I have dipping issues. Actually, I have choc coating issues. No matter what I try to do with choc coating it doesn't turn out right. It never flows like choc it always seems too thick. How do you melt yours? What is your dipping method? I have tried the microwave and doubel boiler, no success. HELP!

Oh, and 1 more ? please. Any thoughts on using poured fondant (like the kind for petit fours) with cake balls? Or pressing them into pans, cutting into squares and then doing to poured fondant/choc? Okay, that's 2 questions, sorry .

I actually use the microwave to melt mine in a bowl and then I set the cake ball in it and roll it around with a fork. Seems to work better than trying to dip it and shake all the excess off.

I add shortning to my chocolate because it makes it thinner and it flows so much nicer.

I also add shortening to my chocolate. It thins it and helps with the dipping and gives it a smoother nicer look.
Also, make sure the balls have been refrigerated or been in the freezer for a short time, keeps them from falling apart.

I have that same issue. My chocolate always seems too thick. I make sure I don't get any water from the double boiler in it, I don't think I overheat it...and yet it's still to thick for a nice coating. I'll have to keep an eye on this thread and see what kind of answers you get
Pam

I add paraffin wax to mine...thins it out and makes it shiny.

I put chocolate and wax in the top of a double boiler but don't put it on top of pot just yet.

Bring pot with enough water in it so that it does not touch the bottom of the top of the boiler to a boil. remove from heat and place top portion on it. stir until smooth.

just before all the chocolate is melted, remove from lower pot...if it gets too hot..it'll start clumping then you gotta add shortening to unclump it...
remove some of the heated water out of the pot and replace it with cool water and replace top portion of double boiler.

at this point...you can turn the heat on the stove to low and place pot with double boiler on top on the burner.

I dip the cake balls while frozen. stir chocolate often to keep it warm.

Even being careful, (I even have a melt chocolate setting on my microwave) chocolate will clump up. Don't know if chocolate gets too hot or what causes this...maybe the chocolate disks are old? Anyhow, I don't have a double boiler but I use a 2 qt. pot and simmer the water placing a stainless steel bowl in the pot, the bowl fits so well there is no way for water to splash out of the pot. Expensive chocolate that needs tempering is something I don't do anymore because I could never master the technique of getting the process just right. Good luck!

I add paraffin and microwave at half power

The best chocolate to use is bar chocolate which you can find at grocery stores, or the candy melts. Chocolate chips are not made to melt like the bar chocolate or the candy melts, they are made to bake with (ie.hold there shape). So, using chocolate chips will result in a thicker, less smooth melted chocolate. As others have stated, you can add that wax to the chips to help and you can also add crisco but I just hate the thought of adding that nasty stuff to my chocolate. Also, if you are having problems with your chocolate clumping, this means you have scorched your chocolate. At this point, the only way to save it is to add shortening until it smooths out again.

I just made some cake balls and used about half a bag of ghirardelli chocolate chips (semi sweet) and about a tsp of shortening.....worked perfectly! I threw the frozen cake ball into the chocolate (melted it in the microwave) and then pulled it out using the fork and tapped the fork really well on the side of the bowl getting all the excess chocolate off and then laid them on a plate......they looked beautiful!! Nice and smooth and shiny and delicious!

A-ha, I'll have to try bar chocolate next time. I usually use chocolate chips and maybe that's the issue. I've tried the candy melts but didn't have much luck...then again they were "donated" from a friend who no longer needed them and maybe they were old.
Pam

How much wax do you add to 1 bag of candy melts?
I use the Wilton chocolate melting pot to melt my chocolate. It only clumps if it gets too hot.

I buy chocolate by the pound at a little country store not far from me. It comes in a big 20# bar and they break it off and sell it in 1 pound bags. It's only about $1.60 a pound. woohoo. My point is I don't know what kind of chocolate it is, but it's yummy! Anyway, when I tried to melt mine in the double boiler it clumped on me. So, now I just melt mine in the microwave power 40% for 30 secs at a time stirring at every interval. Hope that makes sense. Chocolate was really smooth and shiny for me that way.

