Why.... Candy Melts Not Melting???
Decorating By Addie2580 Updated 13 Dec 2009 , 3:51am by Addie2580
I've been trying to melt candy melts and they never melt enough for me to dip anything on it. HAve tryied it on the double boiler, in the microwave, I even bought a Chocolate Pro Melter but still cant get it right. The only chocolate I've been able to melt is the one from wilton that comes to be used with the melter. What am I doing wrong?? Is there any tricks, any special instructions?? Please help me 
, Im doing cake balls and will love to cover some with white chocolate.
Thanks in advence
Addie
Are you trying to melt them in one swoop or are you doing the melt-stir-melt-stir?
If you melt in the microwave (which is how I do all of mine), you put them in the microwave for 30-45 seconds. Remove and stir the snot out of them! Microwave for another 20-30 seconds. Remove and stir the snot out of them. You'll see them do most of the "melting" during the stirring process. If you try to leave them in the microwave until they are totally melted, with no stirring, you'll over cook them and the choc will come out thick and yucky .... it will look like it's 'not melted', but it's really 'overmelted' back to a 'seized' status.
My 2 cents.... Brown (Milk, Dark, Semi-Sweet, etc.) melts nicely when microwaved at 50% power at 30sec-1min intervals, between which you "stir the snot out of them" as IndyDebi says. White and coloured chocolate melt better at a lower temp. I use 1 min at 30% power, then 30% power at 30 sec intervals after that. I also find it easier, after stirring the first time, using a teeny tiny whisk to stir (NOT to whip, just stir so you don't add air) will remove all those little leftover bumps. I do a LOT of piping with white and coloured candy melts and I need to get it smooth enough to run through my #1 tip. I don't know the science behind it, but white and coloured should be melted at a lower temp for a longer period of time. Good luck!
Same thing happened to me! I attempted my first cake ball adventure and the candy melts just never became runny enough to smoothly go over them. And I added shortening! It became a little thinner but never really good enough. Now I'm scared to try them again. I bought some decent chocolate to temper, maybe that's the trick?
Same thing happened to me! I attempted my first cake ball adventure and the candy melts just never became runny enough to smoothly go over them. And I added shortening! It became a little thinner but never really good enough. Now I'm scared to try them again. I bought some decent chocolate to temper, maybe that's the trick?
I use the cheap-o candy melts. works fine. Sounds like you're over-cooking them. As Carol said, you're frying the chocolate. (Carol, I like that description! It's perfect!)
And I've tried to understand what the heck tempering is and many CC'ers have patiently tried to explain it to me, but all I can get out of it is "melt it, cool it, melt it again." Sorry, gang, no time for that. I just nuke-n-stir 'em and run with it. works for me! 
In the micro 30 seconds stir, 30 seconds stir, maybe once or twice more for a larger batch. There might still be a few chunks but if you let it sit a for a few then stir again it should be good to go. This is also the way I temper real chocolate and it works every time.
Don't use to high a heat under your pan of water. You can use shortening or parafin to thin the chocolate but if heat is too high it will never thin down. Also if you get an old batch of chocolate thats hard to melt. HTH
I use my little crock pot with the setting on low. Works like a charm.
Forgot to say stir, stir, stir and I do add a little shortening. But they don't "cook" and so far this is the best method I've found when doing cake balls.
I recently made some cake balls dipped in white chocolate.
I used the toll house white chocolate morsels. They worked perfect. I just followed the directions on the package, and like Ms. indydebi said, stir em like their aint no tomorrow!
I'm not sure why, but with the toll house morsels, I was able to get the white chocolate to harden really well, but the brown chocolate was still really soft. I'm not sure why.
I believe the white chips are not exactly chocolate but I forget it is haha.....that must be the key
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