Candy Melts

Decorating By marknrox Updated 13 Apr 2005 , 3:38pm by Ladycake

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 12:33am
post #1 of 22

I have a question about candy melts. I just made my first lollypops. They are disgustingly easy. I was thinking, "WOW! that's all there is to it?" I wanted to practice with something easy to see if I could do it before I embark on my Italian Tool Cake (see other thread--BTW, I'm still looking for recipes)

Anyway, somewhere in the back of my head I keep hearing someone saying to add corn syrup to the melts. Am I crazy or did I really hear that from somewhere? I didn't add any because I just wasn't sure, I just used the melts and some icing color and amaretto flavoring...boy the chocolate ones were really good. The white tasted more like orange for some reason.

I attached the pics just for the heck of it.
LL

21 replies
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MrsMissey Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 12:47am
post #2 of 22

Your lolipops turned out great! Well done and pretty easy to do, don't ya think? I've never heard of adding corn syrup to candy melts...but I do add a bit of Crisco to thin down chocolate before I use it as a coating. Perhaps someone else can explain the syrup thing to both of us!

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mari Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 1:17am
post #3 of 22

The adding of the corn syrup is to make candy clay(which you can mold , kinda like fondant or gumpaste).. But for suckers and such, just melting the wafers is all there is to it! HTH! icon_biggrin.gif

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 1:23am
post #4 of 22

Oooooooooooooh! I read so much stuff on here that I just knew I had heard it. I get confused sometimes. icon_redface.gif LOL Thank you so much for clearing that up for me!!!

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Lisa Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 1:44am
post #5 of 22

Very pretty lollies! I love candy melts. I used them to make a wrench for a tool guy cake. When I was making it I popped it in the fridge to harden. I took it out, popped it out of the mold and went to dusting it with my nu silver. It wouldn't stick to the cold wrench! I didn't have anything handy except for water to add to it so I could kind of paint it on (it works with fondant)--didn't work with candy melts icon_cry.gif . What I found was that if you let the molded chocolate come to room temperature, you can dry brush the silver on. Live and learn!

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Lisa Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 1:46am
post #6 of 22

BTW...I like the way you used the Gald Press-n-Seal. I'm going to have to remember that.

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:14am
post #7 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa

Very pretty lollies! I love candy melts. I used them to make a wrench for a tool guy cake. When I was making it I popped it in the fridge to harden. I took it out, popped it out of the mold and went to dusting it with my nu silver. It wouldn't stick to the cold wrench! I didn't have anything handy except for water to add to it so I could kind of paint it on (it works with fondant)--didn't work with candy melts icon_cry.gif . What I found was that if you let the molded chocolate come to room temperature, you can dry brush the silver on. Live and learn!




Lisa,

Thanks for the heads up. I'm sure I would have tried to put it on when it was cold! It's nice to learn from other peoples experiences!!

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lagunacakelady Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:14am
post #8 of 22

Has anyone used candy melts to make ganache ? Does it taste good ? I've used semisweet chocolate chips to make ganache and like how it tastes. Candy melts have got many colours so I'm tempted to try ganache with it. Any words of wisdom ?

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:16am
post #9 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisa

BTW...I like the way you used the Gald Press-n-Seal. I'm going to have to remember that.




Ha Ha!! I just needed something quick to stick them in. I didn't feel like digging out the floral foam. So I wadded up a paper towel and put it in the cup (should've used two) and put that over the cup really tight and poked them through. It's really not for displaying. Just for my hubby.

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montanakate Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:37am
post #10 of 22

When you work w/ the candy melts can you use regular pastes and gels to color them or do you have to use the oil based candy coloring?

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:43am
post #11 of 22

I don't know for sure, but on the Sugarcraft website, they said anything other than oils would break the chocolate down. So I assume that's the answer. I would like to hear from someone who has tried it before though.

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Lisa Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:52am
post #12 of 22

I've used the regular Wilton pastes to color candy melts and it didn't have any bad effects. I was making pastels though so if making primary colors or black--I don't know.

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susanmm23 Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:58am
post #13 of 22

my friend added the yellow liquid food color to her white candy melts last year and it was horrible. it turned into a hard nasty lumpy greasy mess.

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Ladycake Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 8:33am
post #14 of 22

I have never heard about karo syrup either but I have heard about the crisco and there is Paramount Crystals with is flakes of shortening that you can add to thin it down... I personally use the crystals....

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marknrox Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 12:54pm
post #15 of 22

Where would you get crystals?

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KrazyKross Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:01pm
post #16 of 22

You can get paramount crystals at Country Kitchens. Just enter Paramount Crystals in the search box at the top of the page. Here's the link:

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/

The candy melts from Country Kitchen also melt much better and smoother than the Wilton Candy Melts. My daughter and I did over 3000 pieces of candy last year for a friend's wedding. We made the table favors, wedding-related candy pieces in a champagne glass that had their names and the wedding date etched in it. The Country Kitchen melts stayed workable much longer than the Wilton melts.

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thecakemaker Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:07pm
post #17 of 22

I've seen in several recipes for dipping fruits that is says to mix in a bit of crisco. I don't know if it makes it creamier or what. A friend of mine makes to die for chocolate dipped strawberries and she mixes a bit of crisco in with hers. The chocolate doesn't break apart when you bite into it ~ maybe that's what the crisco is for.

Debbie

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Mchelle Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:14pm
post #18 of 22

Ever since I read on this board to use the paramount crystals. I use them all the time. The white choclate never melts right, so I was very happy when it found those paramount crystals at my local Cake Decorating store icon_lol.gif

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thecakemaker Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:21pm
post #19 of 22

What is it exactly that the paramount crystals do?

Debbie

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m0use Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:25pm
post #20 of 22

Found this on the web

Quote:
Quote:

Paramount crystals are used to aid in the melting of carob, chocolate, and yogurt. It will help make the coatings smooth and easier to pour into molds or will thin for ease in dipping and coating. Use up to 1/4 c per lb of coating. Add a little at a time in the melting process, stir between each addition, until you have your desired consistency.


it is from http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/candy_making/paramount.htm

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thecakemaker Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 2:27pm
post #21 of 22

Great! Thanks m0use!


Debbie

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Ladycake Posted 13 Apr 2005 , 3:38pm
post #22 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by marknrox

Where would you get crystals?




its a CK product so who ever sells CK products online or in your cake supplie stores...

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