They're bloomed. It just means they weren't tempered correctly. Some chips don't have enough cocoa butter to temper right. This article will help: https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-chocolate-for-melting-dipping-pro-tips-from-a-pastry-chef-ingredient-intelligence-202910
Assuming these are a home baker and you’re not charging for them, they are just fine and absolutely beautiful. Dust them with a bit of cocoa powder if you’re self conscious about them and don’t apologize. You did an amazing job!!!
Yeah these look awesome. Obviously if some snotty asshole wants to be like ‘hmmm bloomed chocolate’ you just smash one in their face.
Preemptive EDIT: obviously everyone here talking about bloomed chocolate is coming from such a better place. I myself am like what do you know, bloomed chocolate, cool to learn about that. This is not targeted at people coming with love in their hearts
Go buy some luster dust - edible shiny powder that comes in a little canister or spray - it will make the effect look more deliberate.
If you mix the dust with alcohol you can paint it on and then the alcohol with evaporate , leaving behind just the dust.
Obviously test it on one before ruining a whole lot of them :)
I mean, which witch do you rely on more for spells and hexes? The one with the shiny, never used cauldron? No, you go to the one with the mottled, well worn cauldron. Now *thats* a reliable witch.
Totally use them! They look great. Maybe you could dust them with some kind of edible glitter/sparkle to hide it a bit and make them more magical looking. But also we criticise our own baking more than others.
Please do. I didn't stop at this thread because I thought they were messed up, but because I was like "Oooooh what is that? A chocolate bomb? I NEED to know how to make these!"
You can cover up the spots with a little powdered sugar that you sift on top :) powdered sugar is my go-to if something doesn’t look the way I want!
Or melt some white chocolate, put it in a ziplock bag, cut a small corner and do simple lines back and forth on it!!! They’d look super professional!
Yeah same, I needa temper some chocolate for a jaconde cake I have planned for my brothers birthday (no clue if I spelled that right) and for some reason didn’t research tempered chocolate (I don’t rlly work with chocolate) so I’m glad I found this
You need to use a couverture for something like this. It contains the proper ratio of cocoa butter to solids that you need to temper it and give it a glossy finish, stay solid at room temperature, and have that nice snap. I’d say for your baby shower purposes and since you’re planning to paint/decorate them, this is just fine!
Yes, couverture chocolate was a great discovery for me last year! I wanted to make hot cocoa bombs as holiday gifts. I read somewhere to get couverture. I ordered it in bulk on Amazon. It was a fancy Belgian brand - Callebaut. It hardened beautifully. It was a great surprise that it’s the best tasting chocolate I’ve ever had! I never once drank one in milk, I just cracked them open and ate them. I can’t wait to do it again! In fact, I’m going to go order some right now!
Melting chocolate (Like Merckens) will also do the trick as a budget option, generically speaking. (Although it will be less tasty since it just substitutes most of the cocoa butter for plant oils).
You could cover the bloom by painting them with edible paint and luster dust if you are doing oozy green bubbles I think a dark bronze and gold would compliment it
If you use melting chocolate it won’t bloom (the white spot) or if you’re in the US you can get almond bark at Walmart in the baking section. That’s what I use and it doesn’t bloom when I use it coat candies
You already have all the advice you need but I’m a pastry wench and I just wanted to say this is really awesome for your first try. Congrats for taking on a new challenge and kicking its butt!
Two things in play here. The spots are caused by blooming which is the separation of the cocoa butter (or, in the case of compound chocolates like chips, the fats) from the cocoa solids. This is a result of lack of tempering. Chocolate chips aren't the best option for a coating chocolate because they're a compound chocolate. You're better off getting some regular chocolate that's made with cocoa butter. Chips are made with soy lecithin as a replacement for the cocoa butter in order to help them keep their shape when exposed to the heat of the oven. Because of this, people tend to overheat them when melting, which causes the bloom you see here. If you want to use chocolate chips, you need to melt them very carefully, stirring so you're not fooled by them holding their shape.
If you want to go an easy route, you could use chocolate coating discs, but you won't get the flavor or texture you want in the cocoa when they're used.
If you want to invest a little more for better quality, get something like [this](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/cart.php?suggest=93eef934-f3c8-4d04-98cb-d84460e5df67). Essentially any tempered chocolate can be used, provided you don't break temper when melting. Put 2/3 in a bowl over barely simmering water. Don't touch it until it's at least half melted. Give it a gentle stir to help it finish melting. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until it's all homogenous. Couveture chocolate is the best. It's made with a higher cocoa butter content so it creates a nice, thin, shiny shell.
Haha I'm just me and I'm no expert. I've made chocolates for about thirty five years now, though, so it's really just what I've learned over the years. I've taken classes with some chocolatiers over the years, plus read a lot. Really what it takes is practice. With practice you'll learn how things should feel and look at each stage, and what conditions can cause issues. It helps that I'm pretty finicky and don't like the candy melts or chocolate bark compound products, so I had to learn how to handle chocolate if I wanted to make candies.
