Wax in Your Chocolate?
January 13, 2011
No, do not add wax to your chocolate!
It seems like I give tempering advice all the time. And I know why. Tempering chocolate should be easy, but it isn’t. And when struggling, people do one of two things: seek advice or look for ways to cheat.
Tempering is just one of those things that takes a lot of practice, and you have to be willing to learn from your mistakes.
If you are making chocolate-dipped candies and have trouble with the tempering process, you may be tempted to put paraffin or baker's wax into your coating to help it set.
Is this an edible and safe solution?
Adding paraffin was common in old candy making practices. Eating small amounts of paraffin won’t hurt you, but it is not an approved food additive.
It is not necessary to add wax once you've mastered tempering. Until then, I’d rather you choose to work with confectionery coatings (almond bark, candy coating) and leave the paraffin for the candle makers.
(Here's a link to my learn to temper chocolate blog posts.)
- BarkThins Dark Chocolate Coconut with Almonds - May 22, 2020
- Endangered Species Cacao Nibs + Dark Chocolate Review - May 15, 2020
- Mr. Dot Bar Review - May 7, 2020