Ann Reardon

Modeling Chocolate Recipe (make modelling chocolate)

modeling chocolate recipe

 

Modelling chocolate tastes better than fondant but is not quite as easy to work with, so I find it good for smaller projects.  It does not set hard like fondant does so you can’t use it for some applications.  Normally it is made from corn syrup and candy melts, two very expensive ingredients in Australia so here I will give you a number of different recipes for you to try.

Chocolate Quantity Syrup Quantity Result Rating
100g (3.53 ounces) Nestle Melts 4 teaspoons Glucose syrup Workable but not as good as when made with corn syrup ***
100g (3.53 ounces) Nestle Melts 2 teaspoons Corn Syrup Smooth, good consistency ****
100g (3.53 ounces) Cadbury Milk Chocolate 8 tsp glucose syrup tastes good, texture a little ‘sticky’ not as smooth as using corn syrup. ***
100g (3.53 ounces) Cadbury Milk Chocolate 4 tsp corn syrup tastes great, flexible, pliable ****
100g (3.53 ounces) Cadbury Milk chocolate 1 Tablespoon glucose syrup plus
1 teaspoon water
Not good, crumbly *
100g (3.53 ounces) Wilton Candy Melts 2 tsp corn syrup The best results, pliable, flexible, smooth *****
100g (3.53 ounces) Wilton Candy Melts 2 tsp Glucose Syrup
1 drop gel colour
Very crumbly, useable but only just, breaks easily. **
100g (3.53 ounces) Wilton Candy Melts 4 tsp glucose Good, flexible, rolls out well ****

The modeling chocolate ingredients need to be combined carefully at the same temperature as each other so that it doesn’t seize, watch the video for instructions on how to do this.

The Wilton Candy melts and corn syrup definitely gave the best result with a smooth flexible modeling chocolate.  However by adjusting the ratio of glucose syrup to nestle melts an acceptable texture can be achieved.

modeling chocolate recipe how to cook that

by Ann Reardon How To Cook That
2013

My Cookbook

ann reardon crazy sweet creations cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

250 Comments View Comments

  1. If I use Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips, does that effect the chocolate?Or is there a substitute for candy melts?

    • Hi Claire, the product you described varies from country to country so it is hard to give you an accurate answer. Ann recommends trying it with a small batch and seeing if you are happy with the consistency. Ann did find that candy melts work best and you can generally purchase these online.

  2. If I use real chocolate containing cocoa butter should it be tempered for this recipe?

    • Hi Emma, In this case no as adding the syrup will prevent it from tempering anyway.

  3. Hi, thanks so much for this! I’m going to attempt to make it with candy melts and glucose syrup. Do you know if it works ok to multiply the quantities? Or should I just do it in 100g batches? Thanks in advance, Jaime Muller

    • Hi again,
      I thought I’d post in case this can help anyone who has the same problem I had…
      I made this is 200g batches with Wilton candy melts and 8tsp glucose syrup (double quantity). I was quite worried about over stirring so I think I under stirred. The result was an inconsistent dough with some parts lumpy/crumbly and some parts sticky/glucosey. I placed the lot (3 batches, so 600g all up) into my thermomix bowl and kneaded for a few minutes. The result was perfect. Beautiful, workable dough. I know not everybody has a thermomix, but for those that do, this was a good fix. Thanks again for this very informative tutorial and results table. Very helpful.

      • Thanks Jamie, that is a great tip!

    • Hi Jamie, It is best to experiment in smaller batches till you find what works best for you. As brands of melts and chocolate vary quite a bit you don’t want to go wasting chocolate

  4. Hello. I just need to ask a few questions if you don’t mind:
    *when I leave it at room temp to set., can I use it right away?
    *how do you store your modeling chocolate?
    *how long will it last?
    I wish that you’ll be able to answer these questions because it would really help. I’m planning to make some for Christmas. Thank you..

    • Hi Glennie, Ann recommends storing modelling chocolate double wrapped in plastic wrap and then put in the refrigerator. It will keep quite well this way though it is best to use it within 6 weeks. Make sure the modelling choclate is properly cooled and set before attempting to use it.

  5. Hi Ann!!!

    I’m about to try and make modeling chocolate but i would love to have many colors. Can I make the modeling chocolate white and after is done, add the color? or do i need to add the colors when mixing it?

  6. How long in advance can I make this before using?

    • Hi Gussie, a few days ahead is a good idea. It should keep quite well.

  7. Dear Ann, I’ve been subscribed to your channel for quite awhile now and I decided to surprise my mom with chocolate roses, but the problem is, since I live in Serbia, none of these brands from the post are available here. Is there any way to determine which chocolate I should use by looking at the ingredients written on the package? Thanks

    • Hi Blanche, it would be best in your case to experiment with a small quantity and see what kind of results you get. That way you won’t risk wasting a lot of chocolate

      • You’ve got it in one. Co’dnlut have put it better.

  8. Hi, I have just subscribed and absolutely love your website and YouTube Chanel.. You are a very talented and skilled person, thank you for sharing your expertise :). Apologies if I have missed this else where in this post, but wondered what the glucose/corn syrup could be substituted for in the UK? Is golden syrup a possibility?

    Thank you for you time.

    PS… I’ve used your Marvel Heroes/Avengers cake tutorial to make my nephew’s birthday cake.. It was very easy to follow, so again, thank you!