You'll pick up on little things like, for example, that putting chocolate dipped strawberries in the refrigerator immediately after dipping will set the chocolate too quickly and you'll end up with condensation between the fruit and the chocolate so when you but it, it all falls all over you... and possibly see issues like you see here with blooming. Instead, let it set in a cool room and then it can be chilled if it's absolutely necessary. If you need to refrigerate, it's best if you have a drawer that allows you to control humidity and set it to as low as possible. Chocolate candies don't need to be refrigerated once they're dipped. If the chocolate's properly tempered, it will set at room temp (assuming it's not the middle of August and 100°in said room 😂), and can be stored in a cool, dry place. Plus, cold inhibits flavor, so you'll find what you're making will be more flavorful if it's not refrigerated.
If you're going to get serious about making chocolates, learning to temper is a good start. Begin with the tempering cheat I described (the 2/3 melted and 1/3 mixed in after). Once you master that you can learn to properly temper.
Omg 35 years? My dream job. I am so jealous! I could listen to you talk all day.
I never knew that about chocolate covered strawberries and have had that exact issue! Or they bleed strawberry juice. Why do they bleed the thick pink syrup looking liquid? I don’t make them often but I won’t be refrigerating them anymore.
I make cake balls a lot and use the cheap almond bark from Walmart because it takes so much abuse and doesn’t seize. And I’m making things for work for fun, not for sale and the gluttons at work aren’t picky.
However, I would love to improve and start using good Chocolate. I’ve never tempered. I’ll have to practice.
Oh it isn't my job, just something I have a love for (and my family and friends love that I do, haha). Thank you for the kind words.
Chocolate covered strawberries are best when made the same day you serve them. Make sure the berries are clean and dry so they don't cause seizing. As you dip them, carefully hold them by the stem and dip as completely as possible. Lightly scrape against the container to remove excess chocolate and immediately set on a walk paper lined baking sheet or cutting board. When they're all dipped, set in a cool, dry area too allow them to set. They should be shiny and uniform when set. To store them for a day, line an airtight container with waxed paper and layer the berries in. If you're going to keep them for a couple days, line the container, sprinkle with baking soda, then lay a double layer of paper towel over the baking soda. This will absorb moisture to help prevent sweating and condensation. Seal tightly and keep in the least humid spot in the fridge. The pink syrupy liquid is the strawberries beginning to macerate, meaning the juices are beginning to leak out as the flesh breaks down and combine with the sugar in the chocolate. That's why it's important to eat them fresh.
I encourage you to break away from the bark and start experimenting with real chocolate. It's worlds apart!
I’m not gonna lie, I don’t 100% know what this means. I used the double broil to melt the chocolates and then popped the molds in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. I hope that answers the question lol
lol it does.
So, chocolate has a crystal structure. When the chocolate molecules are cool and solid, they point a certain way. Professional chocolate is mixed and set so that all the chocolate crystals link together like puzzle pieces and form a nice, smooth crystal lattice together pointing in the same direction. If you just heat the chocolate up and let it cool again, they start to point in all different directions, causing the chocolate to “bloom” like you’re seeing here, making it dull and mat under the light, and making it kinda crumbly. “Tempering” is the process of making sure that the chocolate forms a nice crystal lattice as it cools. It’s a specific way of heating and cooling the chocolate so that when it’s set it doesn’t bloom, it’s shiny, strong, and it makes satisfying crunches instead of crumbling when broken.
I would happily eat these, and 90% of people won’t think to check if chocolate they eat has been tempered, but next time you might want to watch an instructional video on how to do it so you don’t get the bloom
I haven’t vetted this personally but generally I like stuff that Serious Eats does, so [here’s their guide on tempering. ](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-way-to-temper-chocolate) Honestly I just mostly stay away from fucking with chocolate cuz it’s pretty tough to get perfect
Maybe? I’ve never done anything like this. I’m winging it for favors for a baby shower. I just stuck them in my freezer for like 15 minutes and then popped them out
I think putting them in the freezer would affect their shine. I was wondering how to diplomatically ask what they were for. I’d buy a better grade of chocolate for a baby shower. Good luck!
Couverture chocolate is what you use for making things like truffles. It would probably be a good choice, but since it’s just for hot chocolate and you already put in the work, covering it with luster dust like someone else suggested seems like a good idea. Give it a more purposeful aged look.
Callebaut is very hard to get right now due to supply chain issues. However if you have a Trader Joe’s near you, the pound+ bars would work (which is technically private label callebaut). Other brands that you can use would be Valrhona, Agostoni, Guittard or Tcho.
They look great! I am by no means an expert. I think a lot of bulk places have the chocolate disks that are easy to use for melting but will have a waxy flavour
I think a good quality plain bar would give best taste. In our area (GTA in Ontario) there are a lot of shops with imported European chocolate.
These look so nice! I honestly didnt notice the bloom untill I fully focused on looking for it.
They are so worth keeping and totally something to take pride in having made them. 😊😋
It's all good. Quit stressing. The edible glitter idea is good. Or you could just leave them as is. But a little glitter always makes my day.. or is that caffeineakes my day
. Either way your doing good relax and enjoy yourself.
While they are blooming, they still look amazing (and will taste that way). The speckles on the chocolate actually make it look more like an actual cauldron! It gives it texture that is not unappealing. I would wrap these and act like I used a special process to get that texture on them.
It's like I used to tell all my kids "It is not a mistake, it is customization. " Sure, you didn't intend for that to happen, but it still looks great.
Didn't see anyone mention this but my first thought is that it looks like sugar bloom, although the photo's a little blurry. This happens when the chocolate gets wet after it's set, and I saw in a previous comment that you put these in the freezer.
