Capping and Unmolding

Appears in
The Art of the Chocolatier
The Art of the Chocolatier

By Ewald Notter

Published 2011

  • About
Once the shells have been filled to the appropriate level and the ganache has fully crystallized, the chocolates are ready to be capped.
  1. Tilt the mold over the chocolate bowl, in the same fashion as when casting, and pour a small quantity of chocolate over the cavities.
  2. Use an offset spatula to remove the excess chocolate from the top of the molds. If the ganache is still runny, it is necessary to use the offset spatula solely in an upward direction to hold the ganache in place. Rotate the mold to maintain the upward stroke. If a downward stroke is used, the ganache will slip out.
  3. Once the molds are clean, place in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 minutes to accelerate the crystallization process. The molds should be removed from the refrigerator as soon as the chocolate releases from the mold. If the molds are left in the refrigerator for too long, condensation will form on the chocolate. If this occurs, remove the molds from the refrigerator and let the chocolates sit in the molds at room temperature until they warm up, then release from the molds. This will salvage the shiny look of the chocolates.
  4. When the chocolates are fully set, tap the molds on the table to release the chocolates from the molds.