Organizing Molds

My chocolate and candy molds have always been organized in a chaotic fashion. They are awkward to store because of their different shapes, sizes, and materials. And even when I purchased a piece of furniture in which to store them, I never managed to corral them all into the same place. Consequently, it was very easy to forget what I had.

When I moved about six months ago, they were all packed into boxes with a generic label and no sense of order. They were deposited in my basement and placed on the shelf of a baker's rack. While I love having space to store them without seeing them daily, I knew I needed to make it easier to find what I want when I want it. And as the old year transitioned into the new, I made a note to organize my chocolate and candy molds in 2026. 

And so about three weeks ago, I took the last of my vacation days for the 2025-26 year. I didn't sleep in. Instead, I was up with the birds as usual. After breakfast, I drove to Canadian Tire to purchase a folding table and then once it was set up in my basement, I put every mold I own on it. As I sorted and sifted, it became clear that the easiest way to organize them was to separate them into boxes by material -- polycarbonate, PET, and silicone. 

Polycarbonate molds are professional grade and made of a rigid plastic. They give chocolates a beautiful finish and tend to be more expensive. I purchased my first two when I did my professional chocolatier program and have been slowly collecting them since. For these, I have been restricting myself to classic shapes rather than novelties -- the diamond dome, the half sphere, the peanut butter cup, an Easter egg, etc. About two years ago, I concluded that based on my current production scale, I need two of each, which allows me in most cases to produce 42 of the same chocolate at once. 

PET molds are made of a lighter plastic and are usually much less expensive. While they result in a better finish than silicone molds, they seem to be prone to marring during the unmolding process resulting in an imperfect finish. They more commonly are novelty shapes -- Garfield lollipops, awareness ribbons, giant pills, hockey pucks, etc. For the vast majority of these, I own only one of each mold (unintentional exceptions are an Easter bunny mold and a Valentine's pour box).

Silicone molds, of course, have become increasingly popular and are generally inexpensive (unless you order a custom one like my oyster mold). They can produce greater detail and are easier to release because you can peel them from the chocolate, but they are very difficult to work with. For example, unless you want a colossal mess to clean up, shelling has to be done by painting each well with a pastry brush. Consequently, they are better suited to solid pieces. I have molds for penguins, Christmas lights, bats, pumpkins, gummy bears, etc. 

As I sifted through the molds, it occurred to me that sorting by material wasn't good enough. It would be much better to have an inventory of all of the molds. Go big or go home, right? Before I knew it, I had a laptop in front of me and was typing into a spreadsheet. I recorded the shape, the type (hollow, 3D, 3-part), the material, and the maker or source if I knew it. I also noted how many I had, how many pieces each one made, and in which box they were located. Three hours later, I was done. 

In case you're wondering, it turns out that I have 94 distinct molds and 115 in total. Being able to search the inventory quickly will surely make life easier. The first test of the system occurred just a week after completing it, when I wanted molds for Easter eggs. It was quick and easy to choose and locate the right mold for the job -- and there was no mountain of molds to manage and eventually dodge when they inevitably collapse around (or on) me. 

And you know what that means... Production of Easter eggs is just around the corner!  

Trash to Chocolate Mold

You may remember my Peppermint Patty Showdown from last month. On Christmas morning, I received a package of Waterbridge Mint Creams in my stocking. Well, when the package was empty, I couldn't help but think that the plastic tray the creams had come in would make an interesting candy bar. And so instead of tossing it into the recycling, I set it aside for an experiment. 

So what was interesting about the tray? It was a square tray that had held nine creams. Each circular well was embossed with a sort of geometric basket weave pattern. And the nine wells were connected by narrow channels. It made me think of modern décor, like bubble lamps or candles. 

I tempered a very small amount of chocolate (less than 100g) and initially was going to pour a solid bar. But then I remembered that I had dried blueberries in my cupboard that had been bought for a Christmas recipe that wasn't made. I tossed a tablespoon or so into the chocolate. This, naturally, triggered thoughts of the Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar that my nan loved, and I decided a little crunch would go a long way. I quickly chopped up a small handful of cashews and tossed those in as well. After mixing, I poured chocolate into the tray and tossed it into the fridge for a few minutes to set.

Now, I'm not going to lie. This makeshift chocolate mold fought me as I tried to release the bar. While it was easy enough to unmold the outer circles because the plastic was so flexible, the centre one was like it was vacuum sealed into place. But I persisted and eventually the bar popped out. 

Other than the recycling logo in the centre of the bar (which I knew would be visible before I started), I really like the look of this bar. And it is surprisingly easy to break off a piece for sharing (if you believe in sharing your chocolate, that is -- I personally think it's overrated). Molds with these sorts of fine details work better with a more fluid chocolate, so if I were to do something similar in the future, I would consider adding a little cocoa butter to improve the appearance. 

On flavour, however, I have no notes. Who knew that dried blueberries and cashews were so good together? A match made in heaven. So perfectly suited that they could have gotten married during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show. (Okay, that might be taking it a bit too far.) In terms of texture, the chew of the dried fruit and the gentle crunch of the nuts (cashews are a little softer than peanuts or almonds) enhances the sensory experience. 

Honestly, this combination is so good that it just might find its way into the 2026 Christmas assortment.

Minus the recycling symbol, of course.

 

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.