For today's recipes, we're going to talk about modeling chocolate. Modeling chocolate is a wonderful edible sculpting medium. It's like clay you want to eat- firm, yet malleable, capable of holding it's shape or being reworked, and also delicious. We know of two different recipes for modeling chocolate- one that uses candy melts, and one that uses real chocolate. We're going to give you both.

Modeling Chocolate Using Candy Melts:

Ingredients:

• 454g Candy Melts
• 115g corn syrup

Tools:

• Plastic lined sheet tray
• Double Boiler
• Silicone Spatula

In a double boiler, heat your candy melts until they're mostly melted but a few lumps remain. You don't want to risk the candy melts getting too hot and burning, so take it off the double boiler and set it aside while there are still a few lumps. (The lumps will melt out from the residual heat of the warm melted candy).

Microwave your corn syrup for a minute and a half so that the syrup gets very warm and very thin. Put your melted candy melts back on the double boiler over a low heat and pour in the warm corn syrup.

Begin stirring! And keep stirring! Stir much longer than you think you need to; if you don't stir your mixture enough, the fats will separate out during the cooling process and your modeling chocolate will wind up lumpy. Your modeling chocolate is ready when it's absolutely silky-smooth and shiny- no air bubbles, no "curdled" appearance, and no liquid separated out.

Pour your warm modeling chocolate onto the lined sheet pan and spread to about 1/4" thick. Once it's cooled, you can start sculpting immediately or put it in an air-tight container for later.

Modeling Chocolate Using Real Chocolate:

Ingredients:

• 500g White Chocolate (or regular chocolate if you want an all-brown figure)
• 250g Glucose
• 1 Teaspoon water
• Gel color (optional)

Tools:

• Plastic lined sheet tray
• Double boiler
• Silicone spatula

In a double boiler, melt your chocolate over a medium heat until it is super smooth. Once your chocolate is completely smooth, take it off the double boiler and set it aside. You don't want it to continue to heat after it has reached the right consistency. 

Because glucose has a lower water content than the corn syrup we used in the candy melt recipe, you'll need to add just a smidge of water. Add 1 teaspoon of water to your 250g of glucose now. Microwave the glucose and water for a minute or two- until it's warm enough to be smooth, liquidy, and easy to pour. Put your chocolate back on the double boiler over a low heat.

Pour the glucose-water mixture into the chocolate and begin stirring over a constant low heat. You should notice after a bit of stirring that the fat from the chocolate begins to separate out. Keep stirring! You want that fat content to be reabsorbed by the chocolate; don't stop stirring until it is. If you notice any lumping up of the chocolate- keep stirring! Eventually you will get to a stage where your chocolate is silky smooth. If you want to color your chocolate- this is a great time to do it! You can knead in color later when your chocolate has cooled, but it is so much easier to stir it in now while the chocolate is warm and soft.

Pour your warm chocolate onto a sheet tray lined with plastic and smooth it out to about 1/4" thick. Once it's cool, you can use it immediately or store it in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place.

That's it! Now you know how to make modeling chocolate. Get to sculpting!