Coloring Chocolate

Sugar Work By cakerator Updated 28 Jul 2006 , 10:54pm by Chicklet74

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cakerator Posted 24 Jul 2006 , 11:16pm
post #1 of 5

has anyone ever tried using the wilton gel colors to color white chocolate? i noticed that they sell oil based colors made specifically for candy but i was wondering if i could get away with using the icing gels?

any help is appreciated. thanks icon_smile.gif

4 replies
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Lisa Posted 24 Jul 2006 , 11:24pm
post #2 of 5

By white chocolate, do you mean candy melts? Some people have bad luck using the icing colors...water based and they'll seize the melts/chocolate. Candy/oil-based colors are best but I've used icing color in small amounts without a problem. In larger amounts, I've been able to use icing colors as long as I added a bit of veg oil.

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alip Posted 24 Jul 2006 , 11:24pm
post #3 of 5

Sorry. I can't help. I've only used the Candy Colors but would like to know if I could use the gels too.

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BlakesCakes Posted 25 Jul 2006 , 2:21am
post #4 of 5

Yes, you can definitely color white chocolate with the Wilton Candy (oil based) colors.

That said, trying to get an extremely deep color, even with the candy colors, can lead to the chocolate getting "tight"--even at the proper temperature for temper, the chocolate will not be as fluid as you would expect and to get it to a good workable state, you'd need to add tempered cocoa butter. Vegetable oil is often used as a cheap substitute for cocoa butter and technically alters the balance of the ingredients so that it is no longer classified as true "chocolate".

Candy melts aren't chocolate, so you can add vegetable oil or paramount crystals to them to facilitate fluidity for poring, etc. and the candy colors will work well. The melts come in many colors, anyway, so you can start with a base close to what you want and not have to add too much to get the color where you want it.

Americolors has a product called Flo-Coat that can be added to gel color to color chocolate or oil based foods. I've used it with some success on white candy melts to get a dark navy blue, buy I still felt that the melts were too tight and didn't flow very well--but I haven't tried it on real chocolate.

Hope this is helpful.
Rae
Americolors has a product called

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Chicklet74 Posted 28 Jul 2006 , 10:54pm
post #5 of 5

I use the Wilton Icing colors to color candy melts all the time. The only time I have a problem is if I use the candy melts that are actual chocolate (milk choc. or dark choc). The white chocolate are usually fine.

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