Cooking chocolate

[Knipples]

I'd like to make the people in my office (there are 9 including me) a little easter cake this week. We have an abundance of rice crispies in the house, so I thought I could make chocolate crispie cakes with a couple of mini eggs on the top.

Am never sure what chocolate to use for things like this, and how best to melt it. Can someone give me some tips so I can make some nice cakes thankyou please.

[Lomster]

I don't like the taste of cooking chocolate so I either use cadburys dairy milk or tesco's own brand milk chocolate, even the tesco value chocolate is nicer than cooking chocolate imo.
I made easter nests last year with kids they loved it :D

[Psymonkee]

Melting: Biiiiiig saucepan part filled with water, heat up but don't boil. Chocolate in a mixing bowl broken into chunks. place mixing bowl into warmed water. stir.

:D

[Piggymon]

I need to ban myself from this forum until I finish my competition LOL !

Any chocolate would be ok really... get a saucepan full of water and bring it to a boil..let it simmer and then place a glass bowl ( which is just bigger than the saucepan ) on top.

Pop the choccy in and it will melt slowly :)

[Piggymon]

Melting: Biiiiiig saucepan part filled with water, heat up but don't boil. Chocolate in a mixing bowl broken into chunks. place mixing bowl into warmed water. stir.

:D

Damn joo !!

[Knipples]

Melting: Biiiiiig saucepan part filled with water, heat up but don't boil. Chocolate in a mixing bowl broken into chunks. place mixing bowl into warmed water. stir.

:D

See I know this is how you are supposed to do it, but it never quite seems to work for me. Is the water supposed to be touching the bowl? (I don't usually do this) or is the steam from the water supposed to melt it? All I usually end up with when I do this, is lots of chocolate either refusing to melt, or melted and then going all congealed, or stuck to the sides and I can't cover anything in the chocolate!

Where am I going wrong? :confused:

[Kitten]

Remember choccy wise, you get what you put in. As Lommy said the smart price chocolate is better than cooking chocolate (I think so, anyway). Sainsbos own is what I used for the brownies that I seem to remember you enjoying ;) try the bain marie again and just be patient. The smaller the pieces, the quicker they melt! You often need butter too, and if so, pop the butter in first & melt it and the heat will melt the chocolate & make it easier to stir. Do stir and push it to break it up but remember that its just melted choc so will be gloopy.

[TinkerBell]

All I have ever done is water in a saucepan, not touching the glass bowl. Heat the water first on the hob, put bowl over saucepan. Put the chocolate into pieces (I always break it into the sizes the chocolate comes in). Keep stiring the chocolate until completely melted. Job Done :D Works everytime for me. I would increase the heat in the water if it isn't working, but make sure that the chocolate doesn't bubble or boil.

I use whatever chocolate I want. I have done it with Terry's Orange, Galaxy, White Chocolate and Cadbury's. All worked very well :)

[lostkat]

I always melt my chocolate in the microwave on medium power in 30 second bursts. Milk chocolate is a lot easier to ruin than cooking chocolate, so you need to be very careful with it. If you overdo it and it goes all spongey, you can bring it back though (assuming it's not burnt) by beating a little water in vigorously until it's smooth. Use Lozza's recipe. The syrup will help it all stick together and give it a nicer texture.

[Glaucus]

melted and then going all congealed, or stuck to the sides and I can't cover anything in the chocolate!

Where am I going wrong? :confused:

To hot.
best way to insure you don't over hear and wreck chocolate is bring a 1/3rd pan of water to just simmering. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place glass bowl on top and melt chocolate, ensuring bowl does not touch water.

[BBx]

ensuring bowel does not touch water.

*snigger*

:D

BB x

[Jonny69]

I usually use supermarket value brand dark chocolate and use a little less sugar than is recommended. You can use any 70%+ cocoa chocolate as this is basically cooking chocolate, unless you like eating it like that!

[Princess Griff]

God I want chocolate now

[Jingo]

only now? :D