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Chocolate & Candy Making List of Categories The following Frequently Asked Questions about chocolate and candy making should be helpful to all.
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How can I learn more about chocolate making and chocolate molds?
We have a chocolate
mold glossary that will help explain the mold descriptions. This page explains
the care
and feeding of your chocolate molds. A variety of free basic how to instructions
and chocolate making projects can be found on our chocolate
project and instruction index.
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Why did my chocolate come out dull or soft?
Real chocolate requires tempering to attain the shiny, hard finish we associate
with chocolate. Real chocolate contains both cocoa butter and chocolate liqueur
which are required ingredients for a product to be called chocolate according
to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. See Chocolate
Tempering Simplified for more details about this.
An alternative is to use coatings. Coatings look and taste like chocolate but
require no tempering.
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What are Coatings?
For many years it was common practice to combine paraffin wax with chocolate
to make a more durable chocolate for coating candy. A common ratio was 6 parts
chocolate to 1 part paraffin. The FDA has since banned this practice, so an
entire industry has evolved to produce coatings which don't contain non food
products. These generally contain vegetable oils and fats in place of cocoa
butter which makes them less temperature sensitive and much easier to work with.
Since these contain no cocoa butter or chocolate liqueur they are technically
not chocolate by the legal definition although they look and taste just like
chocolate. Coatings are available in a wide variety of colors and in dark, milk, white, peanut butter,
and butterscotch chocolate flavor. Colors are white chocolate flavor.
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What is the maximum temperature that can be used?
This probably varies from one chocolate maker to the next, but the molds will not tolerate temperatures above 165 degrees F. so this temperature should never be exceeded when using clear plastic molds.
Most chocolate requires temperatures lower than 120 degrees F.and a pouring temperature around 90 degrees F.
More importantly, most chocolates are poured at 88 - 90 degree F.
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What is the best way to melt chocolate?
A double boiler works best.
See our Melting
Chocolate In A Double Boiler article for the technique we recommend.
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Can I microwave chocolate?
A microwave will work, but it is very easy to overcook the chocolate. If using a microwave, always check the temperature before pouring to make sure you don't damage the molds.
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What does cavity mean in the mold description?
A mold cavity is an area of the mold designed to hold the chocolate. This ranges from one to many per mold sheet depending on the size of the cavities. As a general guideline, each cavity will produce one chocolate at a time, so a four cavity mold will make four chocolates at a time. The exception to this are assembly molds which require two or more cavities to make each chocolate.
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What are assembly molds?
Most assemby molds are molds that form a three dimensional chocolate (such as a large Easter bunny) by hollow or solid molding. However some assembly molds are used by making separate chocolate pieces that are adhered together after demolding (such as house molds).
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How do I use assembly molds to make hollow chocolates?
Illustrated step by step hollow molding instructions can be found in our Hollow
Molded Easter Bunny Project.
Cut the parts out of the sheet with a sharp scissors. It is important to leave a 3/8 to 1/2 inch piece of the sheet all the way around the mold cavity. One half is filled with chocolate, then the two halves are clamped together. Rotate the assembled mold until the entire inside is covered with chocolate. Place in a refrigerator and rotate every few minutes until cooled. Demold and you have a beautiful hollow chocolate.
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Can I make solid chocolates with assembly molds?
Yes. The best way is to pour and cool the back half first. Once it is demolded, pour the front half of the mold and position the back half in place atop the melted chocolate. See Basic Solid
Molding And Assembly for illustrated step by step instructions. An alternative is to mold the 2 halves, demold them, then adhere them together with some melted chocolate.
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How should I clean chocolate molds?
Warm water like any plastic dish or cup. Hand wash only - do not place in dishwasher. Do not use very hot water as it may damage the mold. This page has detailed chocolate
mold care instructions.
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How should I store my molds?
They don't require any special storage, just avoid extreme heat as it may warp the plastic. Cartons from 8 1/2 X 11 copier paper are perfect for storing many molds in a little space. If you want to save some work cleaning them before use, place them in plastic bags before storing to keep them clean. Never store without washing them first as this would attract vermin.
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How do I paint the chocolates?
