Making Chocolate
All of the sudden, out of the blue I'm obsessed with making chocolate. I suppose today was the perfect day to become obsessed with candy making (despite having never done it before) because I was suffering from a severe Wild Turkey hangover and didn't feel like doing much else but laying around and reading stuff online.
Does anyone have experience with making their own chocolates? Is it as easy as I've led myself to believe it is? Can you give me the basics of what I should know before I put my chocolate-making plans into action?
Also, for no reason, I feel the need to say that eBay has a huge amount of tin, antique chocolate molds and I want them all- every single one of them.
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8 Comments:
Plastic or silicone molds work best. Making chocolates is fun but is labor intense. Tempering chocolate is a learning experience and if you do it wrong you ruin your chocolate. Start with making truffles. 9 ounces of chocolate is easily replaces and you do not need a mold per se.
The old style metal molds are plentiful because they are a pain in the ass.
Get yourself to the local candy cake supply store and let them show you what you need. Dipping forks, candy thermometer, candy papers, molds, spatulas.
Making chocolate require patience and practice. Also prepare to get chocky all over yourself, your kitchen, anything in your path.
JerzeeTomato at 4:42AM on 09/01/08
The best bit of advice I got was from a real live chocolatier: don't even try to use the melting-chocolate-over-simmering-water- method, because it's just too fiddly and even steam can affect the chocolate. Microwave (on medium power) instead. There's no way moisture can get into the chocolate that way, and as long as you melt the chocolate only half way and let the rest of it melt in its own heat you're on to a winner.
Sanna at 10:34AM on 09/01/08
If you get an urge to try ANY kind of new and different recipes ALWAYS follow your urge, you never know it may become your new passion. Chocolates are great; even if you end up with a giant gooey blob of a mess you can still eat it. (Don't burn it; use a double boiler)
HelloChris at 1:13PM on 09/01/08
The thing about melting chocolate in the micreowave is that it can become a chocolate brick very quickly. Run the microwave at 10 second intervals, stirring each time, until it is mostly melted, then let it sit a minute. I think chocolate lollipops or dipped cookies are a good first thing to try.
eatingoutwest at 2:05PM on 09/01/08
I agree with the slow melting in the microwave oven. Also use very good quality chocolate to ensure a delicious (and not gritty) product. Soon you'll be coating everything in chocolate... Honeycomb toffee? Candied ginger? Shortbread cookies? They all make very tasty morsels!
PeanutButter at 5:14PM on 09/01/08
I've been making chocolate for about 8 year now, and could never dream of using a microwave. I have never had a problem with steam affecting the chocolate, and have only every used the double boiler method. It is a labour intensive process, but as long as you are paying attention and not letting the water get too hot, it's really very easy to melt the chocolate very evenly and smoothly. Using a good quality chocolate helps too. There is almost no limit to what you can cover in chocolate once you get the hang of it - Oreo's are one of my favourites.
jason at 9:54AM on 09/02/08
I've had great success melting chocolate slowly in both the microwave and on the stove top (minus the simmering water) You just have to be very vigilant and stir constantly.
Boscompb at 11:43AM on 09/02/08
I actually used a crock pot on low to melt the chocolate and it made it super easy!! I didn't have to worry about it hardening while dipping all of my truffles, and I was able to continue adding some as needed. I tried the double boiler, but too clumsy and the microwave is literally on the other side of the house because of our old wiring... lol!
sportzmedchick at 9:10PM on 09/02/08