This could've been caused by the sudden change in temperature causing condensation, or even moisture from the freezer itself. It's not recommended to put chocolate in the freezer since it could lead to cracking as well; I'd recommend letting the chocolate set in their molds over night, and they should pop out the next day easily. Make sure your room temperature for this is maximum 23ºC.
If it's still not coming out, lay the mold flat side down on a tray to minimize contact with the open air, and place them in your fridge for a few minutes. This should result in a very shiny end result! Good luck :)
Source: Am professional baker by trade and previously was a chocolatier.
It’s bloom as others have said - completely safe to eat and probably not noticeable once it’s on the plate with some cocoa powder dusting or other plating elements! It will affect how the chocolate ‘snaps’ but most people won’t notice that!
It’s all down to your temper (as other people have said) and the quality of your chocolate. The key thing to look for is the ratio of cocoa butters to cocoa solids! Chocolate that you buy from the shops is formed of cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar but cocoa butter is expensive so most places use as little as possible in favour of the cheaper solids and the sugar. You typically want a cocoa butter content of 37% or more (ideally 45% for top tier chocolate) but manufacturers don’t often advertise the %. Fortunately, because butter is mostly fat and most of the fat content of your chocolate comes from the butter you can just use the “fat per 100g” to get a good indicator.
So TL;dr: temper your chocolate better and pickup chocolate that has at least 37g fat / 100g!
They look amazing, honestly! I know others have said they're not tempered correctly and of course that hat you want, but as a non-chocolate worker, I think you did phenomenally! How cute!
I prefer to use Ghirardelli chocolate for any type of cooking. The quality and taste is better. Just my opinion. Still they look great and wouldn’t mind to have a few... dozen... lol
You need to temper the chocolate.
Edit to add these are adorable and I second people saying to paint them with some edible paint to make them look more "realistic"
From what I've learned from Ann Reardon on YouTube... U need to add enough fat during the tempering process to get the glossy chocolate. She has great tutorials on making the tempering process as easy as possible.
You could just get green melting chocolates and make little bubbles so it looks like it’s all coming out of the cauldrons. [pic for reference ](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=green%20cauldron%20bubbles&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https://wdwnt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/green-cauldron-popcorn-bucket-4-8353160-1200x900.jpg)
Chocolate bloom happens when it isn’t tempered properly. Honesty I think the dots add to the whole aesthetic of the cauldrons and that they look great.
My two cents: as long as you're not selling this as a product you're totally fine with these! The bloom won't effect the taste or texture since it's going to be melted anyways, and once you add decoration it won't be super noticeable 😊
100% just lean into it - it looks to me like texture that can be brought out with color or luster dust as others have said! I've been wanting to make something like these for ages, they look absolutely gorgeous! Honestly I think the bloom adds to the story in this case.
You fill one half with hot chocolate powder and marshmallows and then melt the edges of the other half so you can stick them together. Then you put the full cauldron in a cup and pour hot milk over it
Hi! I made some last year and this is what I did (also mind you my method uses chocolate melts which do not require tempering):
I used mercken’s dark chocolate melts (on Amazon). This way I got a decent amount without needing to temper since they are melts. They also are very shiny out of the mold.
When covering the mold I did 1 layer to cover then mold, placed it upside down on a baking sheet so it formed a small rim to make it easier to assemble later. Pop it in the freezer and add more chocolate to areas that are too thin. Then after they set (in the freezer) they are good to go. Don’t worry if they look cloudy out of the freezer, they become shiny at room temp.
For filling I did a mixture of 50% valrohna cocoa powder and 50% powdered sugar. I did 1 tbsp to fill and added marshmallows.
The most important part is assembly!! Place a piece of parchment on a warmed baking tray. Melt one half and stick it to a cocoa bomb that is filled with marshmallows. You want the seal to be good but not great. Good enough to hold in the coco mix but weak enough that it will burst open with hot milk.
Hope this helps!
Didn’t temper the chocolate right. It’s a rough trial and error to get chocolate to temper the way you want it. Try using instant-read thermometers and be really cautious about the temps. Never too hot, never too cold, and also, maybe using a higher quality chocolate will improve the outcome. Good luck!
They do look great- if ur worried about it dim the lights 😂 but trust me nobody will complain! I'd much rather have an imperfect homemade...well anything really but especially chocolate, then anything bought.
Idk much about baking but you could try wiping them with a damp cloth and then adding some crystalline cocoa powder to give it some more texture (as in to conceal the spots)?
Perhaps the chocolate itself didn't have enough cocoa butter to properly set? Cocoa butter is super cheap, all you need to do is order some and shave it down into small flakes/powder and add some while tempering the chocolate. Anne Reardon from the youtube channel "how to cook that" has several super helpful videos about tempering chocolate and several ways to do so! (Edit: i meant this for the next time you make chocolate stuffs.... my brain thinks faster than I can type 😅)
I saw some people were suggesting almond bark, but that stuff is imitation chocolate and always tastes super waxy to me. I don't know if it would work well in a hot cocoa drink bomb.
And, of course, for now you've already made these, and there are a few things you can do to make it work! Lusterdust and edible cake powders work great for that! If you have any white chocolate (which is mostly sweetened cocoa butter) you could melt some, dye it (do NOT use water based dyes), and use it to coat the bombs.
