shape shifting

While I was at the Decorette shop a few weeks back I thought, while I'm here, I might as well get some chocolate molds. These were the closest ones to my hands while I was watching the girls. I thought they were cute.

I melted some milk chocolate chips, filled these up, scraped the top (after I took this photo) and then put the tray in the fridge. How easy is that? I am so pleased. Now instead of buying some junky god-knows-what chocolates for Valentine's Day/Easter, I can just make some with these molds—melting the chocolate I want, like organic milk chocolate, or whatever. It's so easy to find high quality non-creepy chocolate now, but not in fun shapes, just in bars. I get most chocolate at new seasons but online, chocosphere is my absolute favorite place to order from. Now I have a reason to get even more molds.

So, I didn't temper these. Or if I did, it was by accident. But, since I used chocolate chips, I don't think I could have tempered these even if I wanted to. I have never tempered chocolate. It hasn't really come up before. Usually when I dip something in chocolate, it goes right in my mouth, so no tempering is needed, just digestion. But all this candy making has gotten me interested. Well, not really interested, but mildly curious. And then, as fate would have it, this week in FOODday in the Oregonian, there was an article on tempering chocolate and how easy it is. . .you can even do it in the microwave. So, I may try it after all. Or not.

I was just looking for old Valentine's day stuff in my archives to link to and then found a post last year where I was looking for old Valentine's day stuff in my archives to link to. I'm not sure if this means I am incredibly predictable, a complete freak, or living some sort of Groundhog Day style spiral. And I fell off the sugar wagon with a biscotti, but come on! I am back on now, though. For reals.

Comments

[Julie]

See what you did? You made me want to go into the candy aisle of the craft store and buy molds. It was, like, the only aisle in the craft store that I was safe from. Why couldn't you make molding chocolate sound difficult!!! Now I'm going to be fat and poor. ;)

(Hi - by the way. I'm new to the blog and loving it.)

[Amanda]

You inspire me. I don't know how you find the time...honestly. I only have two kids (for the time being--I'd like more), and sewing/crafts take me forever. I bet I could make time for chocolate...

Also, just so you know, I designed a purse yesterday. It's for the Amy Butler Sew Inspiring Contest on Flickr/Craftzine. Her purse pattern inspired me, but bend the rules helped me turn the project into something MUCH simpler and more on my skill level! I used ideas from the charming handbag to make it, and it turns out that it is really dang cute. So, thanks!!!

[tessa]

Those are very cute molds. I like making my own chocolates, too, because I hate the way pretentious, fancy filled chocolates taste; plain old chocolate will do for me!

Also, "I fell off the sugar wagon with a biscotti" is a really excellent phrase. It could be a song title.

[Lulu]

oh wow, those are amazing! I am going to see if I can find chocolate molds to make some chocolate for my bf for valentines day.

Because I am in Japan, I have to wait for White Day (Mar 14th) for my present!!!

[Amy]

That's adorable and I need that mould.

[Snippety Gibbet]

So that's all it takes to make chocolate candy??? Wow. I can do that!

[ileana]

Those chocolates are *almost* too cute to eat!

[Jackie]

I always check in to see what you are up to, and the mention of chocolate and biscotti in the same post...well...I'm in hook, line and sinker. I took an online professional chocolate making course at Ecole Chocolate and tempering is a very precise and time consuming process, but once you get the hang of it so worth it. Good luck.

[Jackie]

I always check in to see what you are up to, and the mention of chocolate and biscotti in the same post...well...I'm in hook, line and sinker. I took an online professional chocolate making course at Ecole Chocolate and tempering is a very precise and time consuming process, but once you get the hang of it so worth it. Good luck.

[Amy Hodge]

I hope it's not a Groundhog Day style spiral!! :)

[Fae]

Don't be afraid of the temper! Here's a good tip to avoid all the fiddling - Just melt about 3/4 of your chocolate, chuck in the remaining chunk of unmelted, and stir, stir, stir. You want to keep stirring until the chunk doesn't melt anymore, and about that time, you should see the consistency change a bit, the chocolate will glossier. To make sure your chocolate is tempered at this point, dab a bit on a spoon or something, and set it aside for a minute or two. If it firms up in that time, you're ready to go.

[tara]

This week on Good Eats (on Food network) they did a few shows about the 'science' of chocolate: tempering, mousse, ganache, fudgepops! I bet it's on their website...yes, here it is:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_35529,00.html

[Amelia]

So...Valentine's. My husband and I always try to make something for each other for this holiday, but I think that I've pretty much tapped the creative juices on various ways to give him another photo of us. I'm wondering what man-craft suggestions you have (despite my greatest wishes, I just don't see him wearing an apron, no matter how masculine I spin it) for this crafty holiday. Otherwise he's getting homemade chocolates ;-) Would this garner a new post? Am I banned for trying to make more work for you? :)
Thanks!

