Chocolate candy molds can lend your homemade confections a
festive, distinctive, unique and professional air, so why
not try them? They're also inexpensive and easy to use, if
you follow a few tips.
You may not be aware of the great variety of molds
available. There are molds for:
Special events: birthday, graduation, wedding, anniversary,
babies, bazaars, etc.
Holidays: New Year's, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's
Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving,
Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.
Themes: movies, animals, flowers and fruit, jobs (business
cards!), letters and numbers, organizations, patriotism,
nautical, seasonal, sports, religious, zodiac, greeting
cards, international, landmarks, music, military,
transportation, western, etc.
Tips for buying molds:
Look for strong plastic with deep intricate designs, you'll
be surprised at the difference in results from more
detailed molds. If you buy molds for hard candy, they'll be
strong enough for anything. Dishwasher-proof is not
necessary, you'll read why later.
Tips for using molds:
Fill each mold slowly with a squeeze bottle, spoon, or by
pouring chocolate from a measuring cup. Paintbrushes can be
used for candies with layers of different colors, just let
each layer chill and firm before applying the next.
Use a palate knife or spatula to scrape off any excess
chocolate into a clean bowl. This chocolate can be gently
warmed and reused.
To remove bubbles from the molded candy, you can hold both
sides of the chocolate candy mold firmly in two hands and
tap it gently on your table or counter.
To remove the candy from the mold, turn it upside down over
a cloth or sheet of waxed paper and either gently tap it on
the table or kitchen counter, or invert the entire mold and
twist it very gently to release the chocolates.
Chocolates can be quick chilled, in order to remove them
quickly from the mold and make way for more candy
production. To do this, place them in the freezer for 5 to
10 minutes, until there is condensation or frost evenly on
the bottom of your mold. Then you can take them out of the
freezer, remove them from the mold as above, and let them
finish cooling at room temperature.
Tips for cleaning molds:
The molds should never be washed because it is easy to
leave soap residue that affects the flavor of the
chocolates. Once the remnants of chocolate in the mold have
completely cooled, the chocolate will flake off by wiping
with a soft, dry cotton cloth (polyester will leave tiny
fibers on the plastic). A light film of cocoa butter will
remain which is polished with the cotton cloth, making your
next batch of chocolates even shinier than the previous
batch.
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What online shopping site has been named "Retailer of the
Year" (Housewares/ Gourmet Foods/ Bed, Bath & Linen) by the
Canadian Gift and Tableware Association and one of the
"Best Cookware Stores" by the Toronto Star? Find the answer
and more about chocolate candy making at
http://candychocolicio.us/data/html/equipment/30.cgi
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