I honestly don't know what is going on with my modeling chocolate.  I had huge success with it last year, making loads of decorations. I am now on my 5th attempt and no success- the 1st 2 were too soft, would not knead into any shape.  The next too oily. I had tried Nestles white chic chips, wilton, white candy coating, white bark, and OMG- the green candy melts are an oil mess!  I had watched Lauren Kitchens videos, My cake school and others and follow to a T!  I don't believe I over stir- just fold.  I make sure the chocolate is not hot- melting on 30% in MW, stirring every 30 sec.  I have tried a double boiler, I make sure corn syrup is just slightly warm, chocolate is close to room temp.  I know how to do this.

Anyone see any problems I am causing? 

Has this happened to you?  I have always been confident with my modeling chocolate- has been my go to for decorations over fondant and need to get this right for a cake in 5 days.

Thank you! So frustrated.

AI wish I could be of help to you, but I am struggling with similar problems. I have both classes of Lauren Kitchens and others with MC and still dosen't turn out like theirs. I want to make that wave cake of Lauren' so bad, but have to wait till I master that SIMPLE recipe!

Have you tried making modeling chocolate with real chocolate yet?  It works better than those confectioners candy coatings that you listed.

http://www.wickedgoodies.net/

something to take a peek at.............

Haha- yes, that was my very first attempts last year, when I first started making modeling chocolate.  Used really good white chocolate and it seized- I made a lot too. Now use it for shavings- it's hard as a brick but tastes delicious.  Wanted to only use good chocolate, but gave up and went this route instead. Even tried the whole tempering thing too at one point.  I'll look at your link though. Maybe it will help, if I haven't already. Thanks.

Thank your for that link.  It is very informative, lots of helpful info. there.  I make it that way, but will try the Callebaut chocolate next.  

That brilliant decorator is right here on CakeCentral.

http://cakecentral.com/u/890861/wickedgoodies

AI have that book as well. I hate to waste $$$$ on real chocolate and have to trash it. But worth a try again

Modeling Chocolate  Love Love Love it, and it's  something that is fairly new to me.  How can it be so hard to mix just two little ingredients, right?

I'm not sure if this is what made a difference for me or not, but I'm thinking that it did:

1- slightly warming the corn syrup before adding it to the chocolate.  See this is where someone can get into trouble and I hesitate to say it, but just warm it up to about 90 f.

2- when I'm melting chocolate I don't throw it all in the bowl, just about half into the bowl.  It's so sensitive to heat.  So I start the heating process and as it heats, and I stir, I slowly add more chocolate and stir it in.

It takes so little heat to melt chocolate, that by adding more chocolate it help keep the stuff in the bowl from being too hot.  Always.......seriously always.....there is enough heat to melt the added chocolate. Maybe a quick pop back to the heat for a few seconds when I have a lot of chocolate to melt -------but continue with the adding more and stirring gently thing.    (course I could be all wrong)

It seems to me that the worse thing to do to your chocolate/confectioners coating when making modeling chocolate is to OverHeat it.

MBalaska, thanks for the shout out and all your advice is quite sound! 

• pamalbake, I can definitely relate to this problem. Recently, I went to make some white modeling chocolate and made 4 bad batches in a row before I got one right. Of course with every bad batch, I became more and more frustrated with the chocolate so then I stopped being gentle with it. And here I have written a book about MC but I still mess it up in that way from time to time. Chocolate is such a sensitive ingredient so if it is overheated even a little bit, you get that oily, broken mess problem. Then there are other factors to consider like if there is any moisture on your bowl or spoon as the slightest bit of that can also mess up chocolate. 
• Just don't throw any of those batches out though because they can all be saved.  

Kristen, I got so fed up, and your site helped me so much- I ordered your book! That was before you replied. Yay!  The modeling chocolate I made- final batches did turn out using the Wilton candy melts.  I shaved off the oily film all over it ( I had a hint on your site or book preview that I might want to do that). It's still oilier than the batches I made last year, but I am looking forward to your book.  It arrives tomorrow:)

Thank you for the reply.

pamalbake I think the Wilton candy melts are one of the harder brands to use because it separates more easily. It had the cocoa butter taken out and replaced with hydrogenate oil instead so it's one of those imitation products. Scraping off that hardened oil layer is definitely one way to go in a pinch!

I think that the only way to get modeling chocolate right every single time is to have a chocolate tempering machine that melts the chocolate exactly as it should be melted so that it does not change molecular form as it does when it gets even the slightest bit overheated. I'm not suggesting that you or anyone spend tons on money on that kind of machine. I'm just saying it's probably the only way you would ever succeed every time. So I encourage you not to give up or get discouraged over this oily modeling chocolate problem because it's quite hard to avoid.

One way to melt chocolate more gently is to start with only half of it over very light heat and then take it off the heat just before it's even done melting then add the other half of the chocolate, still off the heat, stirring every once in a while. It takes longer to melt chocolate that way but anything you make with that chocolate will come out better than if you had melted it all at once. 

Good luck with future batches and I hope you enjoy my book! If you have any questions about the material, feel free to email me. - Kristen