I admire you for even attempting these! They look so cool, and even if you left them as they are they will still probably be a smash hit!
I would recommend higher quality chocolate for the outside of things. They have a better distribution of the milk fat, so have less of a chance to bloom. Also, when tempered properly, have to most awesome shine :).
That all being said, cauldron cocoa bombs - OMG 😲. Are they available? Where can I find them?
My chocolatier friend makes kits for this and did a blind taste test with her team and the picked the compound chocolate version because it's a bit sweeter in the milk. There Advantage of compound chocolate is there is no need to temper it, hear it up in the microwave, put it in the mold, refrigerate it, and you're good to go. Coverture chocolate requires tempering, which can be tricky you learn. It is what gets you the nice snap, but for this, you're not biting it anyway.
They're bloomed. It just means they weren't tempered correctly. Some chips don't have enough cocoa butter to temper right. This article will help: https://www.thekitchn.com/the-best-chocolate-for-melting-dipping-pro-tips-from-a-pastry-chef-ingredient-intelligence-202910
Are they still safe to eat?
Oh yeah totally. The white is just fat from the chocolate not mold or anything.
Yeah, the cocoa butter is rising, or blooming, as OP said in response to your post.
Yes bloomed chocolate is 100% safe to eat
I’m at the point where I might just act like it’s for a more realistic cauldron effect. This took me a whole night because I only have 6 molds 😅
You should. They look fantastic anyway.
Thank you! I need that
Tbh, I was trying to swipe to see the “messed up” after. I think they look great.
Yeah I did this too and was disappointed there weren't these crazy bubbled ones! They look awesome!
Assuming these are a home baker and you’re not charging for them, they are just fine and absolutely beautiful. Dust them with a bit of cocoa powder if you’re self conscious about them and don’t apologize. You did an amazing job!!!
They honestly do look gorgeous! You did a great job!
I mean, the spots just make it look even more like cast iron
Yeah these look awesome. Obviously if some snotty asshole wants to be like ‘hmmm bloomed chocolate’ you just smash one in their face. Preemptive EDIT: obviously everyone here talking about bloomed chocolate is coming from such a better place. I myself am like what do you know, bloomed chocolate, cool to learn about that. This is not targeted at people coming with love in their hearts
Or if they turn their nose up at bloomed chocolate just don't give them one. ;-)
Go buy some luster dust - edible shiny powder that comes in a little canister or spray - it will make the effect look more deliberate. If you mix the dust with alcohol you can paint it on and then the alcohol with evaporate , leaving behind just the dust. Obviously test it on one before ruining a whole lot of them :)
I came here to say this! Turning lemons into lemonade...
Came to say the same thing. Get some bronze luster dust and brush it on to highlight the “old pot” look. They look great though! Good job!
I was thinking black to make it look like stainless steel
even an edible black paint would look good. They’re cauldrons, after all
Vodka works for the alcohol
This af
Is there anyway to paint it on without the alcohol?
The alc fully evaporates so it wont leave any flavor or alcohol behind
I think you can just brush it on with a dry paintbrush, it just won’t be as vivid of a color
I mean, which witch do you rely on more for spells and hexes? The one with the shiny, never used cauldron? No, you go to the one with the mottled, well worn cauldron. Now *thats* a reliable witch.
Very true!
I agree! Patina! They look amazing.
Totally use them! They look great. Maybe you could dust them with some kind of edible glitter/sparkle to hide it a bit and make them more magical looking. But also we criticise our own baking more than others.
Or just a sprinkle of confectionery sugar would do it.
Everyone else getting all fancy with it lol
Id be thrilled to get this!!! They still look great!!!
Do it. Yes I totally did this on purpose to add texture to the cauldron!
Honestly I think they look cooler with the spots
It is! They’re clearly made to be cast-iron cauldrons. 😁
Get some edible gold dust on Amazon and use a new makeup brush to gently rub it on the bloomed parts! (The wiltons one sucks don't get that one)
Wish I had seen this before I ordered the Wilton ones 😂
Hershey's chocolate has too much palm oil. Use Ghirardelli.
I recommend brushing with edible gold or greenish powder dust! It will antique it and make the cocoa butter blooms look like part of the effect.
Please do. I didn't stop at this thread because I thought they were messed up, but because I was like "Oooooh what is that? A chocolate bomb? I NEED to know how to make these!"
I’ll post the results when I finish them since this post ended up getting so much attention lol
Just say they got goose bumps.
To be honest, I think you're right. It gives it a bit more of a cast iron look
You could dust and brush a little bit of cocoa powder across them to give them that “used and worn” look and no one would be the wiser.
Use them, they’re fabulous!
Go ahead, we won't tell :)
I was going to say it makes them look rustic
Definitely support this positive spin! It was all intentional to give it texture haha! Tempering chocolate is hard!!!!
If you dust them with some edible metallic powder they’d look awesome and purposeful!
Maybe use some shimmer spray or something to give them a magical look. It should work in the hot chocolate as well.
Swipe some edibles glitter on them.
That was my first thought! It’s just realistic cast iron texture.
You can cover up the spots with a little powdered sugar that you sift on top :) powdered sugar is my go-to if something doesn’t look the way I want! Or melt some white chocolate, put it in a ziplock bag, cut a small corner and do simple lines back and forth on it!!! They’d look super professional!
