Ok! I was talking to a lady today and she said that she uses an old fashioned hot plate. She uses the little corelle glass bowls and sets them on there with whatever colors she wants to use and it keeps the choc melted and warm. Is this like the electric skillet idea sort of ? And is a hot plate the same thing as an electric griddle? She did say that it had to have a temp setting so you could set it where you need it not to burn the choc. So what temp would keep it warm but not burn it? Hope these aren't totally ridiculous questions! 
Thanks for letting me pick your brains guys! And I can't wait to try the cherry chocolate combo!!! 
I posted this somewhere esle but wanted your opinions... Do you use tools to dips your balls or do you use your fingers? I have to do 300 of them in october for a wedding.... I want to make sure they look as good as they taste!
I use the plastic dipping tools that you can get at a craft store. I've tried it with toothpicks too but they just fell off into the chocolate! Definitely not your fingers.
I've used dipping tools before, but I have much better luck with a plastic fork with the middle tines broken out. I think it's the extra width that helps.
Ironbaker! Tell me about paramount crystals. I've seen people talk about them before but what do they do exactly and do you always add them? IF so, what happens if you don't?
Hi. They're just like flakes of shortening, in fact you can use shortening in its place if you want. They help smooth out the chocolate and make it easier to coat the truffles and molds. It makes the chocolate more "fluid". I use about 1-2 tbsp per pound of chocolate.
I don't use them every single time but most, if I remember. lol No problem if you don't, your chocolate just may not stay as fluid as long.
Hi. They're just like flakes of shortening, in fact you can use shortening in its place if you want. They help smooth out the chocolate and make it easier to coat the truffles and molds. It makes the chocolate more "fluid". I use about 1-2 tbsp per pound of chocolate.
I don't use them every single time but most, if I remember. lol No problem if you don't, your chocolate just may not stay as fluid as long.
Thanks for the quick response! I'll have to get some and try them out. It doesn't cause the choc to like slide off easier? Does that make sense?? 
I have Kathy Scott's petit four molds and she says to add paramount crystals to the chocolate so that it will be soft enough to bite through without falling apart. It takes a little trial and error to get it exactly right and I have found that I need a lot less with white chocolate.
I have been told that you don't need it at all with dipping chocolate/candy melts because they aren't real chocolate. I don't know ... just what I have been told.
Martha
I melt my chocolate in a glass bowl -medium sized and deep, in a microwave. While I'm dipping, I keep the bowl on my heating pad set on medium. Works like a charm!
I charge $1.00 each for my cake bon-bons, and in multiple orders, they get a price break down to $.83 each.
I took Kathy Scott's chocolate petit four class -amazing! I found some similar molds locally, but she sells them on e bay in different shapes. I added some paramount crystals, but not too much so they didn't smudge and get too soft to come out of the mold. My pic is posted in my gallery -snowflakes on them for Christmas.
I took Kathy Scott's chocolate petit four class -amazing! I found some similar molds locally, but she sells them on e bay in different shapes.
I think she is going to be teaching at Cake Camp in Vegas ... I'm really hoping to go. I have three sets of her molds (eBay). People are really impressed, but I give her all the credit. 
I know this question has been posted before but I've tried searching and I think I'm a search idiot! Can't find what I'm looking for.... 
So, when you make the truffles and you have a significant amt of leftovers, how do you and how long can you store them? Do you go ahead and dip before you store or wait until you're ready send them out??
I love you guys!!!
Around Christmas, I was selling a lot of Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting cake bon-bon's (my name for them). I made 2 9X13's, then mixed the crumbs with frosting and rolled into balls. These froze beautifully until I needed them. I just dipped what I needed, in a really good local chocolate company's confectionery coating. I didn't dip them rock hard, but let them sit out to get rid of any excess moisture so I wouldn't dye my chocolate red! They develop a slight dry outside which makes them perfect to dip. I had 2 layers of saran under, up and around the bon bons in a large tupperware in my chest freezer. Not sure how long they would last, as I had many orders, and snuck a few out to pop in my mouth ocassionally 
The paramount crystals do help with the "bite" - whether it's the first bite of a molded candy or a cake ball/truffle. They do help with the melts (merckens or even wilton) because it thins the chocolate out, making it easier to coat.
I love Kathy Scott's molds. And her texture mats.
I've frozen truffles before but you have to be careful of the sweating. I've put them in the frig as well. I have never stored for a long period of time because I'm usually about to do something with them if I make that many. Any leftover will go to work with me or given away. And yes, I dip before.
