QUESTION about TRUFFLES please read

[scott123]

I'll knock the use of coating chips

Hydrogenated oil is far cheaper than cocoa butter so these companies sub it. Cocoa butter melts in your mouth. Hydrogenated oil, on the other hand, melts a few degrees above body temp, so it tastes waxy when you eat it.

I don't know anybody on this planet with time to waste. If you're going to sit over a stove melting chocolate, use a decent quality product and skip the coating chips.

 

[southerncook]

SpaZ...you've already made the ganache? right? no prob. there, as that's just adding hot cream to chopped chocolate. You're trying to melt the chocolate STRAIGHT , you are trying to temper it in a melted state so that you can coat your ganache. Pick a dry day, and heat and melt your chocolate slowly over a double boiler (my sister uses the micro, she's braver than me and lives near a sur la table and whole foods) until it reaches the temp. recommended for it. white has a very low melting/tempering point and darker, richer chocolates have a LITTLE bit higher. get a candy thermometer and following any basic tempering method, melt and cool your chocolate. It must maintain a certain temp. in order to be thin enough to coat and not be 'globby' (scientific term).
http://www.discusscooking.com/viewtopic.php?t=5437 has discussed tempering, and there are videos and lessons on how to do it all over the internet. www.epicurious.com and footv.com are 2 good online sources to learn the best method for you to do this. Once you have that down, you can dip anything. I think you brought your chocolate up too high and too fast. If you find the choc. covered cherries thread, audeo has specific tempering instructions there. I think there's a whole lesson on it at e.gullet. try again, I just did some the other day, and it's something you've got to practice to get good at.

 

[spaZDaisE04]

question about truffles please read

Thank you! lol i actually used the microwave but because of NY it was a bit cold ans snowy so it took a while to melt, but everyones advice helped. . i can now make awesome truffles! hehe

melissa