Chocolate Recipes
By Elizabeth LaBau, About.com Guide to Candy
In candymaking, chocolate is second only to sugar in importance and frequency of use. Chocolate is unique in that it can be both a fundamental ingredient and a finished candy by itself. If you're craving chocolate, browse these chocolate candy recipes and tempt your taste buds with our selection of truffle, fudge, and other white, dark, and milk chocolate recipes.
- Chocolate Fruit Candies
- Chocolate Nut Candies
- Other Chocolate Candy Recipes
- Chocolate Candy Decorations
Working With Chocolate
Chocolate is an amazing substance that can be manipulated in remarkable ways, but it must be treated carefully. To ensure that your chocolate candies have the best taste and texture, it is important to know how to successfully work with chocolate. These pages will explain how to properly perform the most common chocolate tasks, from chopping to melting to fixing chocolate mistakes.
Tempering Chocolate
Many chocolate candy recipes call for the chocolate to be "tempered" before use. Tempering refers to a process of heating and cooling the chocolate to specific temperatures so that the cocoa butter in the chocolate forms even crystals. Chocolate does not always need to be tempered; for instance, tempering is unnecessary when chocolate will be combined with other ingredients for baking. However, if you are going to be dipping centers in chocolate, or making solid chocolate candies, you will want to temper your chocolate to produce a stable, beautiful, appetizing candy.
- How to Temper Chocolate
- Tempering Chocolate Video
- Tempering Chocolate the Easy Way
- Tempering Chocolate Alternatives
- Molding Chocolate: No Need to Temper
Truffle Recipes
Truffles are simple, elegant candies that let the true flavor of good-quality chocolate shine. Traditionally, truffles are formed into small balls and rolled in cocoa powder, giving them a rustic look reminiscent of their fungal namesakes. Truffles can also be dipped in chocolate or formed in candy molds for a more finished look.
- Caramel Truffles
- Cookies and Cream Truffles
- Aztec Truffles
- Pistachio and Orange Truffles
- White Chocolate Citrus Truffles
- Mint Fudge Truffles
- Zebra Truffles
- Black Forest Truffles
- Mocha Meltaway Truffles
- View All Truffle Recipes
Fudge Recipes
Fudge is a popular candy with seemingly endless variations. Fudge recipes vary widely, but most call for chocolate, sugar, butter, and milk or cream. Other common additives include marshmallow fluff, flavored extracts, and chopped nuts. You will find that there are unlimited possibilities when it comes to fudge flavors, so feel free to experiment and create your own fudge recipes.
- Mexican Chocolate Fudge
- Easy Walnut Fudge
- Cookies and Cream Fudge
- Microwave Fudge
- View All Fudge Recipes
Chocolate Fruit Candies
Chocolate and fruit are a natural combination. Fresh fruit is divine when dipped in chocolate, and dried fruit can add a great texture and flavor boost to all manner of chocolate candies.
- Marbled Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
- Chocolate-Covered Cherries
- Chocolate Caramel Apples
- Apple and Quince Chocolates
- Apricot Almond Bark
- Chocolate-Dipped Watermelon
- Coconut Cream Patties
- Lemon Chocolate Bark
- Red, White and Blueberry Bark
- Chocolate-Dipped Apricots
Chocolate Nut Candies
Because sometimes you feel like a nut! Nuts are a great addition to chocolate fudge, truffles, bark, and more. They are an easy way to add a slightly savory taste and crunchy texture to smooth, rich chocolate. Most of these recipes call for specific nuts, but in many cases, the recipes are flexible and you can substitute your favorite nuts as desired.
- Hazelnut-Chocolate Bites
- Chocolate Fondant Nut Clusters
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
- How to Make Peanut Butter Cups Photo Guide
- Kitchen Sink Clusters
Other Chocolate Candy Recipes
Some chocolate candies just aren't easy to categorize, so they get a category all their own. These recipes range from pure molded chocolate to an assortment of chocolate-dipped treats, but they all have one thing in common: phenomenal chocolate flavor.
- Mint Chocolate Cups
- Huge Chocolate Kiss
- Elegant Chocolate Boxes
- Chocolate Fall Medallions
- Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Honeycomb
- Chocolate-Dipped Marshmallows
- Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels
- Candied Cacao Nibs
- View All Chocolate Candy Recipes
Chocolate Candy Decorations
Have you seen desserts in restaurants topped by dramatic curls of chocolate or artistic chocolate designs? Did you know you can create the same effects at home? These videos and instruction pages will show you how to transform a block of chocolate into beautiful decorations.
