Melting and Dipping
Cooking Skills: Chocolate 1
Chapter 2 · Melting and Dipping
Skill goal
Melt chocolate gently and use it to coat fruit, biscuits and ice cream.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Melting and dipping is the first real chocolate skill. You need only gentle heat, dry food and a little patience. Chocolate melts at about body temperature, so it does not need to get hot: the gentler the heat, the smoother and glossier the result.
The method
- Chop it small and evenly, so it melts at the same rate.
- Use a bowl over simmering water (not touching), or the microwave in short bursts with stirring.
- Stop before it has fully melted and stir: the heat left in the bowl melts the rest without scorching it.
- Keep everything dry: bowls, spoons and food.
- Use it warm, not hot, so it coats rather than runs off.
| Method | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Bowl over simmering water | Most melting; gentle and forgiving | Steam, and the bowl touching the water |
| Microwave in 20-second bursts | Small amounts, in a hurry | Hot spots: stir every time |
| Melting into hot cream or butter | Ganache and sauces (Cooking Skills: Chocolate 1, chapter 3) | Cream that is too hot |
| Coconut oil added | Shell topping and thin coatings | Too much oil: it won't set firm |
Melting, steam and seizing
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Steam and hot bowls: a bowl over a pan of simmering water gets hot and steam burns. Use oven gloves or a cloth to lift it, keep your face back when you lift it off, and keep children away from the hob.
Seizing: even a drop of water or steam turns melted chocolate into a thick, grainy lump. Keep bowls, spoons and fruit completely dry, and don't let the bowl touch the water or let steam escape into it. If it does seize, stir in a teaspoon of warm cream, milk or flavourless oil and it may smooth out again (it won't be tempered, but it is still good for baking and sauces).
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Dipped strawberries
The easiest elegant treat: strawberries dipped three-quarters in glossy chocolate, with an optional white drizzle. The skill is dry fruit and warm, not hot, chocolate.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 250 g strawberries, washed and thoroughly dried (stalks on)
- 100 g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
- 30 g white chocolate, chopped, to drizzle (optional)
- 1 tray lined with baking parchment
- Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water (see the box), stirring until smooth. Take off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Hold each strawberry by the stalk, dip three-quarters of the way in, lift, and let the extra drip off. Place on the tray.
- Melt the white chocolate separately, and drizzle it over the set or half-set strawberries with a spoon. Chill for 20 minutes until firm.
Melting, steam, fruit and allergens
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Steam and hot bowls: a bowl over a pan of simmering water gets hot and steam burns. Use oven gloves or a cloth to lift it, keep your face back when you lift it off, and keep children away from the hob.
Fruit: wash strawberries and other fruit and dry them completely with kitchen paper before dipping: any water on the surface makes the chocolate seize or slide off. Dipped fruit is at its best the day it is made and should be eaten within about 24 hours, kept in the fridge (general guidance).
Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Level 1 · Spread
Chocolate bark
Bark is melted chocolate spread thin on paper, scattered with toppings and broken into pieces. There is nothing to get wrong, and it shows how flexible chocolate is.
Ingredients (10 portions)
- 200 g dark chocolate (about 70%), chopped
- 50 g mixed toppings (dried fruit, seeds, chopped nuts, sprinkles)
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes (optional)
- 1 tray lined with baking parchment
- Melt the chocolate gently, stirring until smooth. Take it off the heat when it is almost melted and stir the last lumps in.
- Pour it onto the lined tray and spread with a spatula to about 5 mm thick. Scatter the toppings and a pinch of salt while it is still wet.
- Chill for 1 hour until firm, then break into rough pieces.
Melting, toppings and keeping
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Toppings: sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit and seeds should be dry and small. Whole nuts and hard sweets are a choking risk for very young children, and nuts are a serious allergen: keep a nut-free tray if anyone has an allergy.
Keeping: bark, dipped biscuits and pretzels keep in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 1 to 2 weeks (general guidance). If the room is warm, keep them in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Level 2 · Dip
Dipped biscuits and pretzels
Biscuits and pretzels are sweet, salty and crunchy under chocolate. Use a fork to lift them out, and tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to take off the extra so the coating stays thin.
Ingredients (10 portions)
- 100 g milk or dark chocolate, chopped
- 10 plain biscuits or pretzels
- 2 tbsp sprinkles or crushed nuts
- 1 tray lined with baking parchment
- Melt the chocolate gently in a small, deep bowl so there is depth to dip into.
- Dip each biscuit or pretzel, turn to coat, lift with a fork and tap off the extra. Slide onto the tray and add sprinkles at once.
