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Candy Making Tips and Tricks |
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Melting Chocolate
Double Boiler: It is important to remember you are melting your chocolates, not cooking them. Heat the water in a the bottom of a double boiler until steaming hot but NOT boiling. Remove from the heat. Put the top pot (or jar) over the steaming water and add the chocolate. Wait 5-10 minutes, Stir. You are now ready to mold your candy.
Microwave Oven: On medium settings, place 1 lb. of chocolate in a glass or corningware bowl for 1 minute. Remove from microwave, Stir. Replace for additional 10 seconds (if needed), depending on the size of your microwave. You are now ready to mold your candy.
Molding Chocolate
Flat Mold - Refrigerator Method: Fill cavities of mold. Tap mold lightly against table to eliminate air bubbles and to smooth back. Refrigerate. The amount of time depends on the size and thickness of your mold and how cold your refrigerator is. Once hardened, take mold out of refrigerator, invert and tap lightly on table. If chocolate does not fall out easily, return to refrigerator for a few more minutes.
Flat Mold - Freezer Method: Follow directions for refrigerator method above except check mold after 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your mold. This is a quicker method than the refrigerator method. Warning - if chocolate is left too long in the freezer, it may crack when inverting.
Hollow Mold: Generously fill one half of mold. If the halves are different sizes, fill the larger half first. Tap on table to remove air bubbles. Line up and clip mold together, making sure the empty half is on top. Now roll your mold around to coat both sides. Tap again whenever you see air bubbles. Refrigerate for 1-2 minutes, then flip mold over and return to refrigerator for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until the mold appears frosty all over. Remove clips. Gently remove chocolate from mold.
Painting Candy molds
Melt small amount of colored wafers in jar in hot water. Using brush, wooden skewers or squeeze bottle with #1 or #3 tip ( depending on the cavity you car painting) to paint mold. Make it thick enough so you cannot see through it. Let air dry for 3-4 minutes. Fill mold with melted chocolate, Refrigerate or freeze, depending on which method you are using.
Tips to Remember
- Wash all molds and squeeze bottles with warm water only.
- Do not use soap on molds
- Do not put molds in dishwasher, always hand wash
- Store molds flat
- Empty as much chocolate as possible from squeeze bottles. Place bottle laying down in freezer for 5 minutes. Squeeze bottle, chocolate will crack away from sides. Empty chocolate pieces and reuse.
- Never boil water when melting chocolate
- Turn off heat before putting top pot on a double boiler
- Never add water or water base flavors to chocolate
- Any molded chocolate you are not pleased with can be remelted and reused
How To Make Hard Candy
Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. (1 dram) Lorann Flavoring
1/4 tsp. coloring
Candy Thermometer (Sold at Sweet 'n Fancy)
An appropriate(White Plastic) Hard Candy Mold or a cookie sheet may be used for break apart shapes)
In a large saucepan, mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil without stirring. When syrup temperature reaches 260o F, add color. Do not stir; boiling action will incorporate color into syrup. Remove from heat at 300o F or when drops of syrup form hard brittle threads in cold water. (Temperature will continue to rise after removing from heat, so remove precisely at 300o F). After boiling action ceases, add flavoring and stir.
***USE CAUTION WHEN ADDING FLAVORING TO AVOID RISING STEAM. Pour into lightly oiled [vegetable oil] candy molds (these are white molds not chocolate molds), or onto greased cookie sheet and score to mark squares. When cool, unmold or break into pieces. You can also dust with powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Store in airtight containers.
GUIDELINES FOR CANDY TEMPERATURES:
- Thread stage (Syrup) 230o to 233o F
- Soft -ball stage (Fudge) 234o to 240o F
- Firm-ball stage (Caramels) 244o to 248o F
- Hard-ball stage (Marshmallows) 250o to 266o F
- Soft-crack stage (Popcorn balls) 270o to 290o F
- Hard-crack stage (Hard candy) 295o to 310o F
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