Sugar Savvy

I am going to do it… reveal my favorite “gets them every time” secret to chocolate dipping success. 

What am I talking about?  Merckens Melting Wafers. I spend a lot of time dipping… anything I can get my hands on, really.  Why?  I find chocolate dipped sweets please any crowd, from the common, everyday you and me to the “hoitie toitie.”  Regardless of whether the item is a cookie, Brazilian nut bark, chocolate cups, themed candies, or the tuxedo strawberries I create for the VIP cabanas at the restaurant, people love them.  Love, I tell you.  “Oh, this chocolate!” “This is the best [insert chocolate dipped item here] I have ever had!”

And, it turns out, Merckens is not “real” chocolate, per se, after all.  It’s a confectionery mix that has a rich chocolate flavor that is so very smooth.  Depending on the flavoring, various versions may contain small amounts of cocoa butter, but the compound consists primarily of vegetable fats and cocoa.  Whatever the recipe, a little goes a long way, it sets up beautifully, does not contain wax, and doesn’t seem to mind humidity and summer temperatures (key here in Atlanta).

Let us know if you’ve tried it, or try it in the future, and what you think about Merckens.