How About A Thread To Seriously Discuss Chocolate Making?!?
Sugar Work By sayhellojana Updated 5 Oct 2011 , 1:33am by SpatulaGoddess
Where did everyone go ????? Anyone making any candy for VALENTINES day ???
If so what are you thinking of making ?
Filled candies or heart designs ???
I was wondering the same thing Fiddle! For Valentine's Day I'm thinking of making my "sweet hearts" -- white chocolate hearts with nonpariels on top. I use the Wilton plastic heart cookie cutter set to use as a mold for them then sprinkle pink nonpariels on top and let them set. Very easy to do and a great gift! 
Oh Hi Bob.. Yes I did some cookie cutter choc,s for xmas, they were very cute. Let me ask though ( duh me question! ) he he ... I saved 2 for myself, and now that Im ready to unmold . how do you get the choc out of the cutter ?????
Mine wont just push out.
Also did you catch my post about the dog food recipe of yours I tried ??? Big Big hit ! Didnt last long at all thx!
ha ha ha ha ha!!! Yep, I've had the same problem with the cookie cutter chocolates. I take my hand and "warm" the sides of the cookie cutter up -- enough to make the chocolate inside want to plop out. Remember chocolate has a very low melting point so you don't want to stick it in the microwave or anything like that... 
Yes, that "dog food" recipe is the bomb!! Like I said, I can't make it until I'm leaving to deliver it -- it's just tooooo tempting! 
Thanks ! Yes I did think about the microwave but thought better of it, he he !
Of course the whole idea was giving the cutter has an extra gift along with the choc. So, Guess to all those that got those in their gift baskets ..not my problem!
I wanted to empty mine out now and put the cutter away. And it wasent budging..
hi all! Im not sure if this questions was already posted but I wondered if The wilton chocolate melting pot was good to use for chocolate molds. I ordered a BUNCH of cute chocolate molds and I cant wait to try them! Anyway would I melt the chocolate in the pot according to the directions and then just spoon it in the molds? And is that all I would have to do? Thanks in advance! 
Jeannie21.. YES .. Thats all you have to do ! I have that melting pot, I only use it if Im doing certain things like molds cause they take time. The pot does take longer to get the melting done but after you put it on the keep warm its good till your done!
Or you can melt the choc anyway you want and just keep warming it back up. I like to paint the inside of my molds with a paint brush, to get a thinner shell, if you making filled candy.
But just to fill solid a spoon is good.
Fiddle & bob - Am I missing something? You guys put chocolate in cookie cutters and gave them as gifts? Why didn't ya'll post that on this thread before - it's brilliant! I am SOOOOO trying that
Nope nope nope, I don't give the cutters away with the chocolates (too expensive!!) What I do is use the Wilton plastic heart cookie cutter set (has like 6 or 8 plastic red heart cutters) and I put those out on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. I take my melted chocolate and fill the inside of the cookie cutter, sprinkle with nonpariels and let set up. When it's firm I take my hands and "warm" the sides of the heart cutter, then gently push the chocolate out. Use a sharp knife to trim the bottom if needed. I love the mini plastic cutters in various shapes especially for this, although the hearts work the best because of the shape.
I did this last year with those bigger plastic Wilton cutters (if you could call them that) -- the four-pack with the gingerbread man, star, tree and candy cane I think were the shapes. They had the green and red "grip" around the top and they were all plastic and about 1 inch deep (y'all know what I'm talking about??) Anyway, I used two of those shapes for the white mint chocolate and the other two shapes for the dark mint chocolate. I used the red and white nonpariels on those and packaged them in plastic bags. They were a BIG hit!!
Where did everyone go ????? Anyone making any candy for VALENTINES day ???
If so what are you thinking of making ?
Filled candies or heart designs ???
Well, needless to say I am way behind and totally exhausted!
Your candies I have just seen and they are beautiful! 
I have thought about Valentines and ordered me a few molds last night. Can't wait to try them, but I think I am going to do some more molded chocs. Especially since I am "stocked up" on the dipping choc! 
Love that stuff! Hope everyone is having a Happy New Year!
I had to laugh, I wondered too. Maybe everyone is taking a little siesta from the holidays!!
You can do the chocolate in the cookie cutters. Just buy the cheap little aluminum ones. They run anywhere from $.50+. They do make good gifts. Just wrap them in cellophane or bags and voila.. cute gifts. I know people do them with fudge as well.
