HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE MOLD ??

1.   Purchase chocolate in either a block or in a package of small disks. Don't confuse with baker's chocolate, which is unsweetened. Do not use chocolate chips, baking chocolate or store bought chocolate bars because they are the wrong thickness/fluidity (technical word is "viscosity") for molding.

2.  Obtain a mold. Clear plastic is the best choice for beginners. Molds are generally inexpensive and come in a variety of shapes.

3.  Temper your chocolate. This step is extremely important to yield a visually appealing final product with the proper texture and mouth feel. Melt your chocolate over a double boiler.

4.  For dark chocolate you must heat the chocolate to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and cooled to 88 degrees F.   For milk and white, heat to 113 degrees F and cool to 82 degrees F.

5.  Brush a thin layer of chocolate into your mold(s) using a pastry brush. Make sure you get an even coating on all sides of the mold and in all the nooks and crannies.

6.  Place your mold into the freezer and leave it for five to seven minutes.

7.   Remove the mold from the freezer

8.  Fill your shells with cherries, nuts, cremes, or whatever you like. Using a spoon, fill the mold(s) to the        brim with chocolate. Replace in the freezer and leave for several hours (or overnight) for security. When       you take them out, turn your mold gently over a counter or cutting board. The chocolates should come out     without too much trouble, but if you find them getting stuck, tap the mold firmly against the counter or flex     the mold a little, and that should free them.

9.  Enjoy your homemade chocolate bonbons. :)

TIP

·         Even in a double boiler, chocolate will burn very quickly if you don't stir it. Stir constantly throughout the molding process.

·         With care, it's possible to melt chocolate in the microwave. Be very careful, however, if you are used to the double boiler. It will melt much more quickly than you may be used to.

·         Though you may need to melt more chocolate part-way through, it's inadvisable to exceed about a cup's worth in the double boiler at any one time unless you can have someone watching and stirring it very diligently throughout the whole process.