Chocolates: how to make them yourself?

Question

I've found a bakery that is going out of business and sells his bakelit and makrolon chocolate shapes to make your own chocolates with, but I wonder how I start with this. It's really something I want to do and learn for myself, and maybe for friends and the family, I like cooking a lot, and who doesn't like chocolate, right? :-)
So, in case I get the shapes, how and where do I start?

Answer 1

Mmm, indeed, who doesn't like chocolate :-)
The following website gives you some advice on how to make filled chocolates, and if you look at the links on the right below all the sponsors, you can find much more about various chocolate techniques.
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/williams/choc_molding.htm
The next site is more specifically about tempering chocolate - whenever I've heard chocolate makers talk about their craft, they always specify how important it is to temper the chocolate to give it both the right look and "crack" when one bites it.
http://www.candylandcrafts.com/temperingchocolate.htm
But try looking "making filled chocolates" or "tempering chocolate" or something like that up on google, and you will find many links.
Good luck with it, would love to have been in your family this Easter :-)

Answer 2

I've made filled chocolates as well as 'shaped' chocolates in molds. The trick is in tempering although it may not be as bad if you are in a cool country (I'm in asia). If you dont temper the chocolate, it melts really quickly in your hands and also doesnt have a nice glossy look to it. You need to use good quality chocolate or couveture. Chocolate MUST be melted over a double boiler - or just use a pan placed over another a pan of boiling water but the upper pan must not touch the water. You'll need to buy a candy thermometer for tempering too. As the previous contribution said, search google for tempering and you'll find lots of sites with instructions.

Once you've mastered tempering - and its really not all that difficult, you'll be amazed at how good your chocolates can taste.

Answer 3

It honestly depends on what kind of chocolates you are wanting to make, to deside what to do. You can just make solid chocolates, filled with ganche (soft chocolate filling infused or not), fruit filling, creamy filling. If this your first time making them it is best to get chocolate that is called "coating chocolate" is a chocolate that contain a little wax to help it reset back up. But the basic step is fill the mold with the chocolate, let harden, put your filling in, and then fill the rest with melted chocolate to "seal" the candy, Let harden and pop them out. You can make filling for the candies or you can buy pre made fillings it is your preference.

Answer 4

Get GOOD quality chocolate from your local grocery store or kitchen specialty store. You'll know it's really good if it doesn't have a waxy feel to it, doesn't clump in your teeth.

If you want to start small, try a glass cereal or custard bowl filled with broken bits of chocolate, and set it on a candle warmer- no joke!! The warmer will melt the chocolate without scorching it. (I've used it to dip strawberries.)

On a bigger scale, you'll want to get a double boiler for melting larger amounts. Then you can use a cup or spoon to dip out of and fill your molds.

If the molds are the flexible kind, you may want to put them on a cookie sheet to keep them flat, or for moving.

Best of luck!

Answer 5

I have no idea really, but I would buy some of those baking chocolate bars, fondue it, and pour into the mold.

Answer 6

No idea but let me test them once you've made them!!!

Answer 7

don't try ... or you could start hating chocolates ... seriously U know urself better than I do ... u r not a very good cook !