Indulge in Hand-Crafted Chocolates
MELTING CHOCOLATE
Melting chunks of chocolate into a silky liquid is a skill you need to learn, if you want to make chocolates. It can be beaten into a ganache, swirled through a cake batter or drizzled over ice cream.
TEMPERING CHOCOLATE
Creating glossy, snappy chocolate that melts slowly on the tongue takes work. If you melt it and leave it at room temperature, it won’t set. Popping it in the fridge results in a fleeting firmness; as soon as it’s back on the counter, blotchy and dull, it starts to soften.
“Well-tempered chocolate is necessary for high-quality chocolate
MOULDING CHOCOLATE
Moulding involves shaping the liquid chocolate with the help of a form to achieve a desired design. The result of the moulding process can be filled or solid chocolate shapes, bars, or various hollow figures for decoration.
CHOCOLATE SHELLS
You can create chocolate objects of different shapes by using single moulds or two-part moulds (typically used for 3D shapes). The moulds are typically made of a few different materials, such as silicone, metal, polycarbonate, or PET plastic.
FILLING SHELLS
Fill them with ganache, praline or any other filling of your choice. Ideally you should use a piping bag (smooth tube or even without a tube). Fill them to within 2 mm of the edge, taking care to leave sufficient room to cap the base
CLOSING THE CHOCOLATES
To close the chocolates heat the surface of the mould very briefly using a hot air gun. Then spread a small amount of tempered chocolate.
Leave to crystallise.
To remove from the mould, turn the mould over.
MELTING CHOCOLATE
Some people make the mistake of trying to remove the chocolates too soon after making them. You shouldn’t try to remove them from the moulds while they’re still hot.
Waiting until things cool down will make it much easier and it’ll be less likely that you’ll break the chocolates. You could even refrigerate the chocolate in the moulds for a while once they have reached room temperatur
MELTING CHOCOLATE
Melting chunks of chocolate into a silky liquid is a skill you need to learn, if you want to make chocolates. It can be beaten into a ganache, swirled through a cake batter or drizzled over ice cream.
MELTING CHOCOLATE
Melting chunks of chocolate into a silky liquid is a skill you need to learn, if you want to make chocolates. It can be beaten into a ganache, swirled through a cake batter or drizzled over ice cream.