Why candy melts seize or go thick, and how to fix them

Tell which one happened

Water: the one that seizes

Candy coating is sugar and milk solids suspended in fat. A small amount of water wets the sugar and makes it clump, and the whole bowl stiffens into a grainy paste. That is seizing. It takes very little: a wet spoon, steam from a double boiler, a drop of condensation from a lid, or a squeeze of water-based gel food coloring.

• Dry bowls, spoons and molds completely. Dry strawberries and any washed fruit just as carefully.
• Use only oil-based or powdered color. The basics guide covers which.
• Flavor with oil-based candy flavoring. Most extracts are alcohol and water.
• Over a double boiler, keep the water at a bare simmer and wipe the bottom of the bowl when you lift it off.

Seized coating is not ruined, but it is finished as a dip. Stir in shortening or coconut oil a teaspoon at a time until it loosens, and use it for drizzle, bark, or filling a mold.

Heat: the one that sneaks up

Candy coating melts at a low temperature and scorches not far above it. Overheated coating turns thick and dull, and it stays that way after it cools. Microwaves heat unevenly, so the middle of the bowl can scorch while the edge still looks solid.

1. Microwave at half power for 30 seconds, then stir, even if nothing looks melted yet.
2. Repeat in 30-second bursts, then 15-second bursts once it is mostly liquid.
3. Stop while a few lumps remain, and stir until they melt in the heat of the bowl.

Glass and ceramic bowls hold heat and keep cooking the coating after the microwave stops. A plastic or silicone bowl is more forgiving.

Color: the one you chose

Oil-based color is safe for coating, but it is not free. Past about 10 drops per ounce the coating runs thicker and you can taste the dye. And by then the color has nearly stopped changing, so the extra dye buys very little.

If a color needs more than that, the answer is a different coating, not more dye. The deep colors guide shows which coating to start from for red, black and navy.

Thinning coating for dipping

Even a perfect melt is often too thick to dip cleanly. Thin it with fat. The common choices are coconut oil, shortening and paramount crystals. Start with about 1 tablespoon per 12 ounces of coating, stir it in fully, and add more a teaspoon at a time. Coating that is ready for dipping runs off a spoon in a smooth ribbon and settles flat in a few seconds.

Thin first, then color. Thinner adds to what is in the bowl, so adding it after you have counted your drops makes the color a little paler than you planned. Coco Match counts the thinner as part of the bowl for exactly that reason.

Cracks, streaks and spots

• Cracks: the treat was too cold. Let chilled cake pops stand for a few minutes before dipping.
• Streaks of color: the dye was not stirred in for long enough. Stir for a full minute and scrape the sides of the bowl.
• Oily spots or leaks: oil is seeping out of the cake pop. Use less frosting in the mix, and seal any gap around the stick.
• Dull or chalky finish: the coating was overheated, or it set somewhere cold and damp. Let dipped treats set at cool room temperature.