Homemade Pastel White Chocolate Chips

Happy Easter Colors!!!

(See updates at end of this original post)

I have searched and searched and don't find a source for pastel white chocolate chips!  Why doesn't someone make these?  Do I just not know where to look?  I Googled it a variety of ways, looked online at my usual sources for specialty baking products...no success.  I didn't want pastel M&Ms (although I did eat an entire bag of Easter M&Ms while I thought about this for the last two weeks).  I want pastel colored white chocolate morsels (not candy coating discs either...chips please!) to make "Easter" Chocolate Chip Cookies!

OK...FINE!  I'll just try to make my own! 

So, it's a Saturday afternoon and our previous plans for the day got cancelled at the last minute...seemed like it was time to give it a whirl.  I had previously bought both Nestle's Toll House Premier White Chocolate Morsels as well as Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bars...our store didn't have any Ghirardelli White Chocolate Morsels, although I feel certain I've seen them before...and used them, unless I'm delusional...which is an absolute possibility! Tee hee :-)

My main concern with using coloring was fear that it was going to cause the melted white chocolate to seize...but I had hoped that whatever they put in the morsels as a stabilizer might help with that problem, so I went for the Toll House morsels, figuring they might be easiest to bring back to a "chip" shape since that's the way they started.

I set up my baking sheets with silicone baking liners, got out my food colors and piping bags and various tips with collars, bowls, spoons...all the things I thought I'd need.

I measured out 3 ounces of white chocolate morsels *(see note at end of post) into heat proof bowls and started on the first one.  (I'm doing 4 colors and I need 12 ounces for the recipe)

I have, in my not so illustrious past, burnt the crap out of white chocolate when melting it.  So, I started with 30 seconds and 50% power in the microwave.  I stopped and stirred them around, but really, no significant melting yet.  Added 15 seconds, 50% and stirred again...there we go - starting to melt so I stirred well - still bumps in the mix...added 15 seconds, still 50%, but stopped it at 10 seconds...stirred...perfecto!

Melted white chocolate with one drop of blue gel color

For the first batch I added just one drop of AmeriColor's Sky Blue (#103) soft gel paste food color.  Stirred thoroughly and it was a beautiful, perfect pastel blue.  Awesome! (**see note at end of post regarding alternate recommendation for food color)

I had already set up my disposable pastry bags (I'm lazy, it's all I can do to clean my tips, not doing bags too) with a collar and a Wilton #5 tip.  In the same way I add anything to a pastry bag, I had it sitting in a tall glass with the bag rolled over the edge of the glass to form a collar.  I scooped it in, tightened it down, sealed it with a rubber band (and later with twist ties - they worked better for me), and left it sitting tip down in the glass. 

I wanted it to cool a bit before I started piping so I prepped the next color (AmeriColor Deep Pink #114) and followed the same procedure.  No seizing - worked like a charm.  I left it to cool in the piping bag while I worked on piping out all the blue chocolate chips.

The #5 tip worked great.  I had a few different sizes out and I think the one I started with is indeed the best.  Beginners luck.  However, getting a neat chocolate chip took a little effort...that and I realize I can't go in a straight line :-)  Oh well, it is what it is.  Please don't judge me.  There is a definite rhythm to the process.  I pictured a machine.  Squeeze, release, pause, move, squeeze, release, pause, move.  If I forgot to release completely, there was a line of chocolate that followed to the next one.  If I didn't move my hand down the bag to keep an even flow, wocky chips happened.  I'd get going in a great rhythm with awesome little morsels...and then get out of sync, or my hand would feel tired and I'd loose it for a few chips.  Oh well, I guess in a cookie, no one will really notice.

I can tell you already, I'll be too tired after I finish the next two colors to bake cookies today. (I'm taking a pause between the blue/pink set before beginning the green/peach set)  I'll probably make the dough and freeze it tomorrow (I'll bake off a few to show you when I get to that point) - but I want to take them to my boys and grandchildren for part of the Easter goodies next week-end.  I'll want to bake them off fresh when it's closer to the time!

OK, I finished the green and the peach...the peach actually looks, to me, more like a light pink.  I used Mint Green #112 and Peach #117 for the last two batches. 

I must say, that's a fine looking bunch of chocolate morsels. I must also say I will need some ibuprofen any minute now. My hands are aching!

Still, it was a fun project.  I hope my progeny all appreciate the hard work for those special Easter  Chocolate Chip Cookies that their momma/grandma is baking for them!!!  I'll let you know.

*Follow-up Note Added 4/1/2012:
Duh, genius I am not.  Need 12 ounces of chips for recipe.  This made 9 ounces...because, of course, I left some in the bowl and some in the piping bags and collar area...unavoidable to use every bit I weighed into the bowls.  Should have done 4 ounces in each bowl!!! (banging head)

**Follow-up Note Added 3/10/2015
After several more years of working with cookies, chocolates, and cakes.... I'll tell you this will work much better if you do NOT USE WATER BASED GEL COLORS.  I frequently have the chocolate seize or get more thick than I want (thus the difficulty in the piping and pain in my hands).  It works MUCH BETTER with oil based food colors (like Chef Master has).  ALSO - I have given up on microwave melting of chocolate.  The ability to control temperature is so much better in a double boiler on the stove top or the newer Wilton chocolate melter.

A wonderful tutorial for melting chocolate may be found on Julia Usher's Youtube Channel.

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

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