How to Use Compound Coating Chocolate

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="059785a3.jpg"> <div> <B>Make-A-Cake, Houston's Oldest & Largest Cake Decorating Supply Warehouse</B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="0b1c64d0.jpg" border=0 width="198" height="77" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakeACake, Houstons Oldest Largest Cake"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Products and Services"><U><B>Our Products and Services</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location and Hours"><U><B>Location and Hours</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Useful Information"><U><B>Useful Information</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats New"><U><B>What's New</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos "><U><B>Photos </B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cake Gallery"><U><B>Cake Gallery</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Class Schedule"><U><B>Class Schedule</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>How to Use Compound Coating Chocolate</I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>What is Chocolate?</U></B></div> <div> Pure chocolate is a luscious combination of cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar and milk.  But, as any Houstonian who has left a chocolate bar in the car knows, once pure chocolate has melted it does not re-harden.  Blame the cocoa butter.  To become a solid again, pure chocolate has to be “tempered” by heating the melted chocolate to a specific temperature, reducing the temperature to a specific range and then heating it again.  Sounds tedious, doesn't it?  Chocolate manufacturers understand this, so most of them produce two types of chocolate: pure chocolate and compound coating chocolate.  </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>What is Compound Coating?</U></B></div> <div> Compound coating is a wonderful product that melts and re-hardens without tempering.  It tastes like chocolate, as it should; the only difference between it and the manufacturer's pure chocolate is that the cocoa butter component has been replaced with a less-temperamental vegetable butter.  But, as with chocolate, quality will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.  Ask to sample it before you buy it, if you can; otherwise, let price be your guide.      </div> <bR> <div> <B><U>How Do I Use Compound Coating?</U></B></div> <div> Compound coating is usually sold as little disks.  Place the disks in a metal bowl over hot (not boiling) water, wait about five minutes, then stir to see if the disks have melted completely.  If not, change out the water and give it another five minutes.  If you are using a mold, spoon the coating into clean, dry molds, level the top, then tap the molds to release the air bubbles.  Place the filled mold in the freezer for a minute or so until the coating is set, then flex the mold to release the candies.  Enhance your molded chocolates by brushing on edible dusts that add shine and a little color or with edible gold swirls.  Toasted blanched almonds, raw peanuts, crushed toffee candy bars or crushed peppermints can be mixed into the coating and dropped by spoonfuls or spread thinly onto a piece of waxed paper or parchment paper.  Or strawberries, cookies or pretzels can be dipped in plain or mint-flavored coating.    </div> <bR> <div> <I>Mistakes to Watch Out For</I></div> <div> There are two mistakes to watch out for when working with compound coating, both of which cause the coating to curdle or “seize.”  The most common mistake is getting the coating too hot during the melting process; if you must use a microwave, set it on defrost and stir the coating every ten seconds or so.  Seizing will also occur if just one drop of water gets into the coating.  Sometimes adding a tiny dab of vegetable shortening will save the batch if water has caused it to seize.</div> <bR> <div> ã<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Comic Sans MS" >2004 Make-A-Cake, Inc.</FONT></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>