[Anna]

Also a sucker for biscotti. I once baked two batches for Christmas presents, but had eaten so much of it that I didn't have enough to go around. So I ate the rest.

[Lisette]

I love sheep.... I love chocolat.... mmmmmmmm

[Heather]

Boy, I wish I could still have chocolate. And after I found a place nearby with Fairtrade chocolate I think I put someone's kid through college with all the money I spent eating.

[Jenn]

I made some peppermint patties recently. It was my first try at tempering and took a little while to get the hang of it, but the difference in quality between the properly tempered candies and "practice" ones was amazing. They had that nice snap when you bit into them and a lovely gloss. Mmmm...chocolate.

[dawn, pastry chef]

if you stick with chocolate chips, you'll get fairly good results without tempering, but once you get into the higher end, higher cacao %, if you don't temper them, they get all crusty and bloomed, and fall apart in shards. Chocolate is so much fun.

[amber]

Long time (shy and silent) reader, finally working up the courage to leave comments on my favorite blogs...
Chocosphere = me never having to think about a gift for my husband again. He is such a raving chocoholic, I could just purchase a different kind for him to try at each holiday and I will be covered for the rest of my life.
Thanks for all the cool stuff you share with all of your readers.

[Tina]

I was going to make pink meringues dipped in chocolate, but now I want to make candy.
(Sigh)

[Kirsty]

I was thinking about chocolate the other day and how, if you make other confectionery at home then you tend to make it from scratch, but with chocolate, you tend to melt it into another shape. Do you know anyone who makes chocolate at home? I'm very intrigued.

[read me...]

Adorable... I'm planning on making Valentine chocolates for my husband. They recipe is Donna Hay and they're quite chunky so I'm going to use heart shape flexible ice cube trays from Ikea.

[Casey]

those are so cute!! I've been wanting to try doing chocolates for awhile... now I'm going to *have to* look into it! :D

[d. Sharp]

sweet! I love the Decorette shop. I was hungry last time I went though and ended up buying HUGE chocolate molds.

[Ula]

Oh wow... that chocosphere link. I don't know whether to thank you or be mad at you. ;) They have Milka bars from Germany, have you ever tasted those? A little bit of heaven.

[stephanie]

That's come good looking chocolate and it looks like a fun project. Conicidentally, I also recognize the paper they're sitting on... I bought and used one sheet. It's been too small for everything I've tried to do since.

[Tricia]

Really cute, I make my own chocolates too, you can melt the chocolate in ziplock bags in the microwave and then just cut one corner and squeeze it out, the kids love to help with that part.
One other tip, if you want to make a peanut butter filling, take 1 part peanut butter, 1 part powdered sugar and 1/2 part of butter and mix it together, that's whats inside those ones they sell at the store (almost)but you can use something a little more healthy.
P.S. Love your site and your boosk but I never felt I had anything to say before :D

[Tracey]

So cute...I must get back to making my own chocolates. You're so right about how good it is to have the flexibility to use the chocolate we want to, rather than grab pre-made stuff that contains who knows what.

[lissilulu]

mmmmm...now I know what I will do the with the *allotted* Valentine money for the kids gifts...buy molds! Then they can wrap some in tissue and give them out also...always the crafty kids they are.
thanks..the sheep are adorable.
lori

[Lisa M]

How adorable are those little sheep! And they look so yummy :) I hope the Easter Bunny brings me something as yummy and cute!
♥Lisa

[alex.is]

Tasty & awesome! I'm sad/glad I can't eat chocolate anymore...Smiles are on my face now just thinking about making candies!

[Carolyn]

Yummy! What a wonderful idea. I'm not even sure what tempering means so you're way ahead of me. :)

[alecia grimm]

yum! & so cute too.

[Mary Beth]

Thank you, Amy, for the great link. After I read your post I could not stop thinking about making chocolates, so I bought some molds yesterday. I'm a little nervous about the tempering, but the article makes it sound pretty necessary. We'll see.

[Rebecca in AZ]

Hello,
Just wanted to tell you I love your book! Got it in the mail on Friday and can't wait to get started!
I love reading your bog I always feel inspired to make something!

[Susan]

Hello, I was looking for a little something for the kiddos, I think I'm off to get some molds! How cute those are!
Thanks Amy, I really enjoy your blog!

[Kelly, Modern June]

Both of my children had a hugh dairy allergy when they were young. I found that Trader Joe's chocolate chips were not only the best around but they were dairy free and I used them to make special chocolates for them every holiday to this day they don't know that I did that. At 7 and 10 they still think that the Great pumpkin visits little boy and girls with allergies so they can trade in all the "bad" candy for good.

I will have to get out all those molds and act like I just bought them, then we can make them together! Amy, thanks for bring back fond memories.

[frk.badegakk]

That´s so cute!
Makes me wanna eat more chocolate too... hmpf...=P

[Siri]

I'm so stealing this idea. Inspiring and easy, or, at least, so I say so now.