Since I’ve started learning how to make chocolate, humble chocolate moulds have become an important part of my life.
Chocolate moulds (or ‘molds’ for our American friends) are hollow containers used to give shape to liquid chocolate when it cools and hardens and can be made of plastic, rubber or special polycarbonate materials. They are often used in Belgium when making pralines or chocolate figures for special holidays.
1. CHOCOLATE MOULDS COME IN ALL SHAPES
[metaslider id=720]
You can pretty much get your hands on any type of chocolate mould.
The more traditional moulds which have been around for quite some time include butterflies, Easter eggs and simple shapes such as squares and circles.
Over time, the styles of chocolate moulds have become more modern, more special and at times, more abstract. On a recent shopping trip we encountered moulds shaped like chess pieces, skulls, musical instruments, a little boy peeing and even one shaped like a naked woman.
And the range of chocolate moulds on offer continues to grow. Each year there are a hundred more designs being created. In this way, there is no danger of us running out of ideas for our chocolate creations.
2. SIZE MATTERS
It seems that in the modern world of chocolate, small is beautiful. Over the years, chocolate moulds have noticeably decreased in size. There is a growing trend, particularly in the last decade, for Belgian chocolatiers to produce smaller and more delicate pralines and chocolate shapes.
For example, the most popular moulds produced by Chocolate World in Antwerp in 1995 were always those for making chocolates of between 15 and 20 grams. Practically all the moulds that they develop today are much smaller – between 7 and 10 grams (these figures are based on measurements with solid milk chocolate).
3. YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN CHOCOLATE MOULDS
Not only is there huge diversity in the chocolate moulds that are available in shops and online, but there are also options to have chocolate moulds custom made to any shape you wish. It is possible to have a mould made in the shape of your company logo or even to reflect a personal story.
Having a custom made chocolate mould, however, will set you back a few thousand euro as orders generally have to placed in bulk with such tailored products, but another option available to deliver that personal touch is to use bespoke transfer sheets with magnet moulds which have printed cocoa butter designs that you can add on to the top of your chocolate creations. This makes us very excited at Belgian Smaak.
4. WATER IS THE ENEMY
Do not get your chocolate moulds wet. Water is truly the enemy of chocolate. Being oil based, water can wreak havoc to the very soul of your chocolate if they are allowed to meet. Water on your chocolate mould will lead to disastrous chocolates.
So what about washing them? Protocol on this varies depending on who you speak with, but our sources (including Chocolate World themselves and a number of professional Belgian chocolatiers) advise that you shouldn’t bother washing them at all.
Instead, they should be cleaned with dry kitchen towels until all chocolate is removed. If the chocolate is tempered correctly, most of the chocolate will be removable with a scraper and soft kitchen paper.
The reason for this is that even if fully dried after being washed with warm water, the tiny film of cocoa butter which will have been deposted in the cavities of the chocolate mould from initial use will have been removed and it is this layer of cocoa butter which delivers a beautiful gleam to your finished chocolates. It can take three or four sessions of making chocolates with the mould to get it back to a place where it is delivering such wonderful shiny chocolates to you again.
GET MOULDING!
Keep an eye out for more posts on the types of chocolate moulds we are using with Belgian Smaak and the types of chocolate creations we are making. And don’t forget to let us know what you are doing with your chocolate moulds…
