Three-Part Molds

A recent innovation in chocolate molds has been the introduction of three-part molds. Targeting home candy makers, they are meant to make the process of molding easier, but I've always wondered if they work. Naturally, when I found one on clearance at Michaels for $3, I had to buy one.

Three-part molds are comprised of: (1) the mold itself, which has a fill line; (2) a flexible insert that is about 1/8" smaller than the mold; and (3) a rigid cap that presses the flexible insert into the chocolate, causing the chocolate to rise up the sides of the mold. The result is a shell with even thickness (more or less). One of the key benefits is the flat edge that it creates; the thicker "wall" of chocolate enables the two pieces to then be assembled with better alignment. 

This all sounds good in theory, but what's it like in practice? I picked a mold out of my collection to test. 

Well, I can tell you that the first challenge to present itself was the visibility of the fill line when looking down at the mold. It couldn't be seen. At all. The line was only truly visible, at least to my bespectacled eyes, when the mold was held up to a light on an angle. That doesn't really facilitate filling the mold with melted chocolate. As a result, it's easy to add too little chocolate -- resulting in gaps -- or too much chocolate -- causing it to overflow (and requiring subsequent trimming). It might help to mark the line on the outside of the mold with a piece of tape or something similar.

After the chocolate sets, the flexible inserts must be removed before unmolding the shells. Unlike harder plastics that release easily from set chocolate, the flexible inserts seemed to hold on a little more than they should. And, not unlike many silicone molds, they created a dull surface to the chocolate. While this isn't a major problem, because the inside isn't seen, it certainly added to the time required and resulted in additional clean up. 

Despite these issues, the mold did produce a shell with even thickness and a good "foot" for assembly.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the first mold I chose to test had a design flaw. The neck joining the bear's head to its body was particularly thin. This created a weak spot between the large head and body. Unable to support the weight, it cracked during the unmolding process. Upon examining it, I feel fairly confident that cracking would be the rule rather than the exception with this mold. 

Undeterred, I still filled the bear with candy and assembled the pieces to create the 3D figure. It's very cute! In the future, I may use it for a filled or solid confection. I may also experiment with replacing the third piece of the mold after removing the flexible inserts and before tapping out to see if that helps to support the chocolate and reduce breakage. And, in any event, it's possible to hide the flaw by adding a ribbon around the bear's neck or adding some decoration with royal icing or tempered chocolate. 

Fortunately, this sort of weak spot doesn't appear in most of the other 3-part molds that I purchased. The sphere, diamond, and cupcake are definitely safe -- confirmed with milk chocolate. The champagne bottle, which I haven't yet tested, may present some problems only because the neck of the bottle is so narrow. We'll mark that TBD when an appropriate occasion crops up to test it. 

Until then, I invite you to appreciate how cute this chocolate bear's tail is! 

 

Silicone Molds and Online Retailers

Unless you live under a rock, you've likely heard of Temu. The app is taking the world by storm, providing access to deeply discounted products produced in China. Cheaper than a dollar store and delivered directly to your door, it's easy to see the appeal. 

More importantly, from my perspective anyway, is that it seems to have those things that you search for but can't seem to find after hours of hunting locally. I can't tell you how many times I've spent an afternoon searching 5+ locations for something only to return home and order it online. For example, have you gone looking for St. Patrick's Day decor? The options, at least where I live, are abysmal. Michaels and Winners have dropped the ball (despite the fact that in the US Michaels has an impressive selection of decor for the March holiday). The only options are cheap glittered items and plastic garlands at Dollarama (though, to be fair, they do seem to have expanded their St. Patrick's Day apparel). Temu, on the other hand, has all kinds of St. Patrick's Day decor! Table runners, shamrock mini lights, door hangers! It's a veritable treasure trove!

Now, listen, I know Temu has its issues. There's the environmental impact of shipping goods halfway around the world; the ethical concerns associated with production of the items (brand name dupes and labour practices) and consumption culture more generally; the safety of products and the chemicals that may (or may not) be used in items; the access to and security of personal information shared through the app; and the generally addictive nature of gamified shopping. It's not without it's faults (or its critics) and it may not be for everyone. Nevertheless, it's a thing and it won't be going away anytime soon. If anything, it's poised to grow, given their intense social strategy which is setting the stage for group buying in the future.

But that's not the point of this blog. (Though I will say that I'd love for someone to calculate the environmental impact of me driving around searching for something for an entire afternoon compared to an online purchase that is delivered to my door.)

You can find things on Temu that you never knew existed and that certainly aren't available at your average store. For example, while there are silicone chocolate molds available at Michaels, Bulk Barn, and Dollarama, I've never seen one of a gingerbread house. In contrast, I have seen them at Amazon and Temu. 

Now, if one's creative impulses are insisting that one mold a chocolate gingerbread house, well, what is one to do but buy the mold?

Most professional chocolatiers use rigid polycarbonate molds. They can be polished, produce excellent shine, and are easy to handle. They are also an investment at a higher price point. Silicone is generally avoided because it can't be polished, the shine produced isn't as glass-like as polycarbonate, and they are notoriously difficult to manipulate. To shell a mold, you normally fill it with chocolate, then invert it and tap so that the bulk of the chocolate drains out, before scraping away the excess chocolate. That's just not possible with a floppy silicone mold. Still, silicone has a place, particularly for intricate shapes that could easily break when unmolding and for food crafting that is more form over function. They also offer the advantage of a low price point, which is convenient if it's a one-off thing like a custom order. One common solution is to cut the mold into individual pieces to make it easier to manipulate, but I admit I haven't been able to bring myself to do that. Maybe one day.

The "building block Christmas house" chocolate mold on Temu cost $6.98 and arrived in about 10 days. The quality of the silicone is similar to that of other molds I've purchased. It was easy to unmold the pieces and clean up was quick and easy. And while it was a little difficult to manipulate, as expected, by placing it on a cookie sheet it was tolerable.

Did I need it? No. Do I love it? Yes. Will there be a chocolate gingerbread house for all seasons? Quite possibly. 

Stay tuned for next week when I unveil what I've made with this treasure from Temu.