CANDY MELT FAQ's:
WHERE CAN I FIND CANDY MELTS?
Candy melts can be found at certain craft stores (like Michaels and Hobby Lobby) and at the Bulk Barn if you live in Canada (see store website for store locator).
I have been told they are sold at some Walmart locations and at grocery stores in certain places in the USA.
I have been told they are available at Hobbycraft in the UK.
They are also for sale online on websites like Amazon, Ebay and the Wilton and Merckens website (and others)
We pay about $6 a pound for them here in Ontario, Canada.
WHAT ARE CANDY MELTS AND WHAT DO THEY TASTE LIKE?
They are a candy confection designed to be melted and they harden nice and shiny without tempering.
Most of them taste like white chocolate.
The chocolate coloured ones have some cocoa in them and taste like mild milk chocolate but they do come in other flavours.
The colours I use (red,green,yellow,blue,purple,pink,black,white,orange) all taste the same, just like white chocolate.
I CAN'T GET CANDY MELTS, CAN I DYE WHITE CHOCOLATE?
You can tint white chocolate various colours if you use oil based colours. Water based colours will cause the candy melts to "seize up".
I have been told that powdered colours also work, but I've never tried them.
I have found oil based colours online and in craft stores (and Bulk Barn).
Paste food colour can be used, but I find that they tend not to colour the chocolate evenly and you get lots of specks of colour in the chocolate because of the water in the gel or the paste.
HOW DO YOU MELT CANDY MELTS?
I melt my candy melts in a bowl or plastic bag in the microwave at 50% power for about a minute, I give them a stir and then continue to microwave a few seconds at a time, stirring and checking until smooth.
You can also place the bag or bowl into a bowl of hot water and wait, they will melt that way too.
You can also use a double boiler and they do sell little fondue style pots made for candy melt melting.
HELP! MY CANDY MELTS ARE TOO THICK TO USE!:
They may seem to be too thick, if that is the case add melted shortening or low taste vegetable oil to thin it out to a nice dipping consistency.
I have had mixed results with the Wilton candy melts, some colours (like the powder blue and the bright yellow) barely seem to melt at all and are very hard to work with. I would recommend the Merckens brand if you have the choice.
WHAT DO I DO WITH THE LEFTOVER MELTED CANDY MELTS?
Scoop out leftover candy melts and spread them out on some waxed paper or plastic wrap and let harden.
Break up and peel off the solidified candy melt and store them to be melted later.
WILL THEY MELT AFTER I MAKE SOMETHING WITH THEM AND DO I NEED TO REFRIGERATE THEM?
The candy melts are very stable at normal room temperature and do not need to be refrigerated.
You will leave fingerprints in them if you handle them a lot as the heat of your fingers will be enough to start them melting.
I would not mail these if there is a chance that they will sit in a tropical location for any length of time, they will likely arrive in a melted clump.
HOW DO YOU STORE UNUSED CANDY MELTS?
I keep mine in plastic containers in the cupboard.
You will have to read the instructions on the box or bag of your candy melts to get an idea of the shelf life.
The candy melts may develop a white powdery coating on them over time, this is normal and they have not gone bad, you can still use them.