Clandestino Chicago Supper Club | Underground Dining | Pop-Up Restaurant | Chicago Catering

Candy Making

My first attempt at candy making was preceded by plenty of research. I typically don’t like to spend a lot of time practicing and running trials, although I really should, but the instructions seemed simple enough.

I ordered the last 4 molds of  “farm truck” in stock from sugarcraft.com and waited patiently for their arrival. Chef Nate recommended I use milk chocolate from Blommer’s chocolate in Chicago. Blommer’s is that chocolate factory on Milwaukee Ave downtown that makes the whole block smell like fresh baked brownies. They have a signature line of dark and milk chocolates that are already tempered so all you have to do is melt the chocolate and pour it into the mold.  I used their Kinzie blend and implemented a trick recommended on the sugarcraft site, which was to pack the chocolate discs into a mason jar, then put the jar into a pot of simmering water. Sure enough, after just a few minutes, the chocolate was melted just right and I simply removed the lid using a kitchen towel and poured the warm molten chocolate into the mold.

I filled each side of 1 mold about 1/3 full of liquid chocolate and gently swooshed it around to cover all the vital parts of the truck. Then I did the same with the 2nd mold. Then I swiftly placed one mold on top of the other and slowly rotated the molds while clamping them to avoid spillage. After about a minute of this I placed the chocolate filled mold in the freezer. And after about 10-15 minutes the chocolate solidified and shrunk away from the plastic mold. A little gentle coaxing and pop! – the truck emerged as I peeled away the 2 molds. The final step was to use a hot knife to trim the seam all the way around. I used a pair of small paring knives dunked in a glass of hot water. Be gentle and let the knife do the work, otherwise you will destroy your creation and have to remelt and start over. Simply glide the hot blade along to create a clean smooth edge.

Your new chocolate limo or chocolate buddha will make a great gift and surely impress your friends at your next dinner party.