Here’s a secret: my secrets aren’t really secrets. Methods that I share are the methods that have worked for me, they’re far from unusual. Give it a try, it just might work for you too! I’ll be posting a couple of “secrets” randomly over the next few weeks.
Why start with #6? Well, why not? It worked for George Lucas, right?! This is actually my way of encouraging you to come back and read a bit more about my cake pop making in the near future, lol.
Silicone. Silicone bowls are amazing for melting chocolate. They melt evenly and unbelievably quickly! I’ve shared this info with other top-notch cake pop makers and they’ve since converted. I’m telling you, these babies will change your life! I purchased all of my 1-cup bowls, pictured above, at Target, but they’ve since discontinued them. You can find them on Amazon here. They look a bit different from the photo above but they are from the same manufacturer, iSi Basics. The bowls are sold in sets of three, with three lids.
Paramount crystals. This is the secret to thinning out candy melts to the texture that works best for you. Just make sure you stir and incorporate the paramount crystals completely into your candy melts. Otherwise you’ll get streaks.
Paramount crystals is also the secret to repairing bloomed candy melts– most of the time. When you notice your candy melts having that white-ish coating on them, that is called “bloom”. It happens when the fat content starts to separate. The white stuff is the fats from the candy melts. It tends to happen when temperatures shift. You’ll notice that if you melt these bloomed melts, sometimes they’ll be lumpy and bumpy. Add some paramount crystals and it’ll slowly bring them to that smooth state. You’ll probably have to smash the lumps and bumps against the side of the bowl with your spoon a bit, but the paramount crystals will definitely aid in getting it all smooth again.
Hope this will help you in you cake pop-making journies! Check back for more tips and tricks!
Do the silicone bowls keep warm?
The silicone responds to the temperature of the chocolate/candy melts unlike glass and ceramic. Glass and ceramic holds heat and when that heat is dispersed, it gets cold at a quicker rate than the chocolate/candy melts, so it’s a bit trickier to use. The silicone bowl is whatever temperature the chocolate/ candy melts is at.
Thanks so much for sharing your secrets. I look forward to more tips! BTW, I love silicone bowls too! Would you mind sharing what brand chocolate you use?
Hi! I prefer Mercken’s. I use Wilton occasionally, very rarely. I never use the Guittard A’Peels.
How do you get the different colors of chocolate? Will the crystals change the colors of the candy. Where can you find the crystals? Sorry, new at this?
The chocolate come in different colors. Look up Wilton or Mercken’s candy melts. I prefer Merckens. The paramount crystals are only used to thin out the candy melts.
Hi…how long do u heat up the melts in these bowls? Also what %. BTW your amazing. TIA
1 minute at 50% power, stir. 30sec at 50%, stir… keep going in 30sec intervals at 50% until smooth. It should only take about 2-3 min total.
You could have started with tip #1, and I would have most definitely been back to read the rest.
You make the most original and beautiful cake pops – your tips are greatly appreciated! I can’t wait to get some silicone bowls (already use the paramount crystals) to give them a try!
Haha! I appreciate that! Thank you so much for your sweet and kind words!
I completely agree with Amanda!
Thank you so much, Kris!
Where do you get paramount crystals at?
You can find it on Amazon or at your local Baking supply store.
Had a bloomed melts issue recently so thank you for the tip!
I searched a lot but could not find any good recipe about lemon cake, if anyone could help me i would be glad
Hi Kris! I am Hooked! I will definitely be using this tip and hope to take a class or two from you!