I use 1-2 tablespoons of paraffin crystals for a bag of chocolate

I put mine in a heavy sause pan and melt on low heat, I also add Crisco. Then I dip and roll the ball around in the pot, lift it out using a spoon and tap the inside of the pot with the ball on the spoon, that smooths the choco. Then I lay the ball on parchment paper, using a toothpick to push the ball off the spoon slowly. I like to use a sauce pan so I can take it on and off the heat when needed.

Make sure you aren't letting condensation from the double boiler drip into the chocolate. The added moisture always messed up my chocolate too.

Adding a little crisco has really helped make my chocolate more "dippable"!

Another dipping tip....I use two forks when dipping. I dip the cake ball and then lift out with two forks with the tines intertwined and shake a little and put on wax paper. Does that make sense??

These are soooooo addicting....the possibilites are endless! I am making a bunch this week so we can can send to CT to the home office of my husband's job. Last year I sent them about 20 dozen cookies...this year...CAKE TRUFFLES!!!!!!

Another tip...When using a double broiler make sure the water in the bottom pan does not touch the bottom of the top pan. You only need about an inch of water. Also, make sure that the water is simmering, not boiling and never put a lid on the pan. This will cause condensationg to drip into the chocolate which will cause the chocolate to seize.

I've used Melted Chocolate Chips, didn't work well lol... I've used Ghirradelli White Baking Chocolate Bars.... worked alright except they burned very easily!!! I've also used Wilton Candy Melts... worked great!!! I pop them in the microwave for 30 secs at a time stiring in between each reheat and I use a plastic spoon to dip them, I drop them in and roll them around with the spoon and then lift them out and tap the edge of the bowl to get the excess off and then turn the spoon over to let it drop onto wax paper lined tray.... using the excess left on the spoon to cover up any that came off when it came off the spoon.

The ONLY problem I have with ANY thing I use is that the chocolate cracks on the cake ball and causes need to double dip them which really isn't a problem lmao people love it but it's a pain because they ALL crack every time no matter what I do.... Any suggestions on this???

ohmygoodies, how thick is your layer of chocolate when you dip them? I have naaver had mine crack so I am not sure what is causing this except maybe the layer is too thick. A drastic change from one temperature to the next might also cause them to crack.

It's not that thick at all.... hubby is on the phone complaining now about the ones that he took to work some have too much chocolate and some don't have enough so he's picking and it's really upsetting right now so I'm guessing I need to find something else to give away for christmas now.... oh well maybe I'll figure it out sooner or later lol.

I was wondering if chocolate bark would be good or possibly easier for dipping. Or do you think it wouldn't be as good as regular chocolate?

I have had the cracking problem too. It is when I use REALLY frozen cakeballs and dip in the warm choc. I think the choc. sets to fast and cause the crack. I fixed the problem with a small choc. drizzle over the top.

I am pretty sure the cracking is caused by the extreme temperature differance between the balls and the chocolate.

Wow! Looks like I am not the only one with dipping concerns. Thanks to everyone for their responses. Try, try, try again!

Ok so not to be a quitter or a giverupper lol I'm willing to attempt this again... I mean I did go as far as to make a tutorial on it would be bad for me to give up lol..

Ok so I froze mine for approx 2 weeks before dipping them and yes they were still frozen pretty solid when dipped and the chocolate set almost instantly - within moments of sitting on the wax paper which I thought was a good thing but as they all got done and dried I noticed all the cracks

So you guys are recommending - hinting at it - that I should just let them come to room temperature before I dip them? Wouldn't be a problem or anything just wondering which would be the best way to do them. I'm a stay at home mom with a school aged child so I don't really have to find time to do it but living at my mother's house and fixin to move before christmas (I HOPE) I was trying to get all my christmas goodies ready and done for packaging so that when Christmas arrives I can just package them and hand them out

Thanks for ANY and ALL advice!!

I refrigerate mine instead of freezing. If they crack, use a fork dipped in chocolate to do a drizzle over the top as decoration. A different color, expecially like green for mint or pink for strawberry, works well too!

OhMyGooides - don't let them come to room temp, or they will fall apart while dipping. But you can let them sit out for a few min while you melt the choc then dip them. They defrost very quickly, I have foudn I have to put some back into the freezer for a few min again because they got to soft before I got to them.