And how about Easter, Is anyone thinking that far ahead?
Ok heres a couple choc filled cookie cutters ! I kept these because these are the ones I thought were NOT as cute as the others ! For whatever reason, And YES to give away I just buy the inexpensive cutters and give them as part of the gifts also, they look real cute bagged up with matching ribbon and all.
282513..Thanks ! I hate to say it but my husband puts my name on my pictures for me Im not good at all doing that kind of stuff! Besides its so easy to just say Honey can you watermark my pic,s he he !
I know he does it in photoshop.
As far as the choc,s go the candycane was white choc with peppermint crunch on top ant the gingerbread cutter was milk choc. I also did some xmas trees with nonpariels on them ,but dont have a pic for some reason.
Oh Thanks Linda ,nice to see your on the threads again. I hope you feel better ?
Yes Fiddle, that's exactly what I do -- I just pop them out and package them instead of leaving them in the cutter. Great job by the way!
Yes I did do some with the dipping choc,it works fine.
I also did some in some precolored choc to ,its all good !
Let me say though When I do mine with any of the choc I Put the cutters on a sheet of wax/parchment paper , and on a cokie sheet then I put the whole set up in the freezer while I melt the choc. (The choc doesent need to be hot just melted )and then when you put the choc in the cutters it keeps it from running out, it wants to set up faster from the cold cutters! I also then stick it back in the freezer till its set.
That is such a great idea about the chocolate in the cutters. You are all so darn smart and creative.
OH, I forgot to tell you the dessert I made for New Years. I thought you might like the idea...it was a chocolate dessert shell filled with coffee (with a little Bourbon) deep chocolate mousse. I put a little of the caramel-toasted peacan-Bourbon sauce on it that was just at room temp and then topped with a chocolate dipped cherry.
I'll be 100% honest--this was so easy to make! I just didn't care to be making a cake or anything else time consuming on top of the huge meal. (I did a course every hour for 5 hours.) I made the caramel up and mousse up the day before and dipped the cherries earlier that day.
What do you all normally do for Valentines day for chocolates? I never have done V-Day chocolates, just Easter,Christmas and everyday.
I love the cutter idea, and its good to know I can use plastic ones as molds too.
So, I was thinking I might do some really blah chocolate pop molds and then paint them with luster dust. I bought a star mold with a swirl pattern that I didn't use at christmas, and I think with some red ribbon it could look very Valentine's day-ish.
I would, however, love some ideas for white chocolate treats. Maybe white chocolate cherry fudge or something like that because it's white and red? I guess I'll be digging through cookbooks tomorrow
Heres a link to some choc dipped oreos I did last V/day ! I dont see why you cant do them in white choc or even red/pink.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1177037
I also have a choc cherry fudge I make so if you have a fav white choc fudge I dont see why you cant add some chopped cherries to it ..I was even thinking about white choc bark with cherries added, it would be very pretty in a clear bag with a matching ribbon ! I also think a pale pink bark with the red chopped cherries added would look awesome to!
fiddle, those chocolate oreos look awesome! Their so shiny and perfect. I guess I'll be adding chopped cherries to everything, not just fudge. I think it would be fun to have a theme for my Valentine's chocolates.
Thanks Jana, Yes a theme is fun to do . I like that about Sharon,s ( sugarshacks) xmas baskets she makes every yr , If you have not seen her blog you should take a peak, awesome I love it ! Click where she shows her personal things or candy/cookies her baskets are just gorgeous and and have lots of ideas to . Her blog is on her signature.
I Pm,d and asked if she would show pics of how she stores all her supplies for baking etc and she said it was a good idea and hopes to maybe next week.
Thanks Jana, Yes a theme is fun to do . I like that about Sharon,s ( sugarshacks) xmas baskets she makes every yr , If you have not seen her blog you should take a peak, awesome I love it ! Click where she shows her personal things or candy/cookies her baskets are just gorgeous and and have lots of ideas to . Her blog is on her signature.
I Pm,d and asked if she would show pics of how she stores all her supplies for baking etc and she said it was a good idea and hopes to maybe next week.
yazminlk.. Not sure if that question was for me but...I dont do anything extra. It might be because I put the molds in the freezer to set up. I very seldom even use wax chips in my choc.
Yes they are shiny, mine always have been but really I just melt and mold/dip.
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