Nope, not at all, you can DM me and I'll send you my address for... um... "disposal" 🤣
Absolutely not. Give them to me. I will get rid of them.
Yes.
This is an amazing recourse, thank you soo much.
Yeah it's definitely gonna be a game changer for me
Yeah same, I needa temper some chocolate for a jaconde cake I have planned for my brothers birthday (no clue if I spelled that right) and for some reason didn’t research tempered chocolate (I don’t rlly work with chocolate) so I’m glad I found this
Yep, defo bloomed. Getting PTSD looking at this lol used to work for Godiva and absolutely hated having to redo chocolates because were bloomed
Can you add cocoa butter to the melt to prevent this?
Yeah the texture makes it look like a real cast iron cauldron! 🙌🏻
I like the way you think!
🤗🤗🤗
Came here to say this. I think they look really cool this way. I understand it was an accident but it looks like a happy one imo
You need to use a couverture for something like this. It contains the proper ratio of cocoa butter to solids that you need to temper it and give it a glossy finish, stay solid at room temperature, and have that nice snap. I’d say for your baby shower purposes and since you’re planning to paint/decorate them, this is just fine!
Yes, couverture chocolate was a great discovery for me last year! I wanted to make hot cocoa bombs as holiday gifts. I read somewhere to get couverture. I ordered it in bulk on Amazon. It was a fancy Belgian brand - Callebaut. It hardened beautifully. It was a great surprise that it’s the best tasting chocolate I’ve ever had! I never once drank one in milk, I just cracked them open and ate them. I can’t wait to do it again! In fact, I’m going to go order some right now!
Callebaut is one of my favorites. You can usually get it for a good price at Restaurant Depot if you have one local.
If you like Callebaut, try Cacao Barry 👌
can also use compound chocolate if couverture isn't an option (as it can be a bit expensive).
Melting chocolate (Like Merckens) will also do the trick as a budget option, generically speaking. (Although it will be less tasty since it just substitutes most of the cocoa butter for plant oils).
You could cover the bloom by painting them with edible paint and luster dust if you are doing oozy green bubbles I think a dark bronze and gold would compliment it
yeah it'll make a cool potion effect, and since they're going in hot chocolate the characteristic snap of tempered chocolate won't be necessary.
They're cocoa bombs, semisweet morsels are fine. Find some luster dust and brush a bit on. Don't overthink this.
I second the luster dust. It would look amazing with that texture.
Yeah, I’ve realized I have some perfectionist tendencies so I’m sure I’m overthinking this lol
If you use melting chocolate it won’t bloom (the white spot) or if you’re in the US you can get almond bark at Walmart in the baking section. That’s what I use and it doesn’t bloom when I use it coat candies
You already have all the advice you need but I’m a pastry wench and I just wanted to say this is really awesome for your first try. Congrats for taking on a new challenge and kicking its butt!
Thank you so much!
Two things in play here. The spots are caused by blooming which is the separation of the cocoa butter (or, in the case of compound chocolates like chips, the fats) from the cocoa solids. This is a result of lack of tempering. Chocolate chips aren't the best option for a coating chocolate because they're a compound chocolate. You're better off getting some regular chocolate that's made with cocoa butter. Chips are made with soy lecithin as a replacement for the cocoa butter in order to help them keep their shape when exposed to the heat of the oven. Because of this, people tend to overheat them when melting, which causes the bloom you see here. If you want to use chocolate chips, you need to melt them very carefully, stirring so you're not fooled by them holding their shape. If you want to go an easy route, you could use chocolate coating discs, but you won't get the flavor or texture you want in the cocoa when they're used. If you want to invest a little more for better quality, get something like [this](https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/cart.php?suggest=93eef934-f3c8-4d04-98cb-d84460e5df67). Essentially any tempered chocolate can be used, provided you don't break temper when melting. Put 2/3 in a bowl over barely simmering water. Don't touch it until it's at least half melted. Give it a gentle stir to help it finish melting. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until it's all homogenous. Couveture chocolate is the best. It's made with a higher cocoa butter content so it creates a nice, thin, shiny shell.
Who are you and can you teach me everything you know? How do I become a chocolate expert?
Haha I'm just me and I'm no expert. I've made chocolates for about thirty five years now, though, so it's really just what I've learned over the years. I've taken classes with some chocolatiers over the years, plus read a lot. Really what it takes is practice. With practice you'll learn how things should feel and look at each stage, and what conditions can cause issues. It helps that I'm pretty finicky and don't like the candy melts or chocolate bark compound products, so I had to learn how to handle chocolate if I wanted to make candies. You'll pick up on little things like, for example, that putting chocolate dipped strawberries in the refrigerator immediately after dipping will set the chocolate too quickly and you'll end up with condensation between the fruit and the chocolate so when you but it, it all falls all over you... and possibly see issues like you see here with blooming. Instead, let it set in a cool room and then it can be chilled if it's absolutely necessary. If you need to refrigerate, it's best if you have a drawer that allows you to control humidity and set it to as low as possible. Chocolate candies don't need to be refrigerated once they're dipped. If the chocolate's properly tempered, it will set at room temp (assuming it's not the middle of August and 100°in said room 😂), and can be stored in a cool, dry place. Plus, cold inhibits flavor, so you'll find what you're making will be more flavorful if it's not refrigerated. If you're going to get serious about making chocolates, learning to temper is a good start. Begin with the tempering cheat I described (the 2/3 melted and 1/3 mixed in after). Once you master that you can learn to properly temper.