- Chill for 30 minutes until set.
Melting, wheat and toppings
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Pretzels and biscuits: they contain wheat and often milk, egg and soy, so check the labels. Gluten-free pretzels or biscuits work equally well.
Toppings: sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit and seeds should be dry and small. Whole nuts and hard sweets are a choking risk for very young children, and nuts are a serious allergen: keep a nut-free tray if anyone has an allergy.
Keeping: bark, dipped biscuits and pretzels keep in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 1 to 2 weeks (general guidance). If the room is warm, keep them in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Level 3 · Shell
Chocolate shell topping
The topping that sets hard on ice cream with a crack. Coconut oil is solid when cold, so the chocolate turns into a thin shell the moment it touches the ice cream. Pour it warm, not hot. (See Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 1, chapter 6, for mix-ins and swirls.)
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 150 g dark chocolate (about 70%), chopped
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 scoops of ice cream or frozen yogurt, to serve
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together gently, stirring until smooth. Add the salt and cool for 5 minutes, until just warm.
- Put the scoops in cold bowls. Pour the topping slowly over each scoop in a thin stream.
- Wait 30 seconds for the shell to set, then crack with a spoon.
Melting, fat, allergens and keeping
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Shell topping: coconut oil makes the chocolate set to a hard, thin shell as soon as it meets cold ice cream. Make it just before you need it, let it cool until just warm, and pour it in a thin stream: hot topping melts the ice cream. It is high in saturated fat, so a spoonful is enough.
Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Experiments
Experiment
Microwave or bowl over water
Two ways to melt.
- Melt 50 g of chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts and another 50 g over simmering water. Compare the time and the finish.
Look for: Both work: the water method is slower but gentler, and the microwave is quick but more likely to overheat. Stir the microwave batch every burst.
Experiment
Temperature of dipped items
Cold or room temperature.
- Dip one strawberry straight from the fridge and another at room temperature. Compare the coatings.
Look for: The cold fruit sets the chocolate quickly in a thicker, sometimes dull coating; the room-temperature fruit gives a smoother, thinner one. Take fruit out for 20 minutes first.
Experiment
Thick or thin coating
Dip once, or twice.
- Dip one biscuit once and another twice, letting the first coat set between dips.
Look for: One coat is crisp and delicate; two coats are sturdier but richer. Use more coats for items that will be handled.
Experiment
Adding oil
With and without.
- Melt 50 g of chocolate on its own and 50 g with a teaspoon of oil. Dip a spoon in each and let it set.
Look for: The oiled chocolate is thinner and softer when set; the plain is thicker and snappier. A little oil helps with frozen items.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dipped strawberries | ||||
| Chocolate bark | ||||
| Dipped biscuits and pretzels | ||||
| Shell topping | ||||
| Microwave or bowl | ||||
| Temperature of dipped items | ||||
| Thick or thin coating | ||||
| Adding oil |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate is thick and grainy | Water got in, or it overheated | Stir in a spoon of warm oil or cream; keep things dry |
| Coating slides off | Fruit was wet | Dry it completely with kitchen paper |
| Coating is dull or streaky | Chocolate got too warm or cooled slowly | Use gentle heat; chill briefly to set |
| Shell topping doesn't set | Not enough oil, or the ice cream is soft | Add a little more coconut oil; use firm ice cream |
| Bark is soft | Too thick, or warm room | Spread thinner and chill |
| Sprinkles bleed colour | Dampness | Add sprinkles as it sets and keep it dry |
Melting, allergens and storing
Gentle heat: chocolate scorches easily and turns dull and bitter. Melt it in a heatproof bowl over (not touching) barely simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time. Take it off the heat when it is mostly melted and stir until smooth. Milk and white chocolate burn faster than dark, so use lower heat for them.Allergens: chocolate contains milk (except some dark), and often soy (lecithin) and sometimes nuts or traces of them: check the label and the 'may contain' line. Cream, butter and many coatings are dairy, and cookies and biscuits contain wheat and often egg. Dairy-free dark chocolate and coconut cream can replace the dairy in many recipes, but the texture changes.
Keeping: bark, dipped biscuits and pretzels keep in an airtight tin in a cool place for about 1 to 2 weeks (general guidance). If the room is warm, keep them in the fridge and let them come to room temperature before serving.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can melt chocolate gently in a bowl over water.
- I keep fruit and food completely dry.
- I can dip, tap off the extra and set a coating.
- I can spread bark and add toppings.
- I can make a shell topping for ice cream.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Chocolate 1, chapter 3 is Ganache: chocolate and cream melted together into hot chocolate, sauces and glazes.