Valentine's Day Projects Continued

Yesterday I tackled dipping my little cake hearts in the chocolate candy coating.  It took me about a dozen and a half to get things working the way I wanted.  The candy melts just didn't seem like they were melting well and were quite thick.  Not what you want for dipping.  I was beginning to think I should have just tempered some chocolate.  It didn't help that I decided I wanted to add a little butter for richness.  It is possible to use butter, it just needs to be done before the chocolate pieces start melting, not after like I tried.  It tried to seize up on me so I had to use my arch nemesis (shortening) to thin it out a little.  But eventually it worked out and they're all coated.   Some just a little better than others.



These were among the last ones I did. 
Fortunately my technique did improve as I went along.



Trying to find an out-of-the-way spot to wait for more decor.

Later in the evening I decided some decorations in white (almond bark) would be pretty.  It would have been, except the stuff kept hardening in the tip of my piping bag before I could get it out.  I attempted a few before throwing in the towel - and I'm not showing you those.  I may try again today when the kitchen is a little warmer.  I was trying to figure out what was going wrong because I've piped chocolate and candy melts before.  Since this is almond bark coating, I'm not sure if that's the problem or not.  If it doesn't work out today, we'll scrap it and go with something else.  To paraphrase Clint Eastwood (as Gunny Highway in Heartbreak Ridge): I'll improvise, adapt and overcome.