Hi, I'm new to candy making. I don't want to use the Wilton candy melts. What kind do I buy at the store? Can you use choc. chips? The baking choc. squares? I just got the molds for the choc. covered cookies and I do have some candy molds. Always hear about "tempering" chocolate. I don't even know what that is 
Any help, tips, would be great! Thanks, Jonna
Most cake decorating stores sells chocolate discs that are better than the Wilton. I know Ive seen Merkens? I think its called.
But tempering your chocolate means that you want to heat it to the right temperature so that the chocolate doesnt seize (get to be a globby mess).
Most of the time you can do this by having a large pot of boiling water and then either a glass bowl or stainless steel bowl that will fit over the top of the pan so that the chocolate can melt without getting water in it.
Then you just want to melt your chocolate, pour it into your molds, bang it a bit on the counter to get the air bubbles out, and then pop it into the freezer for about 8 minutes depending on the thickness of the mold. Then they should pop right out of the mold when your done!
You can go to several places on the internet that have these directions and more. One comes to mind is ...c...a...n..d..y...l...a..n..d...c..r...a..f...t..s...d..o..t...c...o...m. (you cant type business names of some places on this site without them getting blocked so I had to include the dots inbetween the letters!!)
Hope this helps!
I really like to buy 10lb blocks of Gheridelli. I know thats spelled WAY wrong... Anywho, it's a lot of chocolate, but they make it just for melting, and it tastes wonderful!
I agree...Ghiradelli is readily available and tastes better than candy melts which are just flavered to taste like chocolate (but I'm not fooled). Tempering chocolate can be tricky, but like everything else practice makes perfect. If you do temper make sure you hav a very accurate thermometer. Let me know if you have trouble or questions...
Ladybug,
I order chocolate from www.gourmail.com . I just ordered some El Rey to try for enrobing, but I haven't received it yet. They also sell Callebaut 5 kg blocks, and Valrhona. You need to allow a few weeks, however, because they don't ship very quickly.
I know some people really like Qzina.com. If I'm remembering correctly, you need to call for prices, because they have wholesale and retail pricing. You can get Ghirardelli baking bars in packs at worldwidechocolate. com. I've never ordered from them, so I can't comment on their service.
If I want a less expensive, but still 'real' chocolate, then I get Merckens chocolate wafers. If you google "Merckens" you can find several vendors. You might try out chocoley.com, too. Lots of good information for beginners.
I think milk vs. semisweet vs. bittersweet is really just personal preference. If there's any general trend, I think it's that younger people prefer milk chocolate, and as they age and lose taste buds, they tend to prefer darker chocolate. As with any general trend, there are lots of exceptions.
I'm still learning about chocolate myself, so don't take my opinions too seriously yet. I'm experimenting and trying out different brands of chocolates. I'll post after I try out some new types for the holidays. There are lots of knowledgeable and experienced CC posters here, and they are generous with their advice.
Good to have more activity on this forum. 
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