Dipping Gold Top Caramel: The how and the why

The why is easy. To protect the caramel. Chocolate helps preserve the caramel. Now these caramels will last 6-12 months depending on storage conditions.

The how is even easier. We use the three dipping method. I like to dip a caramel this way. I put the caramel directly into the chocolate, foot side down. The foot is a layer of chocolate that you put on the confection as a place to grip it with the fork. It's sort of like pre-dipping a truffle. Some people, like my friend Tom, put s it non food side down. I don't know if he is still doing that but it's a cool way to get total coverage.

Then we completely cover the caramel with chocolate

Then we dip the foot of the caramel, only about 1/2 way up the caramel, three times to get rid of the excess.

Now we tap on the side of the bowl and wipe off.

I like to use the paper towel method pioneered by me to get rid of the excess on the rim of the bowl. That bowl is turning, btw. I could only do this on my small 10 pound temperer from ChocoVision. I would hate to use a large 80 or 240 pound temperer for dipping but then again, you go that large and you are enrobing. That's nice.



The LaPolla patented paper towel method. Lovely.

Nancy here is using the place and then move method to make sure that the foot, or in this case, the curtain of chocolate doesn't spread and make a big foot on this chocolate.

Adding the secret decoration. I'll let you figure out what this is. Hint: we haven't done the pistachio topped caramels yet.