Homemade Chocolates

How to make Quality Chocolates

Molds
Use bakers chocolate (using a recipe) or dipping chocolate.  Melt chocolate slowly in a double boiler.  Be sure the water does not boil since the steam will make the chocolate clump.  Pour the chocolate by spoon fulls into ungreased chocolate molds.  Once a mold is filled completely, tap on the table to get rid of air bubbles and then place the mold in the freezer.  Once the molds are filled and frozen, turn mold out onto a cutting board.  Candies should fall out of the molds.  If they do not fall immediately press them out by pushing on the back of the mold.  Mix the remaining chocolate with chopped nuts and drop onto wax paper. 

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Dipping
Melt dipping chocolate slowly in a double boiler to avoid steam coming into contact with the chocolate.  Once the chocolate is melted, place the nut or cold chocolate filling into the chocolate to coat.  Remove chocolate covered center and place on wax paper.  This is a lot more difficult than filling molds and there are many more techniques involved than what I've mentioned.  The temperature of the chocolate will effect how the chocolate turns out.  Be sure to keep stirring the chocolate in between dipping nuts or fillings.


Melting and Texture
If you are making chocolates with baking chocolate, you may run into the issue of the chocolates melting and then solidifying before they are consumed.  When this happens, the chocolates will have a gritty texture instead of a soft texture like chocolate is supposed to have.  To avoid this happening you can keep chocolates stored in the refrigerator or use the chocolate chip trick.  When melting your chocolate, add a little bit of chocolate chips to the baking chocolate.  Depending on how many chocolate chips you add, this will make the whole chocolate mixture pour less readily and harden quicker.  So be ready to pour quickly or paste the chocolate into the molds with a spatula.  You will then be free to store the chocolates however you like since they will keep their soft texture.

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