Dipping Pastries in Chocolate

Whether you use coating chocolate or tempered chocolate to cover the pastries, you should create an organized and efficient workstation for dipping. If you are right-handed, always work from left to right: the undipped pastries on the left, followed by the melted chocolate, a sheet of baking paper, and, finally, a sheet pan lined with baking paper to hold the finished pastries. Your left hand should pick up an undipped pastry as your right hand sets a dipped item down on the tray. When using a dipping fork, as is done with Tosca and Angelica Points, the tool is inserted into the side of the pastry. After the item is dipped into the chocolate, it is moved up and down over the bowl of chocolate to force as much chocolate as possible off the pastry; this is to eliminate what are known as feet—excess chocolate drips that float out around the pastry after it has been placed on the pan. After being moved up and down, the bottom of the pastry is scraped against the side of the bowl, then blotted on the sheet of baking paper in a further effort to remove excess chocolate before finally setting it on the tray.