Dipping Chocolates

For candy makers, the techniques for dipping and molding candies are basic. There are two basic procedures for dipping small items such as truffles, other candy centers, and nuts.

For the first method, place the items one at a time on the surface of the tempered chocolate. With a dipping fork, turn them over to cover them completely, then lift them out. Tap the fork holding the chocolate on the edge of the bowl to even the coating. Draw the fork holding the coated chocolate over the edge of the bowl to wipe off excess chocolate from the bottom of the fork, then set the item on a sheet of parchment. To mark the chocolate, touch the top of the item lightly with the dipping fork. Each kind of fork will leave its own distinctive pattern, so you can mark different flavors with different patterns. Let stand until hardened.