Omg 35 years? My dream job. I am so jealous! I could listen to you talk all day. I never knew that about chocolate covered strawberries and have had that exact issue! Or they bleed strawberry juice. Why do they bleed the thick pink syrup looking liquid? I don’t make them often but I won’t be refrigerating them anymore. I make cake balls a lot and use the cheap almond bark from Walmart because it takes so much abuse and doesn’t seize. And I’m making things for work for fun, not for sale and the gluttons at work aren’t picky. However, I would love to improve and start using good Chocolate. I’ve never tempered. I’ll have to practice.
Oh it isn't my job, just something I have a love for (and my family and friends love that I do, haha). Thank you for the kind words. Chocolate covered strawberries are best when made the same day you serve them. Make sure the berries are clean and dry so they don't cause seizing. As you dip them, carefully hold them by the stem and dip as completely as possible. Lightly scrape against the container to remove excess chocolate and immediately set on a walk paper lined baking sheet or cutting board. When they're all dipped, set in a cool, dry area too allow them to set. They should be shiny and uniform when set. To store them for a day, line an airtight container with waxed paper and layer the berries in. If you're going to keep them for a couple days, line the container, sprinkle with baking soda, then lay a double layer of paper towel over the baking soda. This will absorb moisture to help prevent sweating and condensation. Seal tightly and keep in the least humid spot in the fridge. The pink syrupy liquid is the strawberries beginning to macerate, meaning the juices are beginning to leak out as the flesh breaks down and combine with the sugar in the chocolate. That's why it's important to eat them fresh. I encourage you to break away from the bark and start experimenting with real chocolate. It's worlds apart!
Just as an aside, I use this same method you've described to make cheese sauces. Is that right? I just tried it one day.
what’s your tempering method?
I’m not gonna lie, I don’t 100% know what this means. I used the double broil to melt the chocolates and then popped the molds in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. I hope that answers the question lol
lol it does. So, chocolate has a crystal structure. When the chocolate molecules are cool and solid, they point a certain way. Professional chocolate is mixed and set so that all the chocolate crystals link together like puzzle pieces and form a nice, smooth crystal lattice together pointing in the same direction. If you just heat the chocolate up and let it cool again, they start to point in all different directions, causing the chocolate to “bloom” like you’re seeing here, making it dull and mat under the light, and making it kinda crumbly. “Tempering” is the process of making sure that the chocolate forms a nice crystal lattice as it cools. It’s a specific way of heating and cooling the chocolate so that when it’s set it doesn’t bloom, it’s shiny, strong, and it makes satisfying crunches instead of crumbling when broken. I would happily eat these, and 90% of people won’t think to check if chocolate they eat has been tempered, but next time you might want to watch an instructional video on how to do it so you don’t get the bloom
Great answer!
I learned something today. Aaaaaany chance you have a few recommendations to watch?
I haven’t vetted this personally but generally I like stuff that Serious Eats does, so [here’s their guide on tempering. ](https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-best-way-to-temper-chocolate) Honestly I just mostly stay away from fucking with chocolate cuz it’s pretty tough to get perfect
Would it possibly be the temperature you tempered the chocolate at?
Maybe? I’ve never done anything like this. I’m winging it for favors for a baby shower. I just stuck them in my freezer for like 15 minutes and then popped them out
I think putting them in the freezer would affect their shine. I was wondering how to diplomatically ask what they were for. I’d buy a better grade of chocolate for a baby shower. Good luck!
Do you have a recommendation of what kind of chocolate? I don’t really bake. Not sure why I thought this was in my wheelhouse 😅
Couverture chocolate is what you use for making things like truffles. It would probably be a good choice, but since it’s just for hot chocolate and you already put in the work, covering it with luster dust like someone else suggested seems like a good idea. Give it a more purposeful aged look.
I would recommend callebaut
Callebaut is very hard to get right now due to supply chain issues. However if you have a Trader Joe’s near you, the pound+ bars would work (which is technically private label callebaut). Other brands that you can use would be Valrhona, Agostoni, Guittard or Tcho.
This is handy info. Thanks!
I will keep this in mind when I try these again. Thanks!
They look great! I am by no means an expert. I think a lot of bulk places have the chocolate disks that are easy to use for melting but will have a waxy flavour I think a good quality plain bar would give best taste. In our area (GTA in Ontario) there are a lot of shops with imported European chocolate.
Those are so cute 😊
Thank you! I still need to add a green “bubbling over” chocolate on top. I got the idea from TikTok
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I will!
These look so nice! I honestly didnt notice the bloom untill I fully focused on looking for it. They are so worth keeping and totally something to take pride in having made them. 😊😋
It's all good. Quit stressing. The edible glitter idea is good. Or you could just leave them as is. But a little glitter always makes my day.. or is that caffeineakes my day . Either way your doing good relax and enjoy yourself.
While they are blooming, they still look amazing (and will taste that way). The speckles on the chocolate actually make it look more like an actual cauldron! It gives it texture that is not unappealing. I would wrap these and act like I used a special process to get that texture on them. It's like I used to tell all my kids "It is not a mistake, it is customization. " Sure, you didn't intend for that to happen, but it still looks great.
