The Reason Why Your Chocolate Is Stuck To Your Candy Molds

Making molded chocolates looks like it would be easy: Just melt, fill, cool, and release! But like many aspects of chocolate-making, it can be finicky. Miss the mark on any of several key steps by just a tiny bit, and instead of releasing beautiful hearts, flowers, or other shapes, you'll literally be stuck with chocolate in the mold. Let's take a closer look at what could be causing this common mishap.

It all starts with your equipment. P. It's a good idea to  before you fill them.

Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature, and we love it when it melts in our mouths. But when it comes to chocolate making, it's very important to work in a cool room,  so that it doesn't heat up any more than we want it to. Remember that .  

Tempering, or the process of carefully heating and cooling chocolate, is key to making its texture hard and shiny. For best results, choose couverture chocolate, which melts smoothly and evenly. You can use the microwave method like Ina Garten does, or try Preston Stewart's two-step tip to temper it like a pro. Once the chocolate is ready, . Then carefully spoon it in, leveling off the top of the molds with a scraper and .  .

At this point, the process is almost done, but you'll need to be patient for just a few minutes more. If you've done everything by the book so far, congratulations! Your treats should be ready to pop out of the mold.

Lay a clean towel or sheet of wax paper on the counter, and run your hands under cold water again. Then flip your mold upside down over the counter and watch them slip out. If any pieces hesitate, you can gently tap the bottom of the mold with your hand or a wooden spoon to help them release. Your decorative chocolates should be complete, ready to wrap, give, or eat right away — because you've earned it with all your careful work.