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Barb1959
Regular Member
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 139
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Birthday: Jan 06
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 Posted:
Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:28 pm |
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Okay, so I am making 3 dozen cakeballs for delivery tomorrw and Ihave them all coated in milk chocolate - no problem. Next step is to drizzle colored chocolate over the milk chocolate - problem.
Ihave one of those plastic botttles with the tiny tip on it that is supposed to be good for this type of thing. Well, it is great for the first 2 or so balls. After that it starts to get clogged. I have to tap it down, stick a tooth pick in the top and pray that it will work for another couple.
Does any one have a clue as to what is going wrong. I use the chocolate melts and put a little crisco to thin it out. I love the way it works WHEN IT WORKS.
Does anyone have a suggestion on a better method. I have tried the baggie method and this does not give me a crisp enough line. I need a crisp line because I make different designed to determine what type of cake is inside.
Thanks for any suggestions. |
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dkelly
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 16, 2008
Posts: 3671
Location: Red Sox Nation
Birthday: Nov 16
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:31 pm |
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I HATE when that happens. I'll tell you what I've done and it helps. I plug in a heating pad (the kind for backaches, etc.) and I work with 2 bottles/bags of melted chocolate at a time. When one starts to harden I lay it on the heating pad to soften it up and use the other bag, then I keep switching it off.
HTH |
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Doug
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jun 28, 2005
Posts: 9455
Location: NC - just off I95, North of the Border
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:32 pm |
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chocolate is cooling and hardening.
short (5sec or so -- do in short burst until thin enough) spin through micro to remelt |
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Barb1959
Regular Member
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 139
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Birthday: Jan 06
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:34 pm |
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Thanks, I think I will try that when I don't have a paid order. I knew if i came to my CC friends, I would get helpd. Love you guys. |
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DianeLM
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 27, 2004
Posts: 2692
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 5:35 pm |
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I prefer to use parchment bags for drizzling chocolate. It's the only thing I like to use parchment for. I fill several bags so that while I'm using one, the others are lying in my electric skillet on "warm". Tip clogs, toss it in the pan, grab another bag. |
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Kerrym
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 02, 2009
Posts: 26
Location: Cape Cod, Ma
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 9:21 pm |
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I use the disposable icing bags and just snip the end off. Since we are on the subject of cake balls, the last few times I have made them the coating cracks. I dont know why it is all of a sudden doing this . Any suggestions?
Thanks |
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CakeMommyTX
Forum Fanatic
Joined: Aug 07, 2007
Posts: 1160
Location: where the sidewalk ends....
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Thu Oct 29, 2009 10:23 pm |
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Barb1959- Sounds like what everyone else said, the chocolate is cooling and clogging the tip.
I like to use the disposable bags and snip the tip, if you cut it small enough you can get really thin clean lines/drizzles.
As far as keeping them warm and melted the heating pad is a really good idea like dkelly suggested.
I learned that trick from Alton and it works great.
Kerrym- are you dipping cold cake balls in the melted chocolate?
If the balls are too cold it will crack the chocolate. I let mine sit out a few minutes to let some of the chill off of them, it does'nt take long because they are so small. This should help with the cracking. |
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Barb1959
Regular Member
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 139
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Birthday: Jan 06
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 4:08 am |
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Kerrym. I agaree with Cakemommy. I have been doing a lot of cake balls over the last couple of months and I know let them go from freezer ( I usually have them freezing for a while because I make them ahead of time and pull them out when I need them) to sitting on my counter for at least 15 to 30 min. Last night I did a great batch. I had to coat 3 dozen for a delivery today. I actually did something different (for me) that worked great. I usually always melt the chocolate in the microwave ( and have to add crisco to thin). This time I used a double boiler. It worked great because the chocolate never got hard. I worked with it over the water. To my surprise I was able to coat 36 balls with only 1 lb of chocolate melts.
Good luck |
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MARYBETH09
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 28, 2009
Posts: 76
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:08 am |
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How much shortening do you put in the choc. when melting? I like the idea of the double boiler. |
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Barb1959
Regular Member
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 139
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Birthday: Jan 06
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:12 am |
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Note - I only used the shortening when I used the microwave. About 1 Tbls to 1/2 lb give or take. I found I did not need it with the double boiler. Try first without |
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dkelly
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 16, 2008
Posts: 3671
Location: Red Sox Nation
Birthday: Nov 16
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:26 am |
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I too have better luck melting in the "double boiler" method.
I fill my electric skillet about 1/3 way full of water and place small pyrex bowls in the skillet....I can usually fit about 4 bowls.
I place the chocolate in the bowls and let it melt. I turn the skillet down to warm and it's the perfect temp to keep the chocolate melted to a good dipping consistency. I too don't need to add shortening when I use this method.
It's great because you can have 4 different types of chocolate melting at the same time.
I find the micro can seize the chocolate real fast if you're not careful. |
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DianeLM
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 27, 2004
Posts: 2692
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:34 am |
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| Quote: | | I fill my electric skillet about 1/3 way full of water and place small pyrex bowls in the skillet....I can usually fit about 4 bowls. |
Why do you bother with water? I place my glass bowls directly into the skillet. Sometimes I'll lay a towel in there first.
The lowest setting keeps everything nice and melted. |
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dkelly
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Aug 16, 2008
Posts: 3671
Location: Red Sox Nation
Birthday: Nov 16
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:42 pm |
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| DianeLM wrote: | | Quote: | | I fill my electric skillet about 1/3 way full of water and place small pyrex bowls in the skillet....I can usually fit about 4 bowls. |
Why do you bother with water? I place my glass bowls directly into the skillet. Sometimes I'll lay a towel in there first.
The lowest setting keeps everything nice and melted. |
Because, when I tried it without water my skillet was too hot for the chocolate and it seized up (even on warm which is my lowest setting). The water seems to defuse some of the heat.
My electric skillet was a bridal shower gift and I've been married 26 yrs so it's NOT the best. lol I actually can't believe it still works. |
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DianeLM
Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Jul 27, 2004
Posts: 2692
Location: Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas
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Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:31 pm |
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| Quote: | | My electric skillet was a bridal shower gift and I've been married 26 yrs so it's NOT the best. lol I actually can't believe it still works. |
I totally understand! Before I replaced it, I was using an electric skillet that was my MOTHER'S wedding gift when she was married in 1957!!!! I can't believe how much LIGHTER the new ones are! LOL |
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