Giving a box of chocolates as a gift is always nice, but offering homemade chocolates is even better! However, creating your own chocolates requires knowing some basic concepts and techniques in order to succeed. Here’s how to make your very own chocolate creations.

The choice of chocolate

Chocolate chips are not the best option for confectionery because they don’t contain enough cocoa butter. It’s this butter that will give a beautiful silkiness to the chocolate once melted, so opt for good-quality chocolate for this type of project. In general, European brand chocolates contain more cocoa butter than American brands. It’s also better to use chocolate lozenges rather than chocolate in bars since they will melt more evenly.

The percentage of cocoa does not affect the chocolates, so you can choose the one you prefer, whether that’s dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate.

Tempering

This technique is a basic principle in chocolate-making. It consists of tempering the chocolate so that it remains smooth and shiny once frozen. If you omit this step, your chocolates could become covered with a whitish surface formed by sugar and fat crystals as it cools. It will taste good, but not look as pretty.

Tempering chocolate in 3 steps

1. Melt 2/3 of the required chocolate in a water bath or microwave (for 30 seconds, to prevent it from burning).
2. When the chocolate is melted, add the remaining third while mixing for about 5 minutes.
3. Keep the tempered chocolate slightly warm so that it does not freeze before handling.

How to shape stuffed chocolates

If you want to make stuffed chocolates, you have to follow some more technