Hints for Molding Chocolate

May 10, 2010

This is the second part of the series.  If you missed the first part, or you'd like a review, please see Tips for Molding Chocolate.

Now that you're caught up, here are my Extra Special Helpful Hints when working with chocolate molds.

  1. Cool at room temperature...
    I do not recommend using either a refrigerator or freezer to cool the pieces.  These cool the chocolate too fast and they are too cold for crystals to form properly on the surface of the chocolate.  Colder chocolate will not be as shiny as chocolate cooled at room temperature.
     
  2. Place the chocolate in front of a fan while cooling...
    This will remove the heat quickly and reduce the surrounding humidity to promote the best gloss, set, and snap.  (Be careful not to operate the fan at too high a speed.  You don't want to blow debris onto the chocolate.)
     
  3. Invert a cookie sheet or use a wire rack for cooling...
    This will allow heat to disperse evenly from all sides.  This is particularly important if you are using a flat mold.  The design or shape of the mold is face down as you pour and cool the chocolate.  It is common to have chocolate stick to the face of the mold if it remains flat against the counter or table while cooling. The trapped heat melts the surface crystals and sends the chocolate out of temper.
     
  4. Use a mold at room temperature...
    Do not cool the mold or heat the mold at any time during the process.  Warm molds can soften the surface of the chocolate as it cools.  This promotes Fat Bloom that can appear quickly or as late as 24 hours later.  Cold molds can shock the surface crystals and make a dull looking chocolate piece.
     
  5. Do not coat the inside of the mold with oil or fat or a “releasing agent”...
    Sure, adding a coating inside the mold sounds like a really good idea.  But, these products will interfere with the temper of the chocolate.  So while it might make it easier to remove your chocolate you would sacrifice shine and your nice temper in the process.
     
  6. Clean the mold with hot water, NO soap, and dry really, really well...
    Soap can leave a layer of residue that will interfere with crystallization.  A moist mold can cause the chocolate to seize and turn into a hard, crumbly mess.
     
  7. Avoid condensation...
    Condensation happens when chocolate is removed from a cold environment and begins to warm up to room temperature.  Little droplets of moisture will form on the surface of the chocolate as its temperature rises.  The moisture will dissolve a small amount of sugar from the chocolate’s surface.  After the water droplets evaporate, the sugar that is left behind forms a thin dusting of white powder on the chocolate. This is called Sugar Bloom.

There you have it.  Keep these hints in mind and  your molding success rate will go way up!

Bryn Kirk
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