I generally use a ratio of 3/4 cup of karo syrup to 1 lb of dark chocolate or, if using the colored or white disks, go with 1.5 lbs of chocolate. Some of the Wiltons colored disks do better at 2/3 of a cup, so you can play around with it to find the best ratio for your desired consistency. I never get a good modeling chocolate when using the Wilton's 1/3 cup recipe. Also, I always wrap my modeling chocolate in saran wrap and a ziplock bag to store in the refrigerator. Keeping out of the refrigerator like some recipes suggest is not the way to go. It will last well for 3 -4 weeks this way and, if you prefer, you can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Also, some of the best ways to achieve different colors are to either make different colors and combine them when done, or you can add candy or gel coloring to your disks just prior to melting it. Mixing different colored disks also works very well. If you add alot of coloring after the chocolate is completed then it will definitely soften it enough to make it tear consistently. You can also brush on powdered colors, paint with a combo of coloring and alcohol (I use lemon extract) so that it will dry quickly or airbrush.

You can definitely cover entire cakes with it, and many people find it tastes better than fondant. Though you don't want to roll it out too thick because it can get pretty chewy when it's thick (think tootsie roll consistency). I cover almost all of my cakes in modeling chcolate since I prefer the final look of the cakes over fondant. Mike McCarey does this all the time as well.

Thanks so much for all of the info. I redid my chocolate using Merkens nibs and the second batch worked up better and smelled like heaven! I brought some Hershey's kisses home from the candy basket at work (don't tell on me) and used those for the middle of the rose. That was a real plus!!! I'll check out your site for the modeling chocolate.

Colleen

lots of info...thanks!

I've never used modeling chocolate before. Can it be rolled thin to make flowers/bows/ polka dots...etc?

You can use cutters just like on gumpaste but the texture is a little softer. It dries out quickly so you have to work fast. I just cut some things out, and put it under plastic like gumpaste until I used it. Some people cover their cakes with it. I'd like to try that myself. I just don't know how hard it will get. I have to do some more research first and I'm sure there are directions here on this site somewhere!

Nope, as a matter of fact, I find it is less hard than fondant. Although it will be firm on the surface when it dries, when you bite into it will be somewhat like the consistency of a soft tootsie roll without any hardness to it. Hard to explain until you've tried it

I'll definitely give it a try! Do you mix the modeling chocolate with fondant or is it 100% modeling chocolate? Any tips before I give it a try?

rcolson13, I use 100 % modeling chocolate. I'll pm instructions that include some tips for handling when covering cakes.


diane706, I was referring to the Wilton disks dark or cocoa. Although the ratio should still be adjusted accordingly for real white and dark/lt chocolates. I'm not sure what Mike McCarey uses for his MC, but I'll bet it's real chocolate. I've tried both and find that I like working with the Wilton disks better because it's a more consistent fomula for me. Plus they have all those colors to choose from (really cuts down on coloring time)! Though I'm sure some may find the couverture chocolate tastes better, I think the Wilton disks taste pretty darn good compared to fondant (especially the dark cocoa). I'd say test them both out to see which you prefer. Just remember that the syrup/chocolate ratio may need to be adjusted when you use real chocolate containing cocoa butter, as ChocolateCraftKits indicated a few posts back.