How to Use Merckens Milk Chocolate Wafers

Merckens milk chocolate wafers are remarkable because, as compound chocolate, they require very little experience or finely tuned skill to work with. As a result, they are a perennial favorite among novice bakers and confectioners.

What’s great about them on this matter is that they give you the ability to produce much better than novice or beginner quality results in pops, drops, dips, candies, and much more. All you need is a little insight and you’ll be good to go.

Because Merckens milk chocolate wafers are made with vegetable oil in place of cocoa butter, they do not require any tempering in order to produce visually alluring and delicious treats. You can melt them down and then reconstitute them and they’ll produce beautiful, visually stunning, and velvety smooth chocolate treats every time. Here’s how to do it.

1. Get a double boiler or prepare one. While you can theoretically melt Merckens chocolate wafers over direct heat, this is not a good idea as the chocolate can still burn. It’s not advisable, and the double boiler will protect the quality of the finished chocolate goods.

2. Slowly increase the heat. You will notice the wafers inside the double boiler will start to be getting soft around the edges and starting to melt. Without turning the heat up, gently stir the wafers in the double boiler, being careful not to spill any.

3. It is equally important at this point not to introduce any liquids into the double boiler with the chocolate. Even though these wafers do not need to be tempered, allowing water into the mixture will cause it to seize, as the water and oils in the chocolate will not mix.

4. Continue to stir until the chocolate wafers have fully melted. Make sure you stir up the container even after you’re confident that they have all melted, as usually some chunks will stick around and these can mess with the consistency of the finished chocolate goods.

5. Once you have assured yourself that the chocolate mixture is fully melted, you can move your melted chocolate into another warm container if you so choose, although we would advise against this. You should work out of the original container (removing it from the double boiler) simply so that the chocolate mixture does not begin to prematurely harden on you.

6. At this point, you can use your melted chocolate mixture to begin creating your confections. If you’re going to add the chocolate to molds, you can pour it in liquid form. Usually, you won’t need to add anything to the molds to prevent it from sticking. If it does stick, you can pop the mold in the freezer for an hour or two, which should cause your confections to pop right out.

7. If you’re planning on dipping treats into the chocolate instead, you should shy from the practice of chilling them beforehand, as this can cause the mixture to solidify prematurely. Instead work with room temperature fruits, pretzels, or other treats, dipping them and then placing them on parchment paper or wax paper to cool slowly. One of the best things about Merckens milk chocolate wafers is that they will solidify without blooming or seizing, producing fine confections every time.

Afterward, you can save the remainder of the melted chocolate in a bowl or scrape it into a mold that you can allow to be resolidified so you can use it again in the future. If you really want to extend the life of your Merckens chocolate products, you can store them in the freezer.

In addition, keep in mind that Merckens does not only produce milk chocolate wafers. They also produce a number of white chocolate and colored chocolate wafers that are ideal for producing seasonal chocolate treats at all times of the year. Even if that’s not your aim, you can make elaborately colored and decorated chocolate-flavored creations with a candy coating at any time of year.

Merckens doesn’t just produce chocolate wafers that are easy to melt, either. They also produce other high-quality chocolates like their Yucatan Dark Chocolate and Merckens Marquis Milk Chocolate. They have the market covered, from the needs of everyone from the most inexperienced chocolatiers to those with more advanced skills.

Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy way to use chocolate candy melts to create some sweet treats for your friends and family, or you want to learn more about the different grades of chocolate, we’re your source for all things chocolate.

Check out our other blog posts, where you’ll come across periodic bits of wisdom related to chocolate and other esoteric baking products and topics, and give us a call if you have any additional questions. We love to hear from our customers and we’d love to put your questions or concerns to rest. Whether it’s a product question or a process question, call us at 724-274-6314 and we’ll help you sort it out.