"Vox Humana" > wrote in
:

>
> "Leph28" > wrote in message
> news
>> Hi!
>>
>> A friend recently gave me a recipe for cookies with peanut butter, corn
>> flakes & chocolate, and one of the ingredients in the recipe was WAX.
>> Now it surprised me at first, having never used that in cooking and
>> having never eaten wax, but i was wondering if it's something any of
>> you had encountered and if so, what kind of wax should is recommended
>> and where to buy it? I know there's paraffin on sale at the grocery
>> store, but is that ok to be used for cooking??
>>
>> Thanks in advance
>
> Unfortunately, you aren't kidding. The classic recipe for "buckeyes"
> (peanut butter centers dipped in chocolate) also includes wax. The
> specific wax used in these recipes is paraffin wax that is sold along
> side canning supplies in grocery and discount stores. The most common
> brand in my area is "Gulf Wax." It is sold in one pound packages that
> consist of 4 slabs of wax.
>
> As far as I can tell, the wax is added to prevent blooming of the
> chocolate and perhaps to make it more fluid when melted. I'm sure
> someone here can be more informative. The question, in my opinion, is

Wax is sometimes specified in homemade chocolate candies to make the
chocolate firmer and less susceptible to melting.

A fair number of cheaper commercials chocolate candies also contain wax for
the same reason.

> whether this is the best approach to the problem. In very small
> quantities, it is probably harmless but I don't think that the wax is
> intended to be eaten, and I always wonder how pure a product like
> paraffin can be. That is, are there trace amounts of nasty things like
> benzene?
>
> To be safe, I would suggest that you try using a more natural product.
> Specifically, a hydrogenated palm oil shortening would do the same
> thing. Yes, I know that hydrogenated tropical oils aren't healthy, but I
> think they would be a better choice than a petroleum based product. You
> can purchase shortenings specifically designed for chocolate work at
> cake and candy supply houses. Here is a link to the Sugarcraft page
> where you can find "Paramount Crystal Flakes" to use instead of
> paraffin. http://www.sugarcraft.com/catalog/ca...olate.htm#para
>
>
>
>



--
Wayne in Phoenix

*If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.
*A mind is a terrible thing to lose.