HI there! I'm making chess pieces with molds and I'm melting my chocolate in a double boiler. I've never really worked with chocolate and I'm wondering - do I HAVE to thin it with crisco? I find that it's changing the taste and texture of my chocolate and these pieces are not only for show on top of a chess board cake, but I also want them to taste good. Any suggestions?

Here's a comprehensive thread on tempering chocolate, using candy coating, best chocolate for molds, along with tempering cheat and more:

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

HTH

Thanks so much!

I've never used crisco in any of my molds, and I use the wafers. They have all come out perfectly.

Just be very careful using a double boiler. You don't want to get any kind of water, steam, etc. in your chocolate.

Good luck!!


Holly

I like to do things the easy way; I use candy melts and use paramount crystals to thin the chocolate (dont' use crisco or water).

What are "paramount Crystals and where do you find them?

I use the paramount crystals all the time. I prefer the chocolate more runny, so I use 1/2 Cup paramount crystals to 1 lb chocolate melts. It adds to the shine and texture of the finished product.

I didn't know about paramount crystals... I'll have to use them the next time I need to melt and mold chocolate. Thanks!!!

Thanks for the resources. 1 more ? Do you have to use a specific brand of chocolate or does it work with all brands. Ok one more, lol. Does the paramount crystals make it easier to dip? I find that when I make the cake balls ( thanks to a recipe on cc) I have a hard time melting large amounts of chocolate at once.

I have been making candies for year....I jsut melt chocolate in my microwave.....Start at 1 and stir then only at 15 second intervals. I then cover my old electric food warming trays with a couple layers of paper towels and the chocolate stays melted while working with it. You can also use a covered heating pad or sit it in an electric fry pan with an inch of warm water...do not get any water in chocolate though.