Last night, I melted Hershey candy bars in the micro and poured it into lolipop molds. After 45 minutes they popped out and all seemed fine. This morning, the chocolate is very soft. It starts to droop and comes apart from the stick. They were on my kitchen counter overnight and not exposed to any heat.
I'm not about to buy a tempering machine for $400 and from what I understand there are no safe wafers.
Is there a trick for doing this so the pops will be solid and hard? I wanted to make them for my daughter's party this weekend.
Thanks for any help.
Last time I checked Guittard made PN/TN safe wafers... but they may be difficult to find locally. We have to mail order them.
Try heating on very low power in the microwave and stirring frequently. It sort of sounds like the chocolate "seized" on you. Don't heat it until it looks melted. Only heat until it looks slightly shiny, then stir and keep stirring while it melts. I also only melt chocolate in glass measuring cups. Pyrex is perfect because it retains heat well but doesn't develop nasty hot-spots.
If that doesn't work, is the humidity exceptionally high? You could try popping them into a freezer bag and sealing it up before they are fully cooled. Then store them in the freezer bag so they don't reabsorb moisture.
Edited to add: I've never tried melting milk chocolate bars, and I wonder if they have something in them that softens the chocolate too much... Could you try chocolate chips instead? I think Hershey makes some... again, we buy the Guittard brand but those we can get at our grocery store. If not, I know Hershey's makes baking chocolate which could be mixed in to maybe firm up the end product.
[This message has been edited by Corvallis Mom (edited March 12, 2006).]
I didn't know about Guittard, thanks SO much for the tip. I googled the brand and my city and found a candy shop that sells their products so I'll call tomorrow to see if the sell the melt 'n molds and I'll call the company to ensure they are safe. It looks like they don't make any products with peanuts, nuts or eggs so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
My children have eaten candy made from Merkens candy wafers without incident.
It does sound like a case of chocolate "out of temper".
I have even had my chocolate "seize" on me when I was using my tempering machine--my chocolate had absorbed too much moisture from summer humidity and became an oatmeal-type of blob.
This is what I would try. For every 8-12 oz. of chocolate, add 1 Tb. of Crisco (if you can use it). Make your pops, let them sit at room temp for an hour, then pop them into the fridge. IMO, they will have to be stored there, because they will not dry properly at room temp, nor do they store well at room temp. That's just my experience with these things.
I just helped my dd make some chocolates from dinosaur molds. I melt dairy-free, soy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave on low 4, stirring every 45-60 seconds, it takes only a few minutes, I don't put a lot in the bowl though. After it melts, I spoon the chocolate in the molds or this time I put it in a ziploc bag and cut a tiny hole in the end, less messy for her and she can get it in the molds easier. I put the mold in the freezer for a few hours, then unmold them by turning them over and kind of tapping them out. They don't get soft as I've made these before, the only problem I have is they start to melt if they are touched, the heat from hands starts to melt them and I can't travel with them, only for the house because of the melting factor. Good luck.
Last time I checked Guittard made PN/TN safe wafers... but they may be difficult to find locally. We have to mail order them.
Try heating on very low power in the microwave and stirring frequently. It sort of sounds like the chocolate "seized" on you. Don't heat it until it looks melted. Only heat until it looks slightly shiny, then stir and keep stirring while it melts. I also only melt chocolate in glass measuring cups. Pyrex is perfect because it retains heat well but doesn't develop nasty hot-spots.
If that doesn't work, is the humidity exceptionally high? You could try popping them into a freezer bag and sealing it up before they are fully cooled. Then store them in the freezer bag so they don't reabsorb moisture.
Edited to add: I've never tried melting milk chocolate bars, and I wonder if they have something in them that softens the chocolate too much... Could you try chocolate chips instead? I think Hershey makes some... again, we buy the Guittard brand but those we can get at our grocery store. If not, I know Hershey's makes baking chocolate which could be mixed in to maybe firm up the end product.
[This message has been edited by Corvallis Mom (edited March 12, 2006).]
I didn't know about Guittard, thanks SO much for the tip. I googled the brand and my city and found a candy shop that sells their products so I'll call tomorrow to see if the sell the melt 'n molds and I'll call the company to ensure they are safe. It looks like they don't make any products with peanuts, nuts or eggs so I'll keep my fingers crossed!
My children have eaten candy made from Merkens candy wafers without incident.
It does sound like a case of chocolate "out of temper".
I have even had my chocolate "seize" on me when I was using my tempering machine--my chocolate had absorbed too much moisture from summer humidity and became an oatmeal-type of blob.
This is what I would try. For every 8-12 oz. of chocolate, add 1 Tb. of Crisco (if you can use it). Make your pops, let them sit at room temp for an hour, then pop them into the fridge. IMO, they will have to be stored there, because they will not dry properly at room temp, nor do they store well at room temp. That's just my experience with these things.
I just helped my dd make some chocolates from dinosaur molds. I melt dairy-free, soy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave on low 4, stirring every 45-60 seconds, it takes only a few minutes, I don't put a lot in the bowl though. After it melts, I spoon the chocolate in the molds or this time I put it in a ziploc bag and cut a tiny hole in the end, less messy for her and she can get it in the molds easier. I put the mold in the freezer for a few hours, then unmold them by turning them over and kind of tapping them out. They don't get soft as I've made these before, the only problem I have is they start to melt if they are touched, the heat from hands starts to melt them and I can't travel with them, only for the house because of the melting factor. Good luck.