All of us loves eating chocolates—be it for snacks or as additional ingredients in the desserts we bake. Chocolates are a must-go flavour that people of all ages enjoy. This product of roasted and grounded cacao seeds is either marketed in liquid, paste, or block form. It also comes in different flavours—dark, milk, and white. Almonds and fruits can also be added which makes chocolates a quick get-go for snacks.
Making chocolates require many processes, some of them can be done using things from our household while some require various appliances. One perfect way to do about chocolates is to make chocolate moulds; these are chocolates that have been moulded in different types of moulders and formed into different shapes. They are the ones perfect for gift-giving and even for a quick snack. Surprisingly, some of us would want to create our designs and this is what the article is all about.
Types of Chocolate Moulds
Chocolate moulds or moulds (for American English speakers) are existing since the 1800s and are used to shape large blocks of chocolates for commercial use. First, they were made in regular square sizes until more bakers and chocolate enthusiasts started creating chocolate moulds of intricate designs making them exist until today.
There are two types of chocolate moulds:
- Plastic Chocolate Moulds. These are usually made for home cooks made of thin plastic with shallow cavities that can work well with chocolate for occasional usage.
- Polycarbonate Chocolate Moulds. Polycarbonate is a transparent thermoplastic that is also used in the fields of engineering. They have deep cavities and mostly used by professional bakers and can withstand heat which can produce tall blocks of chocolate.
Making Chocolate Moulds
It’s always about how we can mould our chocolates but never about how we can make our moulds. Fortunately, there are a lot of new ways to make our moulds.
Using Silicone
Silicone can be found everywhere on the internet which you can use in making your chocolate moulds. Here is an easy way to craft one:
- Measure.Start by measuring the silicone in equal parts (in case you’ll buy two different colours). It is a one-time-use product; remember to use enough silicone for what you need.
- Mix. Knead the two parts of Silicone like how you used to do with Play-Doh. Once they are mixed into one colour, it’s time to quickly set up your mould design because the silicone will be cured after 1 hour.
- Mould. Now, you can start moulding your silicone by pressing an object with a raised surface in it. Objects that don’t have a felt appearance or texture like a soft figure can’t give shape to your mould. Press your object of choice slightly but firmly into the silicon to make sure that you’ll get every detail for the mould.
- Let it Sit. Let the silicone mould sit for an hour and pop the object lightly to avoid damages to the mould. You had now made a silicone mould that you can use for your chocolates and candies.
Tips:
- Silicone moulds can only be used one at a time which offers a great advantage when you need to make a ton of candies and chocolates.
- The thinner the silicone used for the mould, the more it guarantees detail for the object of choice.
Using Brown Sugar
Another way of making chocolate moulds is to use ingredients from your household: brown sugar. The steps to make this mould is also very easy that can benefit beginners in baking and cooking:
- Make the Base. Get a pan and fill half or ¾ of it with brown sugar. Flatten the sugar and press it lightly. Avoid making them lose their solidness to become a firm mould.
- Mould. Like in using silicone, you can take a clean object of your choice and press it lightly but firmly against the brown sugar. Avoid handling it roughly because the sugar can change its shape easily.
- Handle the Chocolates. Melt your chocolates into a double-boiler and put them in your sugar chocolate mould. You can add spices if you want them to appear on top of your chocolate. For removing sugar residue after the chocolate has been refrigerated, pour cold water on the chocolate.
Tips:
- Using a toothbrush helps remove sugar residue while running cold water on top of the chocolate.
- This is perfect for kids that have an interest in making pastries.
Things to Remember in Using Moulds
Aside from the what’s and how’s in making the chocolate moulds itself, there are also a lot of things that one needs to know about the tools we use in making chocolate moulds. It isn’t all fun and play; there are important notes that any enthusiast can ponder on to make sure that their precious chocolate won’t be ruined.
- Avoid Washing. Cleanliness is the first thing in making our snacks delicious. That is an obvious reason for someone to use every detergent or soap only to make sure that bacteria won’t stay in their tools. However, the taste can be varied when using it in chocolate moulds especially when not completely rinsed. Even putting it in boiling water is not the best choice; dry kitchen towels are the solution. Chocolate leftovers can be removed using scrapers and papers.
- Variation. Everyone can stop worrying about repetitive designs because hundreds of designs for chocolates are made every year. There are tons in the market, and you can use other designs rather than the plain old square and circle chocolate moulds. Other popular designs in the market nowadays are the traditional ones (Easter eggs, Christmas trees, and hearts) but you can find lots of other designs when you widen your eye range. From the internet alone, there are chocolate moulds that have lovely abstract designs which can be perfect on any occasion. Additionally, you can also have a custom one made for you.
- Size Matters. When shopping for chocolate moulds, it is important to assess the size that you need. Smaller bite-sized chocolates are better for snacks while you may prefer bigger cut chocolates if you’re planning on selling them to the market.
For more information on making chocolate moulds, check out this video:
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