| Have you ever wondered how it is that we can dip nuts into chocolate so that the
chocolate comes out distributed evenly all around the nut? When the nut is coated
commercially it goes through an enrobing process. If you had a cup and poured a little
chocolate in it and set the chocolate, then placed a nut in the cup on the chocolate
bottom, and then flowed chocolate over the nut with the excess flowing out of the cup, you
would be enrobing . The finished coated nut goes through cooling tunnels to harden the
chocolate and is then popped out of the cup.
You can not do that at home. About the best you can do is to pour chocolate in a mold
and then push the nut into the center. As it sets the nut will form a core. Sometimes you
can buy these molds at cake decorating specialty shops. They are usually made of flexible
rubber or plastic.
You might also try a easier method, but more specialized. Take the nut in your hand and
dip the nut into the chocolate and give your wrist a quick turn as you lift the
chocolate-coated nut out of the bowl. The chocolate will run off, but some will stay on
the nut forming a thin layer. Set on wax paper to dry. You can dip several times and this
will build up a mass.
This method is an art-form and when you hear of "hand-dipped" chocolates,
this is what they mean. It takes about a year of steady dipping and twisting to get
talented so don't be discouraged if it does not go well.
Read more about Chocolate:
 Chocolate Glossary
Chocolate Tempering |
