Tips and Ideas

[Former_Member]

Thanks Missy. I'm starting this thread because of your introductory comment. Let's share our tips and ideas for working with chocolate, gifting chocolate, storing chocolate, everything chocolate (I just love saying 'chocolate' lol).

[Former_Member]

I'm going to start by saying that I bought a fondant mold today. It was not very deep in some places but I bought it to use with chocolate because I loved the pattern - branches, leaves, flowers, birds. It's a very heavy silicone, so I'm hoping that the chocolate releases easily. I'll let you know how it works.

Roanne.

[naturelview]

Sounds good Roanne!..I will like to hear and see that!!!

I love work with chocolate, this year I'm going to make flowers, eggs, bunny, etc. ....spring collection, and I will place on my shop!..this time I going to use dark chocolate!

[cupofcomfort]

I am limited in my experimentation to ingredients that will dissolve in hot liquid. If anyone has tips on blending pure chocolate liquor with sugar substitute without the chocolate seizing, I'm all ears. I'm dying to make a sugar-free cocoa.

[Former_Member]

@ Naturelview - Maybe we can start a show thread too.

@Louise - I'm not really sure what your process is, but I'm assuming you want to end up with a powdered product. Mix all your other ingredient s how you do, then and fine/grated chocolate. With instructions of mixing in hot milk (or water if there is powdered milk in the mixture) it should completely dissolve.

Roanne.

[cupofcomfort]

Roanne, take a look at my products. I sell a powdered cocoa mix sweetened with sugar. When I've attempted to use a sugar substitute, the finished product looks fine, but mixes poorly with hot liquid. I'm convinced that when I solve this problem, I'll be rich.

[Former_Member]

@Roanne, for fondant molds either powder sugar or shortening (Crisco) may help it release better if you have any issues. I haven't used molds really for fondant but I feel like it might work like molding melted chocolate that it releases easier when it's cold so maybe put it in the fridge for a few minutes.

@Louise - again, I haven't dealt with making powdered cocoa but I use shortening to help melted chocolate for molds mix/melt more smoothly. I've seen powdered shortening before but have no idea of it's properties. Maybe you could try that out and see if it helps it mix better?

Has anyone made modeling chocolate before? I tried to make it recently and it was not pliable at all and I couldn't work with it. I was using white chocolate so I'm sure that makes a difference. I tried melting it and adding more corn syrup but it just made it oily and still not workable. Any advice? I ended up using fondant and it turned out well (the Sesame Street characters in my shop) but I'd like to be able to have this medium as an option too.

[Former_Member]

@Missy - they came out good - the ones that didn't break that is:-) I think some of the designs may have been a bit too thin/delicate for something that is not pliable such as formed chocolate. But the other ones (bitty flowers, leaves and birds) came out great.

About the modeling chocolate - there's a blog I follow and that is primarily what she works with. Check out - http://www.hungryhappenings.com - there's recipes and methods for modeling chocolate on her site. I'm sure you can ask her some questions too. Let us know how it came out.

@Louise I think you will be rich too. Maybe you can try something like a stevia/truvia. I know it's not a sugar substitute per say and I don't really know how it is (I personally stay away from anything too altered), but it might be worth a try. Maybe it will be a low-glycemic hot cocoa instead of a sugar-free.

Roanne.

[Former_Member]

Thanks for the link to the blog! I subscribed to it too and will have to try out some of her techniques.

[cupofcomfort]

Stevia is a sugar substitute. As I understand it, it's a natural sweetener that the body can't digest, making it effectively calorie-free. Truvia is stevia processed to a granulated form, similar to the way cane is processed to make sugar, or sugar is refined to make molasses. I'd prefer something natural to an artificial sweetener like Splenda, but haven't tried Truvia yet.

[Former_Member]

Louise, any progress on your sugar-free quest?