PrintSerious Efforts: adding flavouring to melted chocolate?
Apologies for cross post, I put this in 'Food and Drink by accident'
Hi Eaters,
I am making a homemade version of Girl Scout thin mints. I've gotten as far as making the cookie, but upon tasting them, they're not very 'minty'. The only step left is melting chocolate and butter and coating the cookies. Here's my question. Can I add more peppermint extract to the melted chocolate? Or will this cause it to seize? I'm not very experienced workoing with chocolate.
Also, I have some shortening, will this work better with the chocolate than melted butter for a cookie coating?
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9 Comments:
I've added flavorings to melted chocolate without an issue. You're already adding water with the butter, so another teaspoon of mint flavoring isn't going to throw the whole thing off. Er, what I mean is that butter contains water, if that wasn't clear.
As far as butter vs. shortening, I'd rather eat butter than shortening, so that's what I'd go with. And although they probably exist, I don't know that I've seen a recipe that uses shortening in that particular application, although I've seen plenty that melt the chocolate and butter together.
I think you're on the right track.
dbcurrie at 1:39PM on 02/05/09
Thanks much! I only had the shortening since it was left over from some peppermint patties I made last month which explicitly called for shortening to mix w/the chocolate for the coating. It worked fine, but like you, I'd rather eat butter than shortening, wondered if the moisture content was so different that there would be some trouble.
Thanks db!
BananaMonkey at 2:17PM on 02/05/09
You are going to have to keep the cookies in the freezer, since adding the butter and the extract will keep the chocolate from tempering (i.e., it won't harden after being used to coat the cookies).
KarynMC at 4:14PM on 02/05/09
Thanks KarynMC...this whole recipe has been a bit of a dud, but worth it since I'm learning so much about the wily ways of chocolate!
BananaMonkey at 4:20PM on 02/05/09
Do you know how to temper the chocolate? It's really easy. When you're melting the chocolate over a double boiler, reserve 1/4 of the chopped chocolate. When the chocolate's almost all melted, remove it from the heat and stir it until the chocolate melts completely. Then add the chocolate you reserved, and stir it until it melts in. Start coating, but keep the cookies in a dry, room temperature place. The chocolate should start hardening fairly quickly, sticking it straight in the fridge or freezer can keep it from hardening.
KarynMC at 7:46PM on 02/05/09
You also might want to look into flavoring oils, they do better with chocolate than extracts (alcohol-based). Be careful though, you need far less of it than the extract.
Cybele at 7:51PM on 02/05/09
If you can get second-distillation peppermint oil, it has a more candy cane/thin mint kind of flavor, and a higher menthol content, which gives it that nice "cool" flavor as well. I buy mine online, from a soap making supply company, of all places.
As for your butter/shortening issue, butter always tastes better. I use clarified butter when making chocolate glaze, which removes the extra water problem. I dip meringues, chill them for 5 minutes, and bring them back out and they sit just fine at room temperature.
I use 8 oz melted dark chocolate, with 2 oz clarified butter. You'd probably only need 2 to 4 drops of peppermint oil for that much chocolate.
ClockworkPirate at 9:23PM on 02/05/09
You folks are great. I've learned so much! Thanks.
BananaMonkey at 10:19AM on 02/06/09
Would love to have your chocolate cookie recipe and the final chocolate coating, if possible.
Maryland Crab
Maryland Crab at 11:49AM on 02/06/09