Perfect chocolate creations start with the right mould

A common problem in moulded work is dull patches on the smooth surfaces of pralines or chocolate figures. Two factors determine whether you avoid them: perfectly pre-crystallised chocolate with a high cocoa butter content, and respecting the cooling times. But there is a third factor that is often forgotten: the mould itself.

The rate of contraction makes the difference

Well-tempered chocolate contracts as it cools. That is how it comes away from the mould and gets its gloss. The material of the mould contracts too. If the mould contracts faster than the chocolate, the risk of dull patches remains, especially with moulds that have little relief. That explains why polycarbonate (also known as Makrolon) is preferred for high-quality moulding work: polycarbonate contracts more slowly than chocolate. Read more in Why polycarbonate is the chocolatier’s material of choice.

Which mould for which job?

• Praline moulds in polycarbonate for pralines and bars with a flawless gloss.
• Hollow moulds for hollow figures such as Easter eggs, St Nicholas figures and animals.
• Magnetic moulds: hollow moulds with magnetic clamps. They close without leaving a seam and are easy to attach to a spinning machine.
• Silicone moulds for easy release in decoration and pastry work.

A good mould calls for good chocolate

Even the best mould cannot rescue badly tempered chocolate. Work with correctly pre-crystallised couverture containing enough cocoa butter. You can read how to go about it in Tempering chocolate: the basis for a perfect result.

Filling, vibrating and cooling

After filling, you vibrate the mould so that no air bubbles remain in the chocolate. That is why Mol d’Art’s wheel and moulding machines come with a vibrating table as standard. The mould then goes into the cooler. Respect the cooling times and avoid sudden cold: if chocolate is cooled too abruptly, it can develop a white bloom.

From handwork to automatic filling

Pouring chocolate into praline moulds looks simple, but it is time-consuming and takes real skill. A moulding machine feeds the tempered chocolate via a rotating wheel to a pouring spout: you hold the moulds underneath and work a good deal faster. If you want to go one step further, you can combine the 50 kg moulding machine with an automatic mould filling machine. It has a magazine for 20 polycarbonate moulds of 135 x 275 mm or 175 x 275 mm, fills each mould and scrapes it off automatically. The mould comes out clean, ready for vibrating and cooling.