Cocoa Powder for Dipping
March 25, 2011
I received an interesting question the other day from someone on my mailing list.
(If you're reading this, but not on my list, go ahead and get my free ebook, then I will also send you more chocolate information and you'll have a chance to ask me a question too.)
Anyway, here is the question posed:
"Can you use cocoa powder to make a chocolate for dipping strawberries (that hardens nicely)? If so do you know a recipe for it?"
Well, here is my answer...
I know there are many recipes out there that use cocoa powder to make dipping sauces, syrups, frostings, icings and glazes. Any of these could be used with your strawberries. I'm sure they will taste great, but they will remain liquid or unhardened.
I suspect that there aren't many recipes that make a good chocolate coating from a cocoa powder, especially one that "hardens nicely."
The Cocoa Powder Problem and Solution
The problem is that when you start with cocoa powder, you are starting with a product that has practically no fat. Adding things you might normally have in your pantry, like butter or cooking oil, will not work.
Therefore, to get a successful mix that hardens, you have to add either cocoa butter or a partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil. In this case you'd effectively be conjuring up your own confectionery coating. So it's possible, but I wouldn't recommend it.
If you're going this route you might as well buy a confectionery coating that has already been designed to harden nicely for dipping strawberries. Just melt, dip, and cool.
Of course, Mother Nature has already created the perfect thing for you to use to dip strawberries. It's called real chocolate! It tastes better, and when properly handled, works better than any cocoa powder based recipe ever could. I'd stick with that. 🙂
Here are a couple easy-to-work-with confectionery coating options from Merckens, available at Amazon... 5 pounds milk cocoa wafers and 5 pounds dark cocoa wafers.
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I am interested in making a dip as well. So what is real chocolate? Are you referring to cocoa nibs, or chocolate candy bars?
When I say “real chocolate” I am referring to chocolate that has already been prepared by the manufacturer that you can cut into chunks or melt, and use as you wish. Technically, real chocolate is generally made up of ground nibs and sugar, perhaps with the addition of cocoa butter as the only source of fat.
Thank you Bryn for your excellent advice! I was a bit skeptical of using cocoa powder because my insticts told me it probably wouldn’t harden nicely. I just wanted the adventure of making something from scratch.