Baking Woes?

[MakeYouABaker]

I think the biggest bane of my existence when baking is attempting to melt white chocolate. I read in a Martha Stewart cookbook years ago that her trick was to leave the chocolate near a stove near 170 degrees Fahrenheit; this has yet to work for me, though, and I usually just run the risk of seized white chocolate and use a bain-marie (what a coincidental name...). It has yet to really ruin my chocolate, but I know the risk is there.

Do you have a secret for white chocolate? What are you baking woes, if any?

 

[Babble64]

I, too, have had issues with melting white chocolate. I have only a couple of recipes I use that call for it, one of which is a snack mixture covered with melted white chocolate. I've had to start over more than once after discovering trying to melt it too fast in the microwave, as it burned and left little brown, hard bits throughout. Actually, the first time this happened I really thought that the microwave roof was dirty and something had fallen into the bowl! I am very careful now, sticking specifically to only a few seconds at a time as I melt it. So far I've not had another disaster. It IS much harder to work with than melted "brown" chocolates, though, regarding thickness. Oddly, I've not tried adding a bit of vegetable oil, as I do when melting semi-sweet chocolate. I believe I'll have to do that next time!

 

[Soliloquy]

Right now my biggest baking woe is that it's too hot to bake. But never fear, this is why we have an ice cream maker!

 

[Babble64]

Right now my biggest baking woe is that it's too hot to bake. But never fear, this is why we have an ice cream maker!

Here, too, Soliloquy. I promised my Mom and husband German chocolate cake but there's no way I'm turning the oven on till this heat wave breaks!

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I have never actually tried melting the white chocolate, but when I was melting regular chocolate, I used to use a double boiler, and that usually let's it melt without getting too hot or burning. It is more of a pain to use, but does a great job, and I think it is better than a microwave.

 

[MakeYouABaker]

I, too, have had issues with melting white chocolate. I have only a couple of recipes I use that call for it, one of which is a snack mixture covered with melted white chocolate. I've had to start over more than once after discovering trying to melt it too fast in the microwave, as it burned and left little brown, hard bits throughout. Actually, the first time this happened I really thought that the microwave roof was dirty and something had fallen into the bowl! I am very careful now, sticking specifically to only a few seconds at a time as I melt it. So far I've not had another disaster. It IS much harder to work with than melted "brown" chocolates, though, regarding thickness. Oddly, I've not tried adding a bit of vegetable oil, as I do when melting semi-sweet chocolate. I believe I'll have to do that next time!

I had never thought to add vegetable oil to semi-sweet during the melt. I will absolutely have to give that a try! Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Babble64]

I had never thought to add vegetable oil to semi-sweet during the melt. I will absolutely have to give that a try! Thanks for the suggestion!

I can't even remember where I read that. I'd been making peanut butter balls for years with chocolate that was just a touch too thick. Discovered this trick about a year ago and it's amazing to me how much easier they are to dunk and I go through less chocolate. (and no one complained that the pb balls didn't have enough.) and that part of the process is much faster.

 

[ACSAPA]

I have a miniature crock pot called a Little Dipper which is for making hot dips and fondues.
Have any of you tried melting chocolate in one of those little crock pots? It seems like it would work because the heat is not high or direct.

 

[NThomas]

White chocolate can be tricky to melt . I find that it behaves differently form regular chocolate. I try to melt white chocolate in the microwave ,because it is too unstable .I use the double boiler method with a pot and a Pyrex bowl. I melt it low and slow while stirring constantly.

 

[Christine Mlinek]

White chocolate, isn't chocolate, so the ratio of sugars and cocoa butter is much higher. You cannot melt white chocolate more than 111 degrees, a very low burning point. Double boiler is the best, and only do 8oz at a time....