OK, here I am trying to make some green candy clay for fir trees. I used white almond bark, 1 1/2 lbs. My directions called for less corn syrup than would be used for dark chocolate, so I used 6 oz. It took the green gel coloring well, and I poured it out on plastic to age overnight.

his morning the oil on the surface had congealed so I wiped it off with paper towel and started to knead a small amount. It seemed awfully soft and my attempt at a tree ended up looking like something Dr. Seuss would have been proud of. Not only that, but it was a living work of art as it slowly continued to droop as I watched. Well, not TOO discouraged yet, I thought it might seize up a little if I added some water. Now I have a bowl of the aforementioned green glop!

Was my error in using almond bark instead of white chocolate? I know that candy melts contain oil instead of chocolate...should I have used Wilton melts, or white chocolate chips? The store is an hour away and the car is in the shop. Can someone help me with the several pounds of almond bark I have on hand? This cake is due in a couple of days and I don't anticipate being able to drive until then.

I could go ahead and use gumpaste, or 50/50 fondant, but would really rather use "chocolate".

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer!

Oh, dear! I'm certainly no expert, but the only things I can think that would cause this would be if you either overheated the bark or stirred it way too much when you combined the corn syrup with the melted bark. I have made candy clay with candy melts with no difficulty using Merckens, Wilton and Mold Maker brands but have never used the almond bark from the grocery store. Melt similar-sized pieces (chop the "blocks" into small pieces for even melting) slowly in the microwave, stirring well after each time. Sloooooowly - 30 seconds the first time and then 15-20 seconds each time thereafter. Heat and stir just until melted, but stir and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well each time, allowing the heat to distribute through the pieces. Add most of your color to the corn syrup and bring the corn syrup to a temperature close to the melted candy. When the melts are smooth, stir in the gently warmed (not hot!) corn syrup and stir briskly, scraping sides and bottom with a folding motion. You want the two products to meld together and look homogeneous. When the shine disappears, stop stirring! If you keep stirring, the oil will separate. Pour onto plastic wrap and allow to solidify overnight. Knead before using and work in additional color if needed at this point. On the Wilton site, they say you can try to rescue overheated product by adding 2 teaspoons of melted shortening per 14oz of candy melts, but I don't know if that will work once the corn syrup has been added. Good luck!

Thanks! I must have over-stirred it, for I was very careful to remove it before it all had melted and I let the residual heat complete the job. Do you think, though, that that is the reason it remained so soft? I am going to try another batch right now and will take care not to stir as much. Wish me luck for I have a beautiful winter scene in my imagination and much of it depends upon the trees.

Almond bark might just have too much oil to work well. I think you should blot up any oil that's separated out and then put the whole thing in the fridge for a while to see how it turns out.

Success! I made a new batch last night, this time using glucose and a little ice water. I carefully let it melt and cautiously stirred and voila! Nearly rock hard this morning. I donned a pair of gloves so the heat from my hands wouldn't be a factor and ended up with a very respectable fir tree. With a light dusting of powdered sugar, coupled with the chocolate deer and pond, my winter scene cake is coming to life. I will finish the "forest" this morning then wait a couple of days before baking the cake. It is fun to be ahead of my schedule and not have to worry.

Thank you for your support. I will post a picture upon completion. (I am so charged up right now...want to bake today. Too bad cake is perishable!)

Congratulations! Love it when things work like they are supposed to

I delivered the cake yesterday. I was really pleased with the way it turned out, (except for the "algae pond". Gotta improve on melting Jolly Ranchers!) I find I still prefer chocolate to candy melts, but they worked fine and still have a good flavor. Thanks for the support and advice.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1534952

I hope this is the way to post a link...

i'm glad it turned out ok, but I was cracking up at the ".....dr. seuss would be proud of" description!