nestlé ones get very smooth. I use a pot on the stove, and turn them on low heat. Taking them off before they are completely melted does help make them smoother. I do not have a microwave, so no help there.

[bettyandbob]

I melt chocolate in a double boiler on the stove. When I have melted in the microwave, I've had the same thing happen. Since you did use the stove too, could it be the brand?

[T'smom]

I use almond bark for those types of recipes.

[Ellie]

Also, don't you usually need to add oil of some kind? You do when you use a chocolate fountain.

[AlmiraGulch]

Usually when it turns into a paste it's because it was too hot.  Candy is fickle.

 

Try melting in double boiler.  Works every time.

 

[Library Momma]

I have never had luck with the microwave but a double boiler works every time.  I've tried every kind of chip and never had a problem and i don't add anything to them.  Did you try to remelt the same chips from the microwave in the double boiler?  I think once they were over cooked in the microwave you can't really do anything with them.  If they were different chips perhaps it was the metal bowl?  I usually use a (tempered) glass bowl and have always had luck.

[zoobie]

Add a bit of solid shortening or coconut oil. There probably wasn't enough cocoa butter in the chips. You might have gotten some moisture in there too.

[Pegasus]

I appreciate all the ideas. These were Aldi brand chips.  They taste fine but maybe they just don't melt well.  I did use new chips when I switched to using the metal bowl over water. I don't have an actual double-boiler so I improvised.

 

I think I will pick up some Nestle chips and maybe some almond bark for our next attempt.  I welcome any additional input.

 

Thank you.

[regentrude]

Are the chips really chocolate? Or is sugar the main ingredient?

We had bad luck with low quality "chocolate" that had too little cocoa content.

[regentrude]

I appreciate all the ideas. These were Aldi brand chips.

 

Oh yes, those were the ones that did NOT work. They are not chocolate. Too much sugar, too little cocoa.

If you shop at Aldi, buy some European chocolate bars, chop them up and and melt them; they are much better than the chips

[Lawana]

I agree to add oil. Look up recipes for chocolate fountain.

[jillian]

I always do a double boiler with a couple tablespoons of butter or heavy cream to thin it and make it beautiful and glossy.

[Jann in TX]

The butter is what ruined the chocolate

 

Butter has water in it and chocolate is 'allergic' to water--- water will make it thicken.  Milk/cream will have the same effect-- add to melted chocolate and you get ganache (a fudgy icing).

 

Either purchase a bark or a chocolate already formulated for dipping or add a small amount of parafin or shortening to your chocolate chips.

 

[zoobie]

I missed the butter--yes, that would've messed it up too!

[jillian]

I always use cream or butter and it works out just fine. The reason for that is because I usually am making a ganache: http://www.ehow.com/how_2174376_make-ganache.html

[jillian]

I always use cream or butter and it works out just fine. The reason for that is because I usually am making a ganache: http://www.ehow.com/how_2174376_make-ganache.html

 

and fwiw chips aren't the best to use when melting

[bettyandbob]

If you are hoping to form a bit of a shell I would not add oil. Maybe I am wrong but then you just have a sauce that would never harden.

 

Double boiler with chips that are actual chocolate. And like one of the pp I take mine off heat when everything is almost melted and let the rest melt off heat.

[Peach]

I have a mini-crockpot that came with my large one  and it melts chocolate like a dream.

[bettyandbob]

but it turned into a hot fudge nightmare that never resolidified.

I can't believe nightmare and fudge could be used in the same sentence. Maybe it was an opportunity. Maybe the chocolate was calling out for ice cream and you weren't listening.

[Paintedlady]

I used Aldi brand chips and melted them in a double boiler with a little Crisco and they melted just fine. I made peanut butter balls with it and they were great.

[zoobie]

I always use cream or butter and it works out just fine. The reason for that is because I usually am making a ganache: http://www.ehow.com/how_2174376_make-ganache.html

 

and fwiw chips aren't the best to use when melting

If you add enough liquid (cream or butter), all of the chocolate molecules get coated and it makes a sauce. If you add just a little, the water in the butter will cause it to seize. Solid shortening does not contain water and is solid at room temperature, so it can be used to loosen chocolate for dipping and the chocolate will harden once it cools. I use chocolate chips (usually Ghirardelli or Trader Joe's) to melt for dipping and either add shortening or good quality white chocolate chips that have a high cocoa butter content. You can throw in Wilton candy coating chips or almond bark to get that melty consistency. Or use all candy coating/almond bark, but it won't taste as good.

 

There's a Good Eats episode where a food scientist explains seizing really well.

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season1/Chocolate/ChocolateTranscript.htm

AB: So, Shirley, what's the deal? What happened to my chocolate?

SHIRLEY CORRIHER: It's called seizing and it happens when you've got dry, dry particle—and that's what we got in chocolate—dry, dry particles in this rich, rich fat cocoa butter. A tiny bit of moisture glues these dry particles together. Let me just show you with the sugar here. If you put a lot of water in, it dissolves. No lumps. But, if you take your spoon and stir your coffee and have just a little water look at all these clump, lump, lumps.

AB: So, how do I fix it?

SC: More liquid ...

AB: Okay.

SC: ... and it will all be all right.

[Ellie]

So, did you have an actual recipe, or did you just try melting the chocolate chips? Because chocolate candy is already *cooked*, so it doesn't just melt into a nice goo. It needs oil, or cream/milk to get the consistency you're looking for.

[LucyStoner]

I melt chips all the time and never have to add anything. I do it over the stove in a bowl (no double boiler here either). But I usually use high quality semisweet or extra dark chocolate chips.

[Heather in OK]

Aldi chocolate chips here too.  Have used them for years.

 

Double broiler.  Add a little crisco or Gulf wax.  Voila!  :)

[SJ.]

I had the same thing happen to me when using Ghiradelli brand chips.  The first batch I had to throw away but the second I used a double boiler and it worked perfectly.  Good luck when you try again!

[momto10blessings]

I've never had problems melting Aldi Choc chips in the micro. I've never added butter though, only shortening

[LostSurprise]

Modern chocolate chips are usually formatted so they won't melt easily (because they're used in cookies so they don't want them to melt too easily and merge with the dough before it sets). That's why melting chocolate bars works better than chips. 

 

The chips will melt, but the results are usually uneven. Putting in a fat (cream or oil) and some heat should work, but sometimes you can make it seize or scorch the darn thing before it all works out. It's easier to just buy the Ghiradelli (or other favorite chocolate) bars. 

[BrookValley.]

I usually use ghiradelli chips and spectrum organic shortening, and I always melt in the microwave. I use a heavy glass measuring cup, only zap for 30 seconds at a time, and stir a LOT between zaps to avoid scorching. Works great.

[6packofun]

The KEY is to do it for 20-30 seconds at a time at 40-50% power, NOT full power!  That always happened to me, too, until I lowered the power setting.  (And then you don't have to add oil or shortening, yuck.)

[Mrs Mungo]

I use Gihredelli chips and melt them in a metal bowl over a pot with a little water and add a little shortening. I have only had it seize when dd quit stirring and walked away.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I use Gihredelli chips and melt them in a metal bowl over a pot with a little water and add a little shortening. I have only had it seize when dd quit stirring and walked away.

This. I have bad results in the microwave. The Ghirardelli chips have specific directions on the package to melt for dipping things.

[prairiewindmomma]

We had problems with aldi chips for the first time tonight. We added oil so it was smooth in the fountain, but it tasted rancid, and it was not the oil... We tasted an unmelted chip...the bag we bought this last week was off.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

sounds like it "seized up"....I also use almond bark and some sort of double boiler.....