What type of chocolate is used for molding?
I failed to melt chocolate bars in order to make chocolates in mold. I tried twice using water bath and microwave but it wasn't as runny as I had expected but much like paste. When I continued heating it, it was broken, becoming like cookies dough. Was it due to the type of chocolate I used? By the way, what should I do with broken chocolate? Thank you for your help.
Best Answer
The dough-like texture you mention makes it sound like you burned your chocolate. Remember, a bar of chocolate will melt in your pocket so it really doesn't require much heat to melt.
To use a microwave, break the chocolate into small pieces and stir every 30 seconds even if the chocolate is still solid since the microwave will heat the pieces unevenly; it shouldn't take more than about 90 seconds in total.
Using a water bath, make sure that the bowl is not in contact with the boiling water (to be honest once the water has boiled you should be fine leaving the bowl in place and taking it off the heat, letting the residual heat warm the chocolate).
Additionally, I would recommend 'How to Cook That' and its YouTube channel for good clear videos about how to melt and then use chocolate. In particular if you want to mould your chocolate you will need to learn about tempering it, and the guide on that YouTube channel is comprehensive and reliable.
Pictures about "What type of chocolate is used for molding?"
Quick Answer about "What type of chocolate is used for molding?"
Chocolate for Molding Couverture is high-quality chocolate. Dark chocolate couverture contains cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla. This kind of chocolate tastes the best by far, but it is expensive and harder to work with because it requires tempering.What chocolate is best for chocolate molds?
We believe the best chocolate for molds is Merckens Candy Coatings. These candy melts are rich and creamy and melt easily, making them easy to use with chocolate molds. Once melted, Merckens can go right into candy molds-- no tempering required.What kind of chocolate do you use in silicone molds?
Candy Melts Candy Candy Melts are perfect for using with either plastic or silicone molds. They come in a range of colors and flavors and are easy to melt and pour.Can you use milk chocolate for molds?
You really can use any type of chocolate you like. You can use basic chocolate chips from the grocery store, even. Some people like to get really nice gourmet chocolate bars and melt them down for making molded chocolates for special occasions. It's really up to you.Can you use chocolate chips for molding?
If you just want to mold or dip candies for your family, you can easily temper chocolate chips in your microwave. This method isn't as exact as others, so if you want to mold chocolates for a bigger event, such as a wedding or baby shower, you might want to invest in a tempering machine.How to mould chocolates
More answers regarding what type of chocolate is used for molding?
Answer 2
Normally, couverture chocolate (real chocolate) is used for molding. However, I've actually seen compound chocolate (once) successfully used for moulding too.
Regarding what happened to you, there's the possibility that 1) water/steam got into the chocolate while melting, causing it to "seize" (check the internet for "seized chocolate" 2) you were using compound/imitation chocolate (basically cocoa powder mixed with some vegetable oil) 3) overheating (chocolate should not be heated above 50 C. In my case, I normally just heat chocolate to around 45 C) or 4) a combination of the above.
Broken or seized chocolate can still be used for baking and other such recipes.
Note on why couverture chocolate (more expensive) is different from compound (cheaper) chocolate:
Compound chocolate is basically imitation chocolate. It's basically cocoa powder mixed with some form of vegetable fat (palm oil, vegetable oil, etc). Couverture chocolate however is made from cocoa/cacao beans and cocoa butter.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ena Marinkovic, Ena Marinkovic, Marta Dzedyshko, SHVETS production