The best part of Valentine’s Day (besides the chocolate!) is celebrating the people we love—whether that’s our parents, our brothers and sisters, girlfriends and boyfriends, or just our besties!
And, sure, we think part of celebrating your BFFs is doing something fun, a special little treat can certainly help. We have something in mind!
Meltaways are a chocolate-based candy that, true to their name, melt in your mouth. They’re creamy and so delicious, and super easy to make!
Meltaways are made by combining chocolate with coconut fat and a flavoring. The coconut fat lowers the melting point of the chocolate, giving them their characteristic rapid meltin-in-your-mouth appeal. In fact, they melt so quickly that they actually draw heat from your palate, leaving a cool sensation in your mouth. The most commonly used flavors in meltaways are mint and peanut butter, but other dry or oil flavors may be used to create variety. Meltaways may be dipped in chocolate, but more often they are finished simply with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, or a combination of the two.
What’s in It?
The list of ingredients for meltaways is simple: chocolate, coconut fat, and flavoring. Do not try to substitute another oil for the coconut fat if you want the true meltaway sensation; other fats will not supply the same effect.
CHOCOLATE: Dark, milk, or white chocolate may be used to make meltaways, although dark or milk chocolate is most commonly used. The most important thing to remember about the chocolate for meltaways is that it must be tempered in order for the meltaways to set properly. Check out this post for tips on tempering!
COCONUT FAT: It is the coconut fat that results in the namesake mouthfeel of these candies. If you use coconut fat from a health food store, it will work properly, but it will lend a strong coconut fragrance to the meltaways. Deodorized coconut fat is available from home candy making supply Web sites, and should be used when the coconut aroma is not desired.
FLAVORING: Mint is commonly used; when mint is combined with the mouth-cooling effect from the meltaways, the result is extraordinary. We also love peanut butter and green tea! Any oil-based flavoring such as orange oil, or dry flavor such as a spice, can be used successfully to make meltaways. Do not attempt to use flavorings containing water, such as extracts, as they will thicken the mixture.
Mixing up meltaways is nearly as simple as combining all of the measured ingredients. The only rulees are that the chocolate must be tempered and the other ingredients must not be hot enough to take the chocolate out of temper.
Directions
- Temper the chocolate. Always test the chocolate to make sure that it is properly tempered.
- Melt the coconut fat. The fat may be melted over a water bath or in a microwave. Make sure the fat is not above 85°F when it is added to the chocolate. Cool the fat after melting if necessary.
- Combine the tempered chocolate, coconut fat, and fl avoring. They may be mixed together by hand using a rubber spatula or a paddle.
- Stir by hand for 3 minutes. The additional stirring helps to ensure that the entire mixture is tempered before it is poured into a pan to set.
- Pour into a prepared pan. The pan for meltaways should be lined with plastic wrap for easy unmolding.
- Allow to set fully at room temperature. It usually takes about an hour at room temperature for the meltaways to set. If possible, avoid letting them set overnight, as they will become more brittle and be difficult to cut.
Once you’re done, coat your meltaways in powdered sugar or cocoa powder (or both!). Store them in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator if your room is warm!