How to Prepare Dipping Chocolate in 5 Steps

Dipping chocolate is a form of melted chocolate for dipping strawberries, pretzels, peppermint, wafers, and more. Bakers temper chocolate over low heat, melting it to a velvety smooth consistency to make a drizzle topping for ice cream or cupcakes or a dipping sauce for other foods. You can use white, milk, and dark chocolate for this dipping sauce, turning a simple dessert into an interactive experience.

For more refined and long-lasting baked goods, some chocolates are better for dipping than others. The best chocolate for melting and dipping will contain thirty-two percent or higher cocoa butter; this lets the chocolate harden into a shiny, sturdy shell around the dipped material while staying glossy even as it cools. Dark chocolate and couverture chocolate have at least thirty-two percent cocoa solids. You can also use white and milk chocolate, but the chocolate will not melt as smoothly.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to melt chocolate over your stovetop easily:

1. 1. Choose the right chocolate. Chocolate that is thirty-two percent or higher in cocoa butter will work best. Check packages while shopping—this will most likely be semisweet chocolate chips, though your chocolate can be in chip or bar form.
2. 2. Chop the chocolate. Prep time takes just a few minutes for melting chocolate. If you are starting with chocolate bars instead of a bag of chocolate chips, you’ll first have to cut up the bar. Chop up two cups of chocolate, cutting it into uniform pieces so the chips melt evenly.
3. 3. Simmer water. Fill a saucepan up with water, leaving two inches of space at the top. Bring it to a simmer; this will serve as the source of heat for your chocolate. Once the water is simmering, turn the heat off.
4. 4. Melt in a heat-proof glass bowl. Prepare a double boiler by putting two-thirds of your chocolate pieces in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl on top of the hot water. Let the chocolate melt on its own; once half of it has melted, stir gently with a rubber spatula until it is fully melted. To help the chocolate melt consistently, avoid overheating.
5. 5. Remove and stir. Once the chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the final third of the chocolate, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl. Immediately serve as a dipping sauce while the chocolate is smooth and warm. Room temperature chocolate is also suitable for dipping.

There are a few simple tricks that home cooks can employ to melt chocolate successfully:

1. 1. Know the difference between melting white and semi-sweet chocolate. White chocolate has a low melting point, meaning it’s important that the water never boils and that you keep the water to a very gentle simmer and stir constantly. Semi-sweet chocolate is a little more forgiving as its melting point is not as low. Still, it’s best to play the long game: Simmer over low heat and stir, so you ensure you don’t burn the melted chocolate.
2. 2. Add in butter for a richer melted chocolate. For dipping sauces, try adding in butter with your melted chocolate. To do so, remove butter from the refrigerator, letting it soften for an hour or so until it approaches room temperature. (If it is cold and hard, it will take longer to melt and affect the chocolate-butter texture.) Cut up the butter into the same size as the chips so it easily melts. Melt your chocolate on the stove, and when you are done, and while it is still hot, add in the butter and stir it in until it fully melts. Add in one tablespoon of butter for every cup of chocolate chips.
3. 3. Keep the chocolate free of moisture. Chocolate can seize and become pasty if it comes into contact with water or steam, so be sure to put the melted chocolate into a clean, dry bowl. If you plan to use the chocolate as a fondue for strawberries, wipe any excess water off the berries.

The fun part of dipping chocolate is that you can use it for various desserts, allowing you to customize treats and decorate each dipped item uniquely.

1. 1. Chocolate-covered strawberries: Wash fresh, large strawberries and let them fully dry. Then, place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Next, hold the strawberries by the stem and gently lower them into the dipping sauce, coating the fruit evenly from the base up to just before the stem. All of the red of the fruit except the final part before the stem should be covered. Lay the fruit on the parchment paper, and garnish with a white chocolate drizzle if you like. Place in the refrigerator and let the strawberries cool for a day. (To fully cover fruits and treats, such as truffles, use a long-stemmed fork or special chocolate dipping tool to submerge the treat in the dipping chocolate.)
2. 2. Throw a chocolate fondue party: Have friends make their desserts by batching different kinds of dipping chocolate for guests to enjoy. Create various dipping sauces (milk, dark, and white chocolate) and buy different foods to dip (fruits like pineapples, strawberries, or apple slices and also wafers, marshmallows, or graham crackers). Get some steel forks to make dipping easier, and purchase toppings like caramel and sprinkles to enhance the experience.
3. 3. Decorate cookies: Making chocolate sauce can go great with cookies. Sugar cookies can be a nice launching pad for creating a decorative dessert. Dip half your cookie into the melted chocolate and then adorn it with other toppings—sprinkles, marshmallows, or fruit bits. Lay the cookies on a lined cookie sheet and let them fully dry before eating.

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