Molded Chocolates

Molded chocolates differ from hand-dipped chocolates in several ways. Molded chocolates are generally made using sturdy polycarbonate molds. Polycarbonate is a very shiny clear plastic that is almost impossible to deform. This is crucial since chocolate, when properly tempered, will reflect the surface of whatever surface it is crystallizing on. The shinier the surface, the better. You cannot really obtain very shiny chocolate when hand dipping, unless you place a sheet of acetate or other plastic over its surface just after dipping the piece in tempered chocolate and before the chocolate crystallizes. There are many possibilities with molded chocolates with regard to garnishing the mold, using techniques and methods that are not possible with hand-dipped chocolates. The method for hand-dipped chocolates is best suited for mass-quantity production utilizing an enrober, which is a very expensive piece of equipment.