is there a difference when dipping trhings in chocolate whether you use bark chocolate or just melt a chocolate bar etc. Is bark supposed to be used for particular things or not?

I don't know what you mean by bark chocolate, but real chocolate will need to be tempered if you want your dipped items to have a smooth, crisp coating of chocolate. If you are using "candy coating" or "confectioners' coating" chocolate, such as Merken's wafers or Wiltons candy wafers, no tempering is necessary.

Chocolate bark is what's called a compound chocolate - it contains ingredients other than chocolate, usually vegetable oils. When you melt it for molding or dipping, you don't need to temper it.

Depending on the chocolate bar, you may or may not have 100% chocolate. If the only ingredients are cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar (probably lecithin too) and milk if it's milk chocolate, you've got real chocolate that will need to be tempered before you dip.

Unless you do like I do. When I'm dipping stuff, it's almost always just for family, so I use real chocolate but don't bother tempering. It melts in your hand a lot easier, it's not as shiny, and it doesn't have that great "snap" but it takes a lot less time and effort.

Best Chocolate, Tempering, Chocolate for Molds:

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-229031-.html

HTH

I think what you probably mean is like Almond bark, really cheap and easy to get in the grocery store. This stuff is fine for dipping pretzels and stuff, but contains a lot of parafin and doesn't release well in plastic molds. For that you need confectionery coating or pure chocolate that will have to be tempered. Coating is kind of middle of the road. It's not pure chocolate, but it's easier to use, a little less expensive and still quite tasty! HTH -Lori

You can mix the CandyMelts with real chocolate and not have to temper. I use 2 cups of the CandyMelts to 1 cup chocolate chips.