Once you’ve mastered the skill of tempering chocolate, you’ll never be caught short for a present again!
The easiest way to create something wonderful with tempered chocolate is to pour it into an interesting mould, such as one of the many on offer at Candyland Crafts. I’ve been buying from this US based company for years, and their inexpensive plastic moulds (US$2 each) last surprisingly well – although it’s worth noting that shipping (I usually buy 20 at a time) adds approximately a dollar to the price of each item.
Another easy way to create treats with chocolate is through the process of enrobing or hand-dipping. I needed a birthday present for my friend Maude last week, so I dipped pieces of crystallised ginger in a dark chocolate blend – it was quick to do and a highly personalised gift (as I know Maude loves them, but her family don’t, which means she’ll actually get to eat them).
In order to dip things in chocolate, you’ll need a tool of some sort. You can buy spiral dippers very cheaply at kitchenware stores, or you can bend over the middle tines of an old fork with a sturdy pair of pliers. You could probably just use a regular fork, but I find the customised one allows the chocolate to drip back into the bowl a little better…
Step 1: Temper a batch of chocolate following the instructions here. Prepare your items to be dipped – in this case, dust the excess sugar off the ginger pieces…
Step 2: With the chocolate on the heat mat, drop in the ginger pieces one at a time, and dunk them in the melted chocolate, before scooping them out. Give the dipping tool a little jiggle to drain off any excess chocolate…
Step 3: Pop each dipped piece onto a parchment-lined tray, leaving a bit of room between them so that they don’t stick together. When you’ve filled the tray, pop it into the fridge briefly to set up. Store at room temperature until needed (or eaten).
Treat your tempered chocolate carefully, as it scuffs easily. Here’s Maude’s gift, packaged ready to go…
If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you’ll know that we dip all sorts of things in chocolate – from glacé fruit (we particularly like strips of candied peel for this)…
…to alcohol-soaked figs (stuff a jar with Persian figs and then top it up with Drambuie and ignore it for a few months – drain them well before dipping)…
…to nuts of all varieties (our favourite almond rocher recipe is here)…
I’d love to know if you find something creative to dip in chocolate!
PS. My friend Rose tested out my chocolate tempering tutorial and made a batch almond rochers. Please pop over to her blog – Greening the Rose – and let her know how brilliant she is! x
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Hi Celia. Wow this is exactly what I want to do. I love all of it.
Get Maus to make you a dipping fork.. :)
I am already on to it :D
Hehehe…of course you are.. :D
Amazing. So delicious! My favorite is dried apricot….
Thanks Em! I’ve never dipped dried apricot, but we get some nice sulphur-free ones here, so I’ll have to give it a go!
I am all for the liquored figs…love them….
Norma, a friend told me that the dipped figs are like eating fruit with chocolate, washed down by a snifter of brandy.. :)
Lovely gift! We just got some chocolate coated candied oranges.
Only thing I ever dip in chocolate are cookies. lol!
Manuela, the candied rind is my favourite too, but it’s hard to find good rind in the deli. One of these days, I’m going to have to bite the bullet and make my own.. :)
I too am for the alcohol soaked figs, like the candied peels also.
Norma, wish I could share, and they’re a good item for sharing, as a little goes a long way! :)
I’m a ginger lover for sure Celia, and that naked ginger is perfect as it’s not too sweet. Do you need to be careful with moisture when enrobing? I’ve seized chocolate with just a drop before- does tempering it help that? I so would hate to ruin all that hard work! Xox
Becca, yes, even a little bit of water can cause the tempered chocolate to seize up, so I almost always dip dry ingredients. With the figs, I drain them well, and then dip them last – after they’re done, the remaining chocolate will often be out of whack, but with a lovely Drambuie flavour to it! :)
I love dipped fruit! Fresh strawberries and figs are my downfall. I always convince myself that it’s kind of like eating a fruit salad :P
I haven’t dipped fresh fruit for ages, but I can see how you could believe it was healthy. Particularly if dipped in dark chocolate! :)
oh..wow celia..now you’re talking..i’m not a big fan of straight dark chocolate but i love chocolate covered things..x
Jane, I love them both, but dipped chocolate is so much fun and makes such a great gift! :)
Oh my! The alcohol soaked figs look particularly fantastic!! :-)
Thank you! They’re pretty potent! :)
Oh Celia these look wonderful but I particularly like the sound of the rochers. Yum yum yum! I really must track down some chocolate.
Claire, they’re easy to make! For the rochers, the chocolate isn’t actually the hard bit to track down, the Kirsch is! :)
My candyland mould broke but you’ll see the new one in use on my blog today! One more thing to do and then I might try this :)
I’m sorry to hear your mould broke, Tandy! They’re only cheap plastic, but they usually last quite well when I use them – except when I get lazy and put them in the dishwasher. :) They do crack after a dozen or so uses, although I’ve had a few that have lasted for years.
Lordy lordy lordy, this is a project for my summer holidays… I can promise you! If those figs taste anything like Willabrand, and I bet they are even more delicious, I am going to be in heaven! xoxoxox
Lizzy, it’s hard not to eat the figs as they come out of the jar.. :)
I’d love to be able to make any one of these little treats as a gift. One day I’ll temper some chocolate and test this out. I just might go with the ginger, the spiciness (spicyness?) would be a wonderful contrast with the chocolate! xx
Smidge, it’s my friend Maude’s favourite treat, so I always make them for her birthday. Pete loves them too! :)
Oh Celia, if you ever needed a chocolate taster and quality check, I’d be MOST willing to give the role a go ;)
Hahaha…thanks Lisa, but I’m good, there are a few volunteers already in the house.. ;-)
These all look so good, Celia, though I couldn’t help but think of the “I Love Lucy” skit where she worked as a dipper in the chocolate factory. You’re right, though. Once you learn how to temper chocolate, the candy-making possibilities are endless. I bet you give the best hostess gifts. :)
Thanks John – I try to give hostess gifts that won’t add clutter to the house! :D
WOW! They should be soooooo delicious, you are amazing dear Celia, I can eat all of these :) Thank you, have a nice and sweet day, love, nia
Thank you Nia! Hope you’re having a good week! x
Brilliant Rose checking in, thank you so much for that lovely commendation Celia. I love the idea of the ginger and figs, Tony adores both. What about fresh fruit such as strawberries? That would have to be eaten immediately I’m guessing. Thanks for this, “enrobing”, love the word and the technique.
Hi Brilliant Rose, the ginger is a doddle to make, the figs just a little bit more fiddly. If you want to dip fresh fruit, you’ll need to make sure it’s very dry, as any water can make the chocolate seize up!
Just my fingers. I can see I shall have to try something more exciting.
The mind boggles.. ;-)
I’ve always dipped things in chocolate using my hands (or vaguely thrown the item into the chocolate and then fished it out with a spoon) – now I see where I’ve been going wrong!
So long as the chocolate is tempered, you can’t go too far wrong! :)
Your chocolate is divine Celia…I can speak from first hand tasting! The candied peel looks beautiful. The story about your friend Maude made me smile, my paternal grandmother also loves ginger in dark chocolate and we would sometimes give it to her as a gift. Nobody else would touch it! It is funny…now it is something I would eat but as a child it seemed quite strange!
Jane, isn’t it funny, it was Pete’s grandmother’s favourite too! We love it, but the boys won’t go near it! :)
Your friends are truly lucky to receive such a thoughtful gift.
Karen, that’s very kind of you, thank you! x
Okay, sourdough bread and chocolate.. my plan for 2013. It’s September and I haven’t dared put my toe in the water yet. Your chocolate ginger looks amazing.
Aah well, there’s always time, M! And they’ll always be chocolate and sourdough around – let me know if you need any starter! x
Candied fruit dipped into chocolate is a total favourite of mine, especially orange – adore it!!!
Claire, the hardest bit is finding good candied rind! I really DO have to make my own one of these days! :)
Thanks so much for this sweet chocolately treats! :) I will dip my fresh figs into your lovely tempered chocolate! Why didn’t I think of this? MMMMMMM! xxx
Sophie, that’s a brilliant idea! It’s wonderful how many gorgeous fresh figs you’re getting! :)
:)
What a lovely gift. We have finished the chocolates you gave me – everyone in this house loves Celia! xx
Really glad to hear you enjoyed them Charlie! x
I’m learning so much from you about chocolate that I’d never even thought of. And, gifts from you must be very welcome – delicious but special for personally crafted.
We just had a dinner at a restaurant in Boston called the Melting Pot. They have a multi course fondue dinner option which of course starts with melted cheeses for dipping and ends with all sorts of options for dipping into a variety of chocolates. My favorite is fresh fruit but others who were with us really loved the rice crispy bars (chunked) dipped in the chocolate.
Diane, a fondue restaurant! That’s straight out of the 80s, how fabulous! :)
Isn’t it great!? Amazing how things come back around.
So beautiful Celia – the ginger ones appeal to me most.
Sally, thank you! Pete and Maude love them too! :)
Your chocolates look as beautiful as ever. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a home chocolatier do them as well as you Celia. Shiny tempered chocolate just looks so appealing.
Thanks Choc, you’re very kind! xx
[…] my new chocolate dipping fork styled on Celia’s fork. I bought the fork from the Op Shop for $0.25 and Maus angle-grinded the two middle prongs off […]