    • Hi Tori, glucose syrup can be swapped for light corn syrup, but not unfortunately for golden syrup. In the UK glucose syrup is sometimes referred to as glucose fructose syrup or liquid glucose. it is available at a number of reputable supermarkets in the UK.

  9. do i have to have it set over night or can i have it set for a few hours?

    • Hi Melinda, it will vary depending on what ingredients you use. It is best to allow overnight if you can.

  10. Hello, i can’t find the video related to this post, is it me? When i click on the big picture at the top nothing happens…

    • Hi Sahara, The picture at the top is just a pic. The video is half way down the page. It is working fine at this end.

      • Great areilct, thank you again for writing.

    • What litearbing knowledge. Give me liberty or give me death.

  11. I don’t know how to tell if the corn syrup is the same temperature as the candy melts, I want to make modeling chocolate but am unsure about it because of this detail, can you please help me?

    • Hi Anada you will need a candy thermometer.

      • Wow! Talk about a posting knkoicng my socks off!

  12. Hi Ann, how do you know if the corn syrup is the same temp as the candy melts?

  13. Hi,

    I’m wanting to make a dark chocolate modeling chocolate. I’d the ration the same as the milk chocolate?

    • Hi Cheryl, Use the milk chocolate ratios as a base but as Ann points out the type and brand of chocolate will impact on the ratios needed to get a good pliable modelling chocolate. Ann got the best results using the candy melts.

  14. Hello Ann,
    Thanks for the informative to the point videos. I enjoy them and have learned a lot from them. I tried to make modeling chocolate using callebaut milk chocolate and light corn syrup, but it was hard and crumbly. I used 100g chocolate and 15g light corn syrup.Any advice?,
    Thank you,
    Emily

    • I said the same thing to someone else below, but here ya go:
      I struggled with this same thing a lot! Wasted probably $50 of chocolate trying to get it right. Here’s some of the advice that I’ve seen people give:
      -Add the coloring to the syrup first, and add the syrup to the chocolate.
      -Keep kneading it, sometimes it’s crumbly at first but then it recovers after working with it. (Didn’t work for me.)
      -The chocolate was burned. (Wasn’t the case for me.)
      -Water got in the mixture. (Also wasn’t a problem.)
      -Not enough corn syrup. (Tried this and it turned out crumbly AND oily.)
      -Mixed too much. (I was being extremely careful about this, and even under-mixed sometimes.)
      The thing that finally fixed it for me was increasing the amount of the ingredients. I doubled the recipe, and suddenly it looked just like the video. I’m not sure why, but in small quantities, it just crumbled apart and got hard very fast when I tried to mix the chocolate and the syrup. My suspicion is that it has something to do with temperature, but I’m not sure. But, seeing as doubling the recipe is a good way to waste MORE chocolate, I recommend checking the list above first to make sure you aren’t doing any of those things.

    • Hi Emily, It is all about the ratios when it comes to chocolate. That is why some brands will work well and others are challenging. Unfortunately one brand can actually vary quite a lot from country to country so we can’t recommend what is best to use. Ann found the candy melts much easier to work with than trying to use real chocolate

  15. Hi. I’m Christina from UK. I tried tempering Cadbury dairy milk and kept it under the temp by grating and using the microwave but I couldn’t get it runny like you’re and when the chocolate were done they melted very quickly in you’re fingers.. did I do something wrong

    • Hi Christina, You commented on the modelling chocolate page but I am guessing you were not trying to make modelling chocolate. If you are tempering chocolate you will find it easier to use a higher quality chocolate. The chocolate you used is a standard type and will likely be much thicker at room temperature as it has additional fats added. If it stayed within temper, it should still hold its shape when cool.

  16. Hi, I tried the 2 tsp of corn syrup and 100g of wilton candy melts. I added powder food colouring to make a darker shade.
    It’s crumbly. What am I doing wrong? I’ve tried making modeling chocolate a couple of times now and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

    Help please

    • Hi Zara, Usually if it goes crumbly it has been overmixed. Watch the video and just mix it through as per the video instructions, then leave it alone. The next day warm slightly and mold it should work to a smooth consistency. If the problem persists you may need to adjust the amount of corn syrup a little by adding a little more.

  17. thank you for posting such interesting and informative posts! I am always looking for ideas of things to do with my grandkids. Your post on the mini cakes inspired me and we had a mini tart party! This weekend we will expand to a tea party for their dolls & us! I always try to incorporate a leaning experience when we visit and we almost always bake! I was so inspired by your post that after 30 years have taken out my dollhouse and am going to turn it into a mini bakery & tea room! I will include my grandkids in the process and try to only use recycled materials! This way we can think about how to reuse as much as possible ( and limit consumerism!) although most things are available in my state I love to make things from scratch and challenge myself!! Thanks for your hard work!

    • Thanks Anna for the feedback. Hope you have heaps of fun baking with the grandkids!

  18. Hi Ann my name is jaismin and i watch your vides everyday and i love them
    i have a question can i agave corn syrup as i livein india and i could not find it anywhere in the stores ?

    • Hi Jaismin, You can use light corn syrup to replace glucose syrup.

  19. hi ann i live in india but i watch your videos and i love them can i agave syrups as i could not find then here will it taste good or not

  20. My mom passed away 10 years ago and so I’m having her anniversary this july and would like to decorate the tables with roses. Can you give me some tips please!

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