When we think of sweet treats, chocolate is usually at the top of the list. It can be enjoyed all on its own but you can also use it in different recipes. Chocolate coated food, fruit and delicious snacks will make for the most amazing dessert ideas everyone will love. If you have not tried coating foods with chocolate, here are some important tips to ensure scrumptious success.

Prepare your chocolate

Before you begin, you need to make sure that your chocolate is ready. You should temper the chocolate with shortening. The ideal ratio is one pound of chocolate to two teaspoons of shortening. You should use the double boiler method to melt your chocolate so that it does not burn. You will also need a skewer for dipping or a slotted spoon. After dunking the food, you will meed to allow the excess to drip off your chocolate coated foods. Setting takes about 30 minutes but it will still be soft. After 4 hours your chocolate will harden.

Dunking ideas

Please keep in mind that you do not need to completely submerge chocolate coated foods. You can choose to dunk just half of the food item and allow it to set as is. This can yield an even more colourful result plus your guests will know what’s inside. Some of the best foods for dunking include:

  • Tangerine segments
  • Cheerios and similar cereals
  • Corn chips
  • Dried fruits like apples and banana chips
  • Various biscuits (even those with fillings)
  • Popcorn
  • Mini doughnuts
  • Salt crackers
  • Soft sweets like gummies
  • Fresh fruit like grapes, strawberries, bananas, etc
  • Mini waffles (the toaster variety)
  • Blocks of cheddar cheese
  • Licorice
  • Bacon – yes bacon! Make sure it’s nice and crispy!

After dipping

It is very important to allow the chocolate to drip back into the pot before you place it elsewhere to harden. Do not try to rush the process. You should also avoid refrigerating the chocolate coated foods. When you remove them from the fridge, it will result in sweating and the chocolate could even melt. If you are planning for an event, you should dip your foods the night before so that they have time to set and so that you are not in a hurry.

Now that you have all of these important chocolate coated food tips, you can get cooking1 Remember, you can also use these steps for white chocolate if you like. If you are feeling creative, you cam dip your foods in milk chocolate or dark chocolate and then drizzle white chocolate over the top, for example.