How to make your own chocolates

If chocolate is your thing then having a chocolate silicone mould up your sleeve is a smart move. See what it feels like to be a master chocolatier and experiment with different flavour combinations to create your own chocolates good enough to charge big bucks for. Here’s a little inspiration with chilli, pistachio, hazelnut and ginger chocolates.

Perfect for making gifts for foodie friends, these Kitchen Craft Silicone Moulds are super flexible and extra bendy so it’s easy to get your perfectly-shaped chocolates out. The silicone is also heat-resistant to 260°C and  fridge, freezer and dishwasher safe. You can choose between chunks, hearts and drops.

Ingredients (makes three trays)

1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup milk chocolate, chopped
1 cup white chocolate, chopped
1 tsp chilli, finely chopped
Hazelnuts
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 tsp pistachios, chopped

Method

1. If you are a perfectionist and budding chocolatier, you will need to temper your chocolate before putting it in your moulds (here’s how to temper chocolate). Tempered chocolate is smooth and has a shiny finish with a satisfying snap but the easiest and quickest way to melt chocolate is to heat it in the microwave.  To go the microwave route, you’ll need 3 microwave-safe bowls. Separate your dark, milk and white chocolate into each of the bowls. Place the bowls, one at a time, in the microwave and cook on low for approximately 30 seconds. Remove and stir the chocolate before putting it back in the microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat this process until the chocolate is smooth and creamy.

2. Once the chocolate has melted, stir in the different flavour combinations. Experiment as you wish.

3. Spoon the chocolate into the moulds. Fill each mould so that the chocolate almost reaches the top. You don’t have to worry about leveling off the chocolate as it will smooth itself out.

4. Allow the moulds to sit undisturbed until set at room temperature.

5. Finally, carefully flip the molds over and twist them slightly in order to release the chocolate shapes.

Tips:

Chocolate melts best at a low temperature. Don’t allow it to reach more than 110°C otherwise it will scorch or separate. If you scorch chocolate, you’ll have no choice but to throw it out and start afresh.

Melt only enough chocolate at one time that you can mould in just a matter of minutes. Once it’s melted, you’ll want to place it into your prepared moulds straight away. If you wait too long, it will harden.

Keep water and other liquids away from the chocolate while it’s melting. Water will cause the chocolate to seize up. You can add a few drops of vegetable oil to remedy the problem but the taste of the chocolate will be adversely affected.

Download print-friendly recipe.

While we no longer stock the Kitchen Craft silicone moulds, we do have the Kaiser Praline moulds in heart, squares and cake slices.