Modelling Chocolate
Great for cake toppers, edible bits and bobs, and great to panel cakes with!
Ingredients
375 g (13oz) White Chocolate (Any brand, although Candy Melts may require more Corn Syrup)
1/3 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup (You can use Glucose Syrup, but you may need slightly more. Test ahead of time)
Method
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, using short bursts so as not to burn the chocolate. Mix till smooth, and allow to cool slightly. Warm the corn syrup as well, and let it rest until its the about the same temperature as the chocolate. If either ingredient is too hot or too cold, the chocolate will seize before it mixes properly
Add ingredients together, folding gently until they are combined, and the mix is the consistency of very soft playdoh.
Spread modelling chocolate onto a sheet of cling film, and flatten with a spatula. Cover with a layer of cling film, and fold up edges so it doesn’t dry out while it sets. It should take around an hour, possibly longer if the weather is warm
Once the chocolate has set (about an hour, maybe even overnight if its hot), tear into sections, and knead until smooth. It can be pretty hard going, so you can pop the modelling chocolate in the microwave to soften. Microwave ONLY in small bursts of 2-5 seconds. It will melt very quickly. You can use your modelling chocolate straight away, or you can save it for later
Notes
While it only takes about 10 minutes to mix the modelling chocolate, it needs to rest for AT LEAST an hour, or until its very firm, otherwise you’ll have melty oily chocolate goo.
It’s very important that the corn syrup and chocolate are as close to the same temperature as possible, otherwise the mix will seize. You can use a candy thermometer, but a few practices and you’ll know by feel.
Modelling chocolate colours the same as fondant, so use only gel, powdered food colours, or oil based colours.
To store, wrap in an airtight bag or tightly in cling film, and store in a cool dry place. You can re-knead it to make it soft enough to use, or you can soften it in the microwave to help the process, but ONLY in small bursts as above.
Modelling Chocolate has the same shelf life as Chocolate, which is generally 12 months. Once Modelling Chocolate and fondant are mixed though, the workability will lessen over time, so I recommend storing the elements separately, and only blending as needed.
For Dark Chocolate Modelling Chocolate, add 1/4 cup of Corn Syrup instead of 1/3.