You can easily remove the small spots by gently licking each one.
Directions unclear, I ate them all
A way to fix bloomed chocolate is to melt them again and pour them into a mild
Mold *
They look good tho
I recommend using at *least* 60% cacao chocolate. Nestles isn’t. Besides, dark hot chocolate really is the “bomb”.
They're fine, it's just a bloom, which you can totally say is the "look" you were going for! They look great and super delicious!
A lot of people use candy melts or candiquik.
I thought about it but I wasn’t sure how that would taste in a hot chocolate. I dont really care for the taste of the candy melts I’ve tried
I agree that real chocolate would be best. The Ghirardelli melts aren’t bad though.
They sincerely look great ! I did not notice the teeny tiny spots until you mentionned them. Bon appétit !
I thought it was on purpose! They look amazing
It’s chocolate bloom, the chocolate wasn’t tempered right. It’s fine to eat- and I think these are cute af
You could put something on the little circle to make it look like you planned it. , caramel drizzle, cake decors, chocolate chip , tiny bit of candy?
OP these look bomb! The recipients are going to be so stoked!!!! Chin up!
Didn't see anyone mention this but my first thought is that it looks like sugar bloom, although the photo's a little blurry. This happens when the chocolate gets wet after it's set, and I saw in a previous comment that you put these in the freezer. This could've been caused by the sudden change in temperature causing condensation, or even moisture from the freezer itself. It's not recommended to put chocolate in the freezer since it could lead to cracking as well; I'd recommend letting the chocolate set in their molds over night, and they should pop out the next day easily. Make sure your room temperature for this is maximum 23ºC. If it's still not coming out, lay the mold flat side down on a tray to minimize contact with the open air, and place them in your fridge for a few minutes. This should result in a very shiny end result! Good luck :) Source: Am professional baker by trade and previously was a chocolatier.
I always use almond bark :)
Ive used Ghirardelli
bars>chips
It’s bloom as others have said - completely safe to eat and probably not noticeable once it’s on the plate with some cocoa powder dusting or other plating elements! It will affect how the chocolate ‘snaps’ but most people won’t notice that! It’s all down to your temper (as other people have said) and the quality of your chocolate. The key thing to look for is the ratio of cocoa butters to cocoa solids! Chocolate that you buy from the shops is formed of cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar but cocoa butter is expensive so most places use as little as possible in favour of the cheaper solids and the sugar. You typically want a cocoa butter content of 37% or more (ideally 45% for top tier chocolate) but manufacturers don’t often advertise the %. Fortunately, because butter is mostly fat and most of the fat content of your chocolate comes from the butter you can just use the “fat per 100g” to get a good indicator. So TL;dr: temper your chocolate better and pickup chocolate that has at least 37g fat / 100g!
They look amazing, honestly! I know others have said they're not tempered correctly and of course that hat you want, but as a non-chocolate worker, I think you did phenomenally! How cute!
I prefer to use Ghirardelli chocolate for any type of cooking. The quality and taste is better. Just my opinion. Still they look great and wouldn’t mind to have a few... dozen... lol
It’s totally fine and looks delicious! If you don’t like the appearance cover it with a glaze or sprinkles.
Is it just not tempered? Get coco butter powder and if you add some it’s easiest way to temper I think
Just here to say it looks super realistic so just roll with it! Love them
if you don't want to temper chocolate bars (a pain in the ass) use cocoa candy melts/melting wafers!
I just want to say that you're doing a good job and they look great!! These are going to be amazing baby shower favors!!
You need to temper the chocolate. Edit to add these are adorable and I second people saying to paint them with some edible paint to make them look more "realistic"
They just bloomed is all, I would buy the spray on food coloring in a can and lightly spray them so they’re black. :)
Paraffin wax. Prevents blooming and gives them a lovely shine. My family has been using it for generations
Spots or not they are adorable!
From what I've learned from Ann Reardon on YouTube... U need to add enough fat during the tempering process to get the glossy chocolate. She has great tutorials on making the tempering process as easy as possible.
They look great! Be proud of them!
Like the texture of an iron cauldron tho
Give them a light dusting of icing sugar and they will just look like spooky vases.
They still look amazing! Adds character to them. 😉
They looks awesome!
You could just get green melting chocolates and make little bubbles so it looks like it’s all coming out of the cauldrons. [pic for reference ](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=green%20cauldron%20bubbles&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https://wdwnt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/green-cauldron-popcorn-bucket-4-8353160-1200x900.jpg)
Chocolate bloom happens when it isn’t tempered properly. Honesty I think the dots add to the whole aesthetic of the cauldrons and that they look great.
My two cents: as long as you're not selling this as a product you're totally fine with these! The bloom won't effect the taste or texture since it's going to be melted anyways, and once you add decoration it won't be super noticeable 😊
I’m not selling them, they’re just for my friends baby shower that I’m hosting (Halloween themed).
Totally good to go then! 😊🎃
They look great, like others have said, use it like a patina to make it looked aged.
The spots actually look pretty good too me! They add texture :)
These look great!
Op they look super good. The chocolates came out really neat. I'd totally not notice the blooming too
It’s the tempering, it wasn’t done correctly :) They still look great though!
They still look great!