I don't use the paramount crystals for dipping the cake balls, but it depends on the viscosity of your chocolate. If it's very thick and won't leave a nice thin coating, then I would add some. Mine is on the thinner side when melted, so I don't need the crystals.
I tried freezing mine after they were dipped, but not a very good result when they thawed. Upsetting after all that work, and $ of the chocolate 
My old bakery boss dipped hers in ganache (chocolate and cream), but were way too soft and messy -couldn't pick them up and chocolate was all goopy on the candy paper. A tasty mess, but still a mess for customers.
Cake ball, cake truffle, cake bon-bon..... all the same thing, just different names 
As far as I know cake balls, truffles, and bon bons are the same thing. I just think it sounds nicer when I say cake truffle to someone as opposed to cake balls. That always makes me laugh!!! I know! Pretty juvenile but I'm just bein honest!! 
Do you mind sharing what kind of chocolate you use? Brand/white/dark/milk ...
mbt4955
Sure! I live in central PA, and everyone loves it! It's Wilbur brand, and they have the best chocolate around! I use the milk, white, and dark chocolate confectionery coating, not the real chocolate (which they have won awards for). Another CC-er has ordered online from them at
www.wilburbuds.com, and I buy locally. Their Wilbur Buds are like Hershey Kisses, but much smoother chocolate and better tasting, if you can believe that!
PM me if you would like any other info
Here's a question for those with experience freezing them: I had to do a bunch ahead of time, already dipped. They are in a plastic container in my freezer. If they are defrosted in the fridge for a day or two, will they dry out okay when I finally bring them to room temperature? What's the best way to do this? They need to be individually bagged, and I really don't want them sticking to the bag! TIA
I always turn my lemons into lemonade (the cakes that didn't quite work out into truffles) and the difficulty I have is with the chocolate. I am very vigilant about not overheating (30 seconds a time on the "defrost" setting of the microwave) but my chocolate almost always has a "whitish" coating on it when it dries. Am I not mixing it enough when it is melted or am I using crappy candy melts? I freeze my cake balls without chocolate & then only take out as many as I want at a time & dip those.
I would really like to know the answer to my chocolate problem as it makes the truffles or covered Oreos look "stale".
Thanks for the help/advice!
Sure! I live in central PA, and everyone loves it! It's Wilbur brand, and they have the best chocolate around! I use the milk, white, and dark chocolate confectionery coating, not the real chocolate (which they have won awards for). Another CC-er has ordered online from them at
www.wilburbuds.com, and I buy locally. Their Wilbur Buds are like Hershey Kisses, but much smoother chocolate and better tasting, if you can believe that!
PM me if you would like any other info
Thanks - I'm looking at their site now!
Martha
[quote="sweetiesbykim"]I melt my chocolate in a glass bowl -medium sized and deep, in a microwave. While I'm dipping, I keep the bowl on my heating pad set on medium. Works like a charm!
swheatsue:
I think it's your "crappy" chocolate, as you put it. What do you use? Mine got chalky looking when I used unstable real chocolate, and with some chocolate chips. It doesn't happen with my confectionery coating though.
sweetiesbykim, what all do you cover with the confectionary coating? If I am going to order it, I want to get enough to justify the shipping charges. Besides, it is starting to warm up in Texas, so I probably won't be ordering any until next fall.
Have you used the peanut butter flavor? I have Nutter Butter cookie molds that I got from Spinning Leaf. I normally cover them with dark chocolate, but the peanut butter would be fun.
Thanks,
Martha
sweetiesbykim, what all do you cover with the confectionary coating? If I am going to order it, I want to get enough to justify the shipping charges. Besides, it is starting to warm up in Texas, so I probably won't be ordering any until next fall.
Have you used the peanut butter flavor? I have Nutter Butter cookie molds that I got from Spinning Leaf. I normally cover them with dark chocolate, but the peanut butter would be fun.
Thanks,
Martha
Because it's got such real chocolate flavor, and it's so easy to work with, I use it for everything! Molds, ganache, truffles, dipping, etc. It's thin enough to work very well in squeeze bottles, too. I don't use it in my recipes that call for chocolate and need the cocoa butter from it, though.
I have the peanut butter discs, but never used them for coating or molding. I'll try it right now for you, but I'm thinking it might be a little thicker (melted). I'll write back with the results!
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