"laurie" > wrote in message
...
> I was making "pretzel wands" for my daughter's Christmas party at school
last
> night and run into a minor problem.
>
> It called for melting chocolate chips and dipping the pretzel rods in
them,
> then chilling until firm. That part was fine.
>
> Then I had to melt white chocolate, add a touch of food coloring, and dip
the
> rods part way into the melted white chocolate.
>
> I tried numerous times, and each time I added the food coloring, the white
> chocolate stiffened right up and I couldn't dip the pretzels without
actually
> pasting the white chocolate onto them. The chocolate was fine until I
added
> the food coloring. I tried adding it while still over heat (which is what
the
> recipe said to do), tried adding it off of the burner, and tried both
white
> chocolate chips and actual cooking squares.
>
> It's not *necessary* to die the white chocolate, of course, but it kind of
> ruins the Christmas theme if I don't. I'd like to make them again next
week-
> they were really yummy- so any idea what went wrong?
>
> laurie


My guess is you used a liquid food coloring, which would cause any chocolate
to seize. Next time try getting a food coloring that is a gel, oil based
(candy coloring), or possibly a powder (if you use powder, I recommend
mixing it with a very small amount of cocoa butter just to make it easier to
incorporate evenly).
You can find these items online or in a cake decorating supply store.
Another option, if you don't mind a less intense color, would be to use
luster dust and petal dust to color the chocolate after it's set.
Personally, I'd get the candy coloring and go with that...but then I like
intense colors

kimberly
>