Thin White Chocolate?

I'm in the process of melting white chocolate to fill molds, but it's incredibly thick. No moisture got into it, so it didn't seize. What gives?

I had the same problem with some dark chocolate-- it seems to vary by brand. I was told to add more cocoa butter. Are you tempering it?

Jen

It could be something to do with the brand, especially if you're melting a white chocolate bar meant for out of hand eating, which might have stabilizers or additives, as opposed to white chocolate meant for confectionery work. Adding cocoa butter is a good idea, but can be tricky to mix in, as pure white chocolate is more prone to separate when you mix in stuff.

Even if it's meant to melt it can just be troublesome. Could be old, could a lot of things. Is it confectionery coating or chocolate to eat out of hand?

We would usually add some paramount crystals to even it out a little bit, but that can affect the texture some.

TBH this is why we almost exclusively use white accent only -- it can be a real pain to work with, compared to other chocolate.

rickster wrote:It could be something to do with the brand, especially if you're melting a white chocolate bar meant for out of hand eating, which might have stabilizers or additives, as opposed to white chocolate meant for confectionery work.

Well maybe that's it. I used a Lindt bar that I saw up near the registers at Marketplace. I figgered it was the good stuff, but I'll buy a box of Baker's tomorrow and try that instead.

Pie-love wrote:I had the same problem with some dark chocolate-- it seems to vary by brand. I was told to add more cocoa butter. Are you tempering it?

I didn't temper it. I thought this specific recipe would actually look better dull.

I did end up spooning the stuff into my molds anyway (though it was a little lumpy) and banging it on the table evened it out, so when I unmolded them, they looked okay. More updates later...

Well maybe that's it. I used a Lindt bar that I saw up near the registers at Marketplace. I figgered it was the good stuff, but I'll buy a box of Baker's tomorrow and try that instead.

Lindt is a lot better than Baker's, but I don't know in this specific use if it is. I wouldn't count on Bakers working better.

White chocolate in general is harder to work with than dark.

Baker's worked perfectly, thankfully!

I dusted the Lindt brains alternately with silver and purple luster dust, which looked really nifty. I preferred the purple because it lent a gray matter look to them. I filled the Baker's brains with slightly melted strawberry jelly. The tops of the brains were thin, so the redness showed through in spots. I got a lot of good comments.

Unfortunately one does not have many uses for a brain mold, so I guess I'll be waiting until next Halloween to use these molds again! I'll post photos soon.

Pie Lady wrote:Baker's worked perfectly, thankfully!

I dusted the Lindt brains alternately with silver and purple luster dust, which looked really nifty. I preferred the purple because it lent a gray matter look to them. I filled the Baker's brains with slightly melted strawberry jelly. The tops of the brains were thin, so the redness showed through in spots. I got a lot of good comments.

Unfortunately one does not have many uses for a brain mold, so I guess I'll be waiting until next Halloween to use these molds again! I'll post photos soon.

Mensa meeting?

Of course!

Don't forget that even if moisture didn't get in, it could seize from a fleck of dust or any other stray particle. Or it could have been the actual chocolate: white chocolate also goes bad more quickly than dark, so if the bar was sitting there for six months, it would be a challenge to use. I've never worked with Lindt but I think it's a fine brand. I grew up on Baker's, but haven't really used it since I found the world of premium chocolates