I tried to get my chocolate to bloom because I was attempting a technique for pine cones posted by another cc'er. Instructions were to cook the $*&! out of it. I tried choc chips as she suggested and they seized (power 10 for 3 mins) Why?
Then semi-sweet choc squares , then candy melts. In each of the latter cases, only a few of the piped choc pieces actually bloomed. Why is that? I did it all in the microwave (power of 6/10 for 2:30 ). I was afraid it would seize if I cooked it more...
TIA

Moisture will make chocolate bloom. Perhaps if you set in the freezer for a bit, it will bloom for you.

I agree, put it in the freezer or fridge UNCOVERED for a while and it should bloom!

Would love to see them after they are done

Thanks, guys - didn't know that! It's REALLY dry here! Will give it a go...

???
Bloom on chocolate is when the cocoa butter rises to the surface. Like when you've kept chocolate for quite a bit of time and it gets the whiteish splottchy surface. (It's still good.) So that's what you are trying to achieve?

Yep - that's what I'm trying to get to achieve this:
http://www.acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2009/12/chocolate-pinecone-cake-and-how-to.html

Aren't they amazing?!!!

Freezer didn't work, but I rubbed dark choc on light choc candy melts so I have some contrast at least. Doesn't look too bad...

Any ideas why my first batch of choc chips seized? I don't know a lot about choc and candy making....

I think she has that same tutorial in this months ACD mag.

I just posted on the other thread about this, but I'll post here too...I don't think you need to heat it for THAT long! Just do a minute at a time on high and knead the piping bag a little in between to melt the chocolate. I don't know why the chips you were using seized up, but chocolate is fussy, so it probably was the moisture like other people have suggested.

I've had candy melts seize up, I had that happen just last week. I think that if you reheat the chocolate too many times it can seize, but I've never had it happen the first time I melted it. To get the bloom you just have to heat it really hot, and you can pretty much be guaranteed that it will develop. It can get more dusty-looking over the course of a couple of days, though, so sometimes it takes a while to really bloom nicely.