Chocolates are best painted in the mold. This takes some getting used to since you are applying the colors in reverse of what you normally would. The chocolate is melted then applied with a nylon bristle brush (a cheap craft brush like they put in kid's paint sets). For example to paint a bunny head do the center of the ears and the nose with pink chocolate. Eyes could be colored too (or don't and apply sugar eyes to the finished chocolate). Pour white or milk chocolate, and you have a beautiful Easter Bunny. This page has detailed basic
chocolate mold painting instructions.
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I have seen people paint with squeeze bottles instead of brushes, is this better?
It makes it easier to apply the colored chocolate. It is much faster when painting a large number of molds, but less practical when painting only one or two due to the additional cleanup.
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How do I make multi color chocolates?
Paint or pour the colors into the mold starting with the front color. In areas too large to paint but too small to pour the chocolate can be applied with a spoon or squeeze bottle. Once all the colors have been applied, fill the mold with the base color.
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How do I attach things to chocolate?
Apply some melted chocolate to it and press in place. This works well for decorating chocolate christamas houses, although white royal icing is both decorative and adhesive.
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Can I thin chocolate with water?
No - water causes chocolate to seize. Use Paramount
Crystals for thinning chocolate.
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How do I assemble multi piece chocolates?
Melted chocolate is applied where they are to be joined and the pieces are pressed together. Do one joint at a time as the chocolate will dry quickly.
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How do I attach candy eyes?
Apply a dab of melted chocolate, then press in place.
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Why do I have air bubbles in my chocolate?
It is a good idea to tap the mold several times against the work surface to dislodge any trapped air after pouring. If this is a chronic problem, you may need to pour at a slightly higher temperature.
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What is the best way to wrap lollies?
We stock a good selection of plastic bags sized for lollies. Place the bag over the end and tie the end closed with a curling ribbon bow or twist tie.
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What is the best way to display lollies for sale?
Our lolly displays work great. They hold the lollies upright and separated.
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Can your clips be used for metal chocolate molds (3D)?
We don't have metal molds to try them on, but they can clamp to a depth of approximately 3/8 inch.
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Can the Latex molds for candlemaking / soap making be used for chocolate?
We do have some customers that use them for chocolate, however some of them are difficult to remove without breaking the chocolate. Furthermore since most of these are textured inside, the chocolate would not have a nice shiny finish.
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When is the best time to add the stick to chocolate lollys?
This is pretty much a matter of personal preference. I place the sticks immediately after pouring and tapping to release any trapped air. It is a good idea to roll the stick after placement in the chocolate to improve coverage.
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Once you have poured your chocolate in your molds and they have hardened, what is the best way to remove the lollies from the mold without breaking them?
Generally they should fall right out once fully cooled. Turn the mold over and hold just above the work surface, then flex the mold gently. Most chocolate makers place the molds in a freezer to hasten demolding.
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Does it work to use food coloring in white chocolate? If not, are colors really possible?
Food coloring does work if you use the right type of food color, however it is far more popular to buy the chocolate wafers precolored. Many food colors contain water and are incompatible with chocolate - I use only powdered food color in chocolate.
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I purchased the embed chocolate cookie molds and was wondering how long can the finished chocolate covered cookies be stored?
Slightly longer than a non chocolate covered sandwich cookie. The chocolate will stall the cookies from going stale because the chocolate blocks air circulation.
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Can candy molds be used for chocolate making?
Yes.
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Can chocolate molds be used for hard candy?
No - hard candy making temperatures will melt chocolate molds.
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Is there a way to thin chocolate?
Yes - add Paramount
Crystals.
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Can your molds can be used with model magic clay?
Yes.
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Whats the best way to use Dusts?
Most folks brush them on with a soft brush. Others mix it with confectioner's glaze.
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I need a shape that is only available in a lolly mold, but do not want it to be a lolly. Can I use it and not make it a lolly?
Yes, pour the mold but dont place a lolly stick. Once it comes out of the mold, trim any chocolate that ran into the stick slot away with a sharp knife.
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How come you only caryy one Kwanzaa chocolate mold?
Oddly enough, to the best of our knowledge it it the only Kwanzaa chocolate mold on the market.
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