Any substitutions for paraffin wax in recipes?

**Michelle** · 11-24-2002, 10:14 PM

I found a recipe for Buckeyes tonight, and I want to make them for the holidays (never had them before), but I don't have paraffin wax. I know that this is used to make the chocolate shiny when coating them...so if that's the only purpose for it, can I leave it out? Or is there a substitute? Here is the recipe I am reading:Buckeyes

Commonly known as Peanut Butter Balls.

2 lbs. Peanut butter
1 pound butter
3 pounds powdered sugar
two 12-ounce packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Use a high quality chocolate.
1/2 of one bar of paraffin wax
toothpicks for dipping
waxed paper

Place wax paper onto cookie sheets and set aside. Cream peanut butter and butter until combined. Add sugar a little at a time. Make sure it is mixed well. Roll peanut butter mixture into approximately 400 1-inch diameter balls. Insert one tooth pick into each small peanut butter ball. Set all of them aside. Melt chocolate and paraffin (parafin helps the chocolate become shiny when it cools) in a double boiler. Be careful not to over-heat the chocolate. Dip the ball into the chocolate so as to ALMOST cover the entire ball. Leave small portion of ball uncoated. Let cool on waxed paper. Store in a cool place.

Recipe Information

This recipe makes 400 cookies. Halve or quarter the recipe if you can't eat that many!

(Recipe from http://www.christmas-cookies.com)

**heaven** · 11-24-2002, 10:20 PM

Chelle, i use parafin all the time in candles. IT is dirt cheap a whole brick is under $2. * i think i pay 1.29 for a lb. block of it. i don't know if you can leave it out. probably could if you don't mind them not being shiny.
I did find this on it though.

PARAFFIN WAX OR PARAWAX, BAKER'S WAX, OR COOKING WAX: is classified as a chemical preservative, is widely used on fruits, vegetables, and candy to make them shiny and pretty and to retard moisture loss and spoilage. Paraffin is still commonly used to seal home-canned jellies and jams. You can find paraffin wax, also sometimes called baker's wax, in your grocery store where canning jars and supplies are sold.

You can use paraffin wax when making Christmas candies. Click for How to Melt.
Waxes are made from vegetable oils, palm oil derivatives, synthetic resins, as well as other materials. Yes, it is edible. However, some paraffin is not intended to be ingested, such as that sold for candle making, so check the label.

Paraffin wax is often added to melted chocolate. It gives it a nice, glossy finish, a harder shell and helps it remain solid at room temperature. It also keeps the chocolate "dippable" for a longer period of time. If you are dipping small items, you can leave the paraffin out of the recipe, especially when using chocolate chips. For making larger chocolate items, tempering is the way to go.

HTH

**Michelle** · 11-24-2002, 10:31 PM

Thanks Heaven! I think based on this sentence alone:

"If you are dipping small items, you can leave the paraffin out of the recipe, especially when using chocolate chips. "

I will try to make them without the wax. I'll try a test batch before the holidays

Thanks again!!

**Jenlee** · 11-25-2002, 03:09 PM

Chelle, most stores will carry "Gulf" brand as it's the most popular. It comes in 4 - 4oz. bars and may cost $1.50. It really helps the chocolate harden quickly, but I've done without plenty of times.

Last year, I did a dipped candy for 35 of dh's employees Christmas gifts and it was a necessity.

Have fun.

**Katybird** · 11-26-2002, 04:12 PM

Michelle,

I made buckeyes last year for work and used a recipe that did not call for parrafin, it used shortening instead, but it was a disaster, my chocolate did not harden and I had sticky yucky balls of candy, (of course the eating patrol, aka-my teenagers, did not mind) I ended up going to the store and purchasing the gulf brand and making another batch for work.

Blessings,
Kathy