Anyone have luck finding milk chocolate chips? I use Wegman's brand semi sweet, but haven't found safe milk chocolate chips locally. I got excited to see Guitard (is that how its spelled?) Christmas candy at my local Wegman's, but no chips so far despite my asking every week :misspeak: I may resort to just coarsely chopping a Hershey bar! (I know lots of you dislike the way Hershey tastes, but I was raised on it and have no clue what the "sour" taste some of you refer to is!)
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllll - a chopped up Hershey bar has different stabilizers than chips or baking bars do...so...it'll be a melty mess if you are baking with it.
I've only ever used Guittard milk chocolate chips. Do you have time to order online?
Do you have a Cost Plus World Market near you? If so, call first and see if they've gotten them in yet. Try Target? I've been seeing Guittard (bagged chips) everywhere this year, like they are branching out.
Adrienne
If I were to order online, is there somewhere best to go? I'll check Target again, but I've had no luck in the past! Thanks for the warning about the stabilizers... I actually just tasted a cookie/toffee creation that is heavenly. After it comes out of the oven, you dump chips on it and spread when melted. It then goes in the fridge....setting may be an issue then?
Just found the Guittard thread and ordered- Thanks Becca! Is a case of milk chocolate, 2 bags of white and 2 bags of butterscotch a little overboard? :hiding: I'm so excited- I can make Rachel Ray's 5 minute fudge again!!! :happydance:
I think you will find the quality to be superior to many baking chocloate too.
I love the butterscotch! I can get white and semi sweet chips that are safe, but no butterscotch, so I just got 6 bags!
Are the Hershey Milk Chocolate chips unsafe in your area? That's all we use here. If I could find Guittard within an hour's drive I'd buy them. I don't want to order them-the last time I ordered chocolate chips I over-ordered because I wanted it to be worth the shipping cost and they all turned gross before we got them all used.
Quote from: MandCmama on December 07, 2011, 03:06:09 PM
I'm so excited- I can make Rachel Ray's 5 minute fudge again!!! :happydance:
So I just looked up this recipe...obviously you aren't putting nuts in it, but do you mix in anything or just keep it plain?
Fudge isn't something I usually make.
I used to make as is, but lately I just do it plain for us. If I make it as a gift I do the candied cherries. I had never made fudge before, but I saw her make it on Oprah and knew even I could handle it! It's very good, but cut it small- its VERY rich and sweet!
What brand of cherries do you use?
I don't know of any candied cherries that are safe ( that's why I only put them on gifts). I'm going to check Wegmans though, because their maraschino cherries are safe. ... Maybe they'll have candied too!
Quote from: MandCmama on December 07, 2011, 02:48:05 PM
If I were to order online, is there somewhere best to go? I'll check Target again, but I've had no luck in the past! Thanks for the warning about the stabilizers... I actually just tasted a cookie/toffee creation that is heavenly. After it comes out of the oven, you dump chips on it and spread when melted. It then goes in the fridge....setting may be an issue then?
I order them from Vermont Nut Free - they have milk, semi-sweet, butterscotch, and white.
Quote from: MandCmama on December 07, 2011, 02:35:17 PM
(I know lots of you dislike the way Hershey tastes, but I was raised on it and have no clue what the "sour" taste some of you refer to is!)
Hersheys chocolate is manufactured using a different manufacturing process than European and Canadian chocolate, giving it a unique sour taste.
From wikipedia:
Hershey process milk chocolate is cheaper to make than other types of chocolate as it is less sensitive to the freshness of the milk. The process is a trade secret, but experts speculate that the milk is partially lipolyzed, producing butyric acid, which stabilizes the milk from further fermentation. This compound gives the product a particular sour, "tangy" taste, to which the US public has become accustomed, to the point that other manufacturers often add butyric acid to their milk chocolates
Sour is not a word I'd use to describe hershey chocolate. Maybe like the article says, I'm used to the taste and don't notice. But I don't like sour foods at all (I'll eat lemon pie, cookies, etc as long as they're plenty sweet) and I have had dove and other brands of chocolate and notice no difference in sweetness compared to hersheys.
Does anyone use the Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips???
Quote from: Princess Cheese on December 09, 2011, 01:59:03 AM
Does anyone use the Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips???
I have in the past but I seem to remember sunflower being an issue with them. They are more of a semi-sweet taste.
Jessica- checked at Wegmans tonight and the only brand of candied fruit they carry is Pennant. From their website it appears they only handle fruit. May be worth a call.
Quote from: Princess Cheese on December 09, 2011, 01:59:03 AM
Does anyone use the Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips???
we use them all the time.. delicious!
and peanut-free, wheat-free, egg-free, milk-free, etc
Hershey milk and semi-sweet are safe in my area (and deeply discounted this time of year at Walmart, so I pick up a few bags as they disappear throughout the year and keep them in the freezer).
Oh they can be kept in the freezer?? I had no idea and don't know why I never checked. That's good news because if I order, I want to order a bunch because of the shipping.
Quote from: YouKnowWho on December 10, 2011, 09:19:34 AM
Hershey milk and semi-sweet are safe in my area (and deeply discounted this time of year at Walmart, so I pick up a few bags as they disappear throughout the year and keep them in the freezer).
Hershey's semi sweet chocolate chips are safe here in Toronto Canada too (I have used both Hersheys and Enjoy Life semi sweet chocolate chips)
Quote from: Princess Cheese on December 09, 2011, 01:59:03 AM
Does anyone use the Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips???
We use them daily. I've used them for covering cake pops, in cookies and sprinkled over yogurt. They melt well and taste good. However, when I went to Whole Foods today to grab a bag they were LITERALLY on top of and next to bags of peanut butter chips...now they feel contaminated...after commingling with the enemy!
Years ago DS ate the Hershey's chocolate chips and refused more, swearing they tasted like peanut butter. He unknowingly ate them from the same bag weeks later and said the same thing. One of the 2 times, he broke out in a rash on his chin. Not sure if it was the chocolate, but even so, considering he's anaphylactic and asthmatic, it wasn't much of a rxn.
I called Hershey's and they said they could have picked up the aroma of the peanut butter from sitting next to them on the shelf. It was years before I was comfortable trying them again, but now I do. However, I note the shelf position and often sniff the bag first :) I'm sure I get a few weird looks!
I think I just ruined the 5 minute fudge.
Quote from: hezzier on December 22, 2011, 01:52:03 PM
I think I just ruined the 5 minute fudge.
Oh no! what happened?
Butterscotch chips do not melt at the same rate as chocolate chips so the chocolate was getting too warm and started to clump. I think it's ok, but just not as smooth or pretty as I had anticipated. I'll makes some notes and remember if I try again to give them a head start or I should just do it in the microwave. I think I added the vanilla too late also.
I put it in a square pan, no wreath shape, and I cut an edge and it tastes fine. We'll keep the pieces that aren't so pretty, but honestly my neighbors like my "flops" as long as they taste good.
Huh, I never noticed the different melting rate.... Glad it still tastes good! The last time I made it, I thought about cutting it into tiny pieces and putting them into little candy/mini muffin liners for giving. Didn't know if it would dry out.
I doubt it will be around long enough to dry out.