diamond paste mould

[enola69]

would one of these types be ok for making chocolate in.

I was just planning on buying choc, melting it and making it into an animal shape with a mould.

would the choc maintain its colour, taste and texture or would I have to do something else to it.

[the card shark]

What sort of chocolate will you be planning on using?

[enola69]

erm well I just though I might buy a slab of any well known choc from a shop and melt it. Would that be ok?

The mould is food grade safe.

I help to run a pgymy hedgehog forum and its a hedgehog mould and have been looking for one for ages. I just wanted to make some chocs to say thanks to some of the other mods who help and the reg members.

Was gonna get the hog one which is a large food grade diamond paste mould and then a set that have several shapes which looks more like a baking tray so excess choc is not wasted.

[the card shark]

Whilst normal chocolate (eg. cadburys or Galaxy) will melt and set in the mould, the chocolates will have a dull and blotchy complexion. But they'll still taste nice!

Ideally, you should buy special chocolate which needs to be tempered. Tempering is where you melt the chocolate to a certain temperature and then let it cool to another temperature (temps vary according to whether it's white, milk or plain choc) so your chocolate is more likely to remain shiny - as long as you don't allow any moisture to get into the chocolate e.g. from steam during the melting process (don't melt using a microwave) or by storing them in the fridge.

Did you see Kirsty Allsop's handmade Christmas programme - in particular the one where she made ganache truffles? The choccy expert suggested melting the chocolate and then allowing it to cool until a little placed on your bottom lip felt cool. I followed this advice and coated my truffles (xmas pressies for family) and it did seem to work. :)

I've never mastered the art of tempering of chocolate. However, I discovered that you can get acceptable results using chocolate that is made from cocoa butter e.g. Green & Blacks but they'll be others. Steer clear of chocolate that contains any other type of fat e.g. vegetable fats.

Re your mould: I'm not au fait with diamond paste moulds so don't know if they'll work with chocolate. What does the manufacturer suggest? The mould must be scrupulously clean and absolutely grease free otherwise your chocs will stick to the mould. When set, the chocs should come away from the mould with a sharp tap or two.

I think it's a lovely idea coordinating your thank you gifts with the charity. Whatever chocolate you decide to use, I'm sure they'll be gratefully received and of course will be very tasty!

[enola69]

I did watch a couple of utube vids on tempering. Have also found an online shop thats sells choc ready to be tempered.

The ad for the mould just says non stick and food safe.

Maybe I should start out with some of the smaller tray designs before i splash out on one single large mould?

[the card shark]

Just googled the mould and it is very intricate so not sure if it would work with chocolate or not.

If you really like the mould and might use it for other stuff e.g. making cake toppers from sugar paste then go for it.

[enola69]

dont even get me started on any more projects!! I already have about 6 in a queue!!!!