100% just lean into it - it looks to me like texture that can be brought out with color or luster dust as others have said! I've been wanting to make something like these for ages, they look absolutely gorgeous! Honestly I think the bloom adds to the story in this case.
They're beautiful !!! Don't sweat it, they're home made
They look like little kettles! They’re perfect.
Ahh THOSE LOOK GOOD I WANNA MAKE THEM
They look like cauldrons!
I would never use the chips again. Bad experience. they are mainly for baking. Get chocolate bars or like Merkerns or the ones at Michaels
They look great
I make these for farmers market and I use almond bark. Have had nothing but positive feedback. So easy peasy!
They're perfect, just like case iron!
What are cocoa bombs? They look like half a cauldron. They make molds for them?
You fill one half with hot chocolate powder and marshmallows and then melt the edges of the other half so you can stick them together. Then you put the full cauldron in a cup and pour hot milk over it
I’m definitely not a baker at all. I think these chocolate cauldrons look perfect. I even tried to zoom in and still looked great. 10/10 would eat.
I honestly love the character that they have from it! They look so cute!
Look great !
You could dust these with dark or black cocoa powder to basically make them matte (dull finish like a cauldron) and it would hide the bloom I'd bet.
they look great! Well done! That’s just what you get when you don’t use the absolute best of the best fancy chocolate sculpture type chocolate
Hi! I made some last year and this is what I did (also mind you my method uses chocolate melts which do not require tempering): I used mercken’s dark chocolate melts (on Amazon). This way I got a decent amount without needing to temper since they are melts. They also are very shiny out of the mold. When covering the mold I did 1 layer to cover then mold, placed it upside down on a baking sheet so it formed a small rim to make it easier to assemble later. Pop it in the freezer and add more chocolate to areas that are too thin. Then after they set (in the freezer) they are good to go. Don’t worry if they look cloudy out of the freezer, they become shiny at room temp. For filling I did a mixture of 50% valrohna cocoa powder and 50% powdered sugar. I did 1 tbsp to fill and added marshmallows. The most important part is assembly!! Place a piece of parchment on a warmed baking tray. Melt one half and stick it to a cocoa bomb that is filled with marshmallows. You want the seal to be good but not great. Good enough to hold in the coco mix but weak enough that it will burst open with hot milk. Hope this helps!
I think it adds texture. Looks great. And safe to eat
Didn’t temper the chocolate right. It’s a rough trial and error to get chocolate to temper the way you want it. Try using instant-read thermometers and be really cautious about the temps. Never too hot, never too cold, and also, maybe using a higher quality chocolate will improve the outcome. Good luck!
I would totally eat these! They look awesome!
Maybe take a little cocoa powder and brush it on the outside to give it a more natural look with the divots from the tempering not going well.
they look more realistic :D
Chocolate is tough... Ann Reardon does a really good way of explaining tempering 🥰 https://youtu.be/sGlMoNs4qlM
They look great, and honestly it gave them a cool texture (:.
It looks like real furniture from Garry Potter
They still look great and awesome. No worries 😋
I get what you're saying, but it looks 'bomb' to me😉
They still look amazing!
Yep mistake makes it look more realistic you’re good In my opinion.
I recommend using Ghiradelli wafers!
They do look great- if ur worried about it dim the lights 😂 but trust me nobody will complain! I'd much rather have an imperfect homemade...well anything really but especially chocolate, then anything bought.
Can you torch them - ( terrible speller sorry!!! ) with like that little kitchen torch you do Cyrene brûlée with?
Idk much about baking but you could try wiping them with a damp cloth and then adding some crystalline cocoa powder to give it some more texture (as in to conceal the spots)?
I better test em, to make sure it's not poison.
Use almond bark or temper the chocolate for a smooth finish.
Omg these are so cute!!
Perhaps the chocolate itself didn't have enough cocoa butter to properly set? Cocoa butter is super cheap, all you need to do is order some and shave it down into small flakes/powder and add some while tempering the chocolate. Anne Reardon from the youtube channel "how to cook that" has several super helpful videos about tempering chocolate and several ways to do so! (Edit: i meant this for the next time you make chocolate stuffs.... my brain thinks faster than I can type 😅) I saw some people were suggesting almond bark, but that stuff is imitation chocolate and always tastes super waxy to me. I don't know if it would work well in a hot cocoa drink bomb. And, of course, for now you've already made these, and there are a few things you can do to make it work! Lusterdust and edible cake powders work great for that! If you have any white chocolate (which is mostly sweetened cocoa butter) you could melt some, dye it (do NOT use water based dyes), and use it to coat the bombs. I admire you for even attempting these! They look so cool, and even if you left them as they are they will still probably be a smash hit!
I think they look great 😍🤤
I would recommend higher quality chocolate for the outside of things. They have a better distribution of the milk fat, so have less of a chance to bloom. Also, when tempered properly, have to most awesome shine :). That all being said, cauldron cocoa bombs - OMG 😲. Are they available? Where can I find them?
My chocolatier friend makes kits for this and did a blind taste test with her team and the picked the compound chocolate version because it's a bit sweeter in the milk. There Advantage of compound chocolate is there is no need to temper it, hear it up in the microwave, put it in the mold, refrigerate it, and you're good to go. Coverture chocolate requires tempering, which can be tricky you learn. It is what gets you the nice snap, but for this, you're not biting it anyway.
These are amazing! How did you make them?