Hi,

I've never tried molding candy before but I've been asked to make white chocolate seashells to be used as cupcake toppers. I've got a plastic seashell mold and some white cooking chocolate. I've done a trial run but when I turned the candies out after a short while the developed a wet sheen on the outside and looked sticky. I'm melting the chocolate in the microwave, stiring every 10 seconds, pouring into the mold (room temp), and putting the candies in the refrigerator overnight.

Has anyone got any tips/suggestions?!

Thanks.

je penses qui faut mettre ton , chocolat a température

use the white chocolate wafers you buy at Michael's, I prefer cake/candy supply store for freshness...melt as you are saying but don't get too hot. Do not leave in fridge overnight as they will develop condensation. I actually put my molds in freezer and know they freeze quicker when fan is running...takes 2 mins. Dump out on wax paper and continue...you can store in dress box with layers of tissue or wax paper in between in a cool place for a week or so. You can also paint them with lustre dust for a nice sheen. Pat

It's just condensation from the refrigerator. As CandyLady said, there's no reason to leave your molds in the frig overnight. Your seashells should be set up and ready to unmold in about 10 minutes.

The condensation will evaporate, but if there's a lot, it may leave water spots on your candies. Best to remove them from the frig sooner than later.

I agree that you should use confectioners coating (candy melts) rather than real white chocolate as it behaves much better.

I also agree that luster dust is a great way to decorate shells. Just brush it on dry. You can overlap colors, or brush different colors side by side.

The only point I disagree with is the storage time. You can store your molded candies for MONTHS. If you do decide to make them more than a week in advance, leave off the luster dust until the week of, otherwise it may fade.

I never have good luck with melting chocolate in the microwave. For the past 30 years I've always used a double boiler, set on low simmer. Especially with white chocolate, which really isn't chocolate at all and can burn and be very tempermental.

I work with chocolate, both real and confectioners coating, quite a bit. I actually prefer the microwave because there's no condensation or moisture of any kind to worry about.

I've found the best way to melt chocolate in the microwave is in PLASTIC bowls, not glass. Glass can get very hot, running the risk of overheating the chocolate. Plastic doesn't get any hotter than the chocolate.

I never run the microwave higher than 30% (Defrost). The initial heating takes 2-3 minutes. Then, no more than 30 second intervals after that - even if it looks like nothing has happened. Stir, stir, stir.

Hope this helps someone!