Enrobing

Enrobing is the technique of covering a pre-formed center, such as a ganache square, caramel, cookie, wafer or nut cluster, with an even layer of melted chocolate. In factories this is done on an enrober: centers ride a wire belt through a falling curtain of tempered chocolate, a blower removes the excess, and the pieces pass through a cooling tunnel to set.

Enrobing vs. molding vs. panning

• Enrobing — chocolate poured over a solid center. Common for candy bars with layered centers and many truffles.
• Shell molding — chocolate is poured into a mold, emptied to leave a thin shell, filled, then sealed with a chocolate "foot." This gives the glossy, precise shapes of Belgian pralines.
• Panning — centers tumble in a rotating drum while chocolate is sprayed on in thin layers, as with chocolate-covered nuts or malt balls.
• Hand dipping — the artisan version of enrobing, using forks to dip each piece.

What makes good enrobing

Enrobing needs fluid chocolate so the coating stays thin and even, which is why chocolatiers favor couverture with plenty of cocoa butter. The center matters too: it should be firm and at the right temperature so the chocolate sets with a gloss rather than cracking or blooming.

Enrobing-inspired flavors at Polkadot

Many classic candy bars are made by enrobing layered centers, and several Polkadot bars are inspired by those layered flavors. The Twix-inspired bar echoes the classic cookie-and-caramel flavor, and the Snickers-inspired bar channels peanut, caramel and nougat; both are inspired by the classic flavors and are not affiliated with those brands. For true filled-center chocolates, explore the Polkadot truffles.