Chocolate molding

Making chocolates is fascinating!! The first time I tried to melt chocolate was to drizzle some on coconut macaroons I made. I made a complete mess trying to melt chocolate in the microwave. I was too slow and too sloppy, I ended up getting chocolate everywhere else but on the macaroons. As I was not fast enough, the chocolate cooled super fast and got hard, it was no longer "drizzle-able".

I then saw some videos on youtube, where the chef inflates a balloon, dips it half way through into melted chocolate, refrigerates the balloons for a bit, then makes a small prick to let the air out and as the balloon deflates, it is supposed to just peel out  from a fine looking chocolate cup. Except that mine was not fine looking :).  I experimented with two balloons. For the first balloon, the prick burst the balloon and I had chocolate pieces everywhere. For the second balloon, the crumbling balloon brought down the chocolate along with it, so it was all pieces again. I put together all the pieces and made it look like this :). We stuck those barks in ice cream.

The third time, I was determined to make it work somehow. So I did some more research on "tempering" chocolate and read about molds. I did think it was kinda kiddish to be using molds at this age. The grocery stores here did not have chocolate molds. In fact, a clerk looked at me like I was asking them directions to the moon. Then, finally I found a few at Jo-ann craft's store. I felt sillier when I read on the package " Adult supervision needed when trying to melt chocolate":). I decided to go ahead with it anyway.

Ingredients:

1. Good quality chocolate-16 oz (Can use store bought bars/coins), separate to 12 oz and 4 oz.
2. Double broiler
3. Molds (I used 2 molds--one to make dessert cups,and another for snow men)
4. Rubber spatula
5. Candy thermometer
6. Water

Method:

1. Melt 12 oz of chocolate in a double broiler. You can make a double broiler set up with a pot and a pan which fits on the pot. Boil water in the pot, place the pan on top of the water (Make sure the bottom of the pan is not touching the water). Melt the chocolate pieces/coins on the pan, stirring continuously.Very important: There should be no water or moisture on the spatula or the pan. Water will break/curdle the chocolate, rendering it unfit for molding.
2. Once the chocolate is completely melted (to about 110 deg F on the candy thermometer), remove the pan from the pot. If you are not using a thermometer, a tip to see if its done: the chocolate is glossy and easy to stir
3. Begin the process of cooling and agitation: One easy way to do this is to stir in the remaining 4 oz of chocolate. (Remember to work really fast, before the chocolate cools down (it has to be molded before it cools down). If the chocolate cools down, you can reheat it to get it up 90 deg F (I did not have to do this))
4. Pour the melted chocolate into the molds (Make sure to wash the molds and dry them completely--remember the no moisture rule)
5. Tap the molds against the counter gently to release any air bubbles
6. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, till the chocolate hardens
7. Release the chocolate from the molds.

This is a beginners recipe for melting and molding chocolate. It is certainly a fun project to do with kids.