Homemade Chocolates Part 1 | Tempering & Molding Made Simple
Chef Alan TetreaultIn this tutorial: Candy Coating vs. Real Chocolate · Three Ways to Melt Candy Coating · Caring for Your Molds · Molding Bite-Sized Chocolates · Making Chocolate Lollipops with Transfer Sheets · Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cookies · Using Paramount Crystals · Flooding Cookies with Chocolate · Decorating Cupcakes with Molded Chocolates
Making beautiful molded chocolates at home is far easier than most people think – and it does not require any tempering. In this beginner-friendly tutorial, Chef Alan Tetreault of Global Sugar Art walks through everything needed to start creating bite-sized chocolates, chocolate lollipops, chocolate-covered Oreos, and decorated cookies and cupcakes – all using simple candy coating wafers that melt and set without the fuss of real chocolate tempering.
📌 This is part of the Candy Making series: Part 1 – The Basics (you're here) · Part 2 – Transfer Sheets & Quick Recipes · Part 3 – 3D Bunnies & Easter Candy
What You'll Need
- Merkens candy coating wafers (dark, milk, and/or white) – easy-melt wafers that require no tempering; available in seasonal colors like red, green, orchid, lavender, yellow, and pink.
- Candy molds – hundreds of shapes available for every holiday and occasion.
- Chocolate transfer sheets – acetate sheets printed with cocoa butter designs that transfer onto chocolate.
- Oreo cookie molds – specially designed molds sized to fit a standard Oreo.
- Lollipop sticks – available in different sizes for different molds.
- Paramount crystals – used to thin candy coating that has become too thick.
- Candy melting pot (such as the Wilton candy warming pot) – optional but convenient.
- Royal icing decorations – edible toppers for cookies and cupcakes. Shop royal icing decorations →
- Pastry bags – for piping melted chocolate onto cookies.
- Piping tips (2D or 1M) – large tips for swirling icing onto cupcakes.
- Toothpicks – for popping air bubbles and peeling transfer sheets
- Soft cloth – for drying molds after washing
- Scissors – for cutting transfer sheets and trimming pastry bags
Candy Coating vs. Real Chocolate
Before diving in, Chef Alan explains the key difference between candy coating and real chocolate. Real chocolate contains cocoa butter and must be tempered to achieve a glossy finish and clean snap. Without tempering, real chocolate stays rubbery and dull. Candy coating wafers – such as Merkens – have the cocoa butter removed and replaced with a different fat, which means they can simply be melted and used immediately with no tempering required.
💡 Tip: Products like Wilton Candy Melts and Guittard A'Peels are also candy coatings, not true chocolate. They work the same way – just melt and use.
Three Ways to Melt Candy Coating
Chef Alan demonstrates three methods for melting candy coating wafers:
↪ 1. Candy Melting Pot
The easiest option. Place wafers directly in the pot, use the "melt" setting until fully melted, then switch to the holding setting. The newer silicone pots are especially convenient – leftover hardened chocolate can simply be squeezed out and remelted.
↪ 2. Double Boiler
Fill a glass or stainless steel bowl one-third to one-half full with candy wafers. Bring a pot of water to a simmer (not a boil), then set the bowl on top – making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Stir continuously until melted.
⚠️ The water must not touch the bowl. Direct contact with boiling water can overheat and ruin the candy coating.
↪ 3. Microwave
Place wafers in a microwave-safe bowl, filling it one-third to one-half full. Set the microwave to 50% power and heat in 30-second to 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
💡 Tip: Place the bowl toward the edge of the rotating plate, not in the center. The center of the microwave is the hottest spot and can cause uneven melting.
Caring for Your Molds
Candy molds come in hundreds of designs for every season and occasion – baby showers, weddings, holidays, and birthdays. Proper care keeps them producing shiny chocolates for years:
- Wash with hot water only – never use soap. Soap deteriorates the mold surface over time and causes chocolates to lose their shine.
- Buff dry immediately with a soft cloth. Do not leave molds to air-dry in a dish rack – water droplets leave calcium deposits on the plastic that permanently transfer as spots onto every batch of chocolates.
Molding Bite-Sized Chocolates
With melted chocolate and clean molds ready, making bite-sized pieces is straightforward:
- Spoon chocolate into the mold cavities. A teaspoon with a long handle and small bowl works well for controlled filling. Start with less chocolate rather than more – it is easier to add than to clean up overflow.
- Tap the mold on the table two or three times. This brings air bubbles to the surface and helps the chocolate spread evenly into the details of the mold.
- Place in the freezer on a flat, level surface. Thin bite-sized pieces need about 3–5 minutes.
- Check for doneness by touching the back of the chocolate – it should feel cold to the touch.
- Unmold by flipping the mold over. The chocolates should pop right out. If any stick, gently flex the mold or give it a light tap.
💡 Tip: Merkens wafers come in seasonal colors beyond the standard dark, milk, and white. Red and dark green are popular for the holidays, while orchid, lavender, yellow, pink, and light green sell well in spring.
Making Chocolate Lollipops with Transfer Sheets
Chocolate transfer sheets are acetate sheets printed with cocoa butter designs – snowmen, ornaments, holiday greetings, and hundreds of other patterns. When warm chocolate meets the cocoa butter design, it melts onto the chocolate surface. After setting, the acetate peels away and the design stays behind.
↪ How to Use Transfer Sheets in a Lollipop Mold
- Make a template by tracing the diameter of the mold cavity, then cut out round pieces of transfer sheet to fit.
- Place the transfer sheet cocoa-butter-side up in the bottom of the mold cavity. The cocoa butter side is the one that feels slightly rough or textured; the shiny, slippery side is the back.
- Align the design so it sits correctly relative to the lollipop stick – a snowman should stand upright, not lean sideways.
- Spoon chocolate into the mold over the transfer sheet.
- Tap the mold on the table to release air bubbles and spread the chocolate.
- Insert the lollipop stick and roll it so the end is fully enrobed in chocolate.
- Freeze for about 5 minutes, then unmold.
- Peel the acetate using a toothpick or needle tool to lift one edge. The design stays on the chocolate.
⚠️ Always remove the acetate before serving. The thin plastic is easy to overlook but should be peeled off every piece.
Chocolate-Covered Oreo Cookies
Specially designed Oreo molds make chocolate-covered cookies simple. The process combines the transfer sheet technique with the basic molding method:
- Place a cut transfer sheet in the bottom of the mold cavity (cocoa-butter-side up).
- Spoon a layer of melted chocolate into the bottom of the cavity.
- Press an Oreo cookie gently into the center of the chocolate.
- Cover the top of the cookie with more melted chocolate until the Oreo is fully enclosed.
- Tap the mold gently and inspect the bottom for air bubbles. The cookie's ridges tend to trap air – use a toothpick to release any bubbles by pressing down into the chocolate.
- Freeze for 5–10 minutes. Oreo molds are thicker than standard molds and take longer to set.
- Unmold and peel the transfer sheet the same way as the lollipops.
💡 Tip: Any cookie works in these molds – Oreos are just the most popular choice. And as Chef Alan says: "Eat one, use one" is the best approach.
Using Paramount Crystals
Candy coating can sometimes become too thick – especially colored or white coating, or coating that has been reheated several times. Paramount crystals solve this problem. They are made of the same type of fat used in candy coating and work to thin the chocolate back to a workable consistency.
↪ How to Use Paramount Crystals
- Melt the crystals separately – place a tablespoon or two in a small Pyrex dish and microwave until melted.
- Stir the melted crystals into the thickened chocolate, starting with half a teaspoon to a teaspoon at a time.
- Mix until the coating returns to a smooth, pourable consistency.
⚠️ Never melt paramount crystals directly with the chocolate. Paramount crystals have a much higher melting point than candy coating. Heating them together would require temperatures that would ruin the chocolate.
Flooding Cookies with Chocolate
Another use for melted candy coating is flooding sugar cookies – a fast, forgiving alternative to royal icing flooding:
- Fill a pastry bag with melted chocolate and snip a very small opening at the tip.
- Outline the cookie shape with a thin line of chocolate.
- Fill in the outline by piping back and forth. The chocolate will flow together and self-level into a smooth surface.
- Place a royal icing decoration on top while the chocolate is still wet – it will adhere as the chocolate sets.
This technique works with any cookie cutter shape and any color of candy coating. Chef Alan notes it is a great activity for kids, since the process is simple and the results always look impressive.
💡 Tip: If piping feels fussy, melt the chocolate in a shallow dish and dip the cookie face-down instead. Let the excess drip off on a cooling rack, then add decorations.
Decorating Cupcakes with Molded Chocolates
The molded chocolates made earlier in the tutorial become instant cupcake toppers:
- Pipe a swirl of buttercream onto a cupcake using a large tip (2D or 1M).
- Add sprinkles – holiday sprinkles or edible white glitter for a sparkle effect.
- Set a molded chocolate on top of the icing.
No advanced decorating skills are required. Even a simple spatula-spread layer of icing topped with sprinkles and a molded chocolate makes for an impressive cupcake.
Quick Reference: Freezer Times
| Item | Freezer Time |
|---|---|
| Bite-sized molded chocolates | 3–5 minutes |
| Lollipops | ~5 minutes |
| Chocolate-covered Oreos | 5–10 minutes |
This tutorial is part of Global Sugar Art's library of free cake decorating videos by Chef Alan Tetreault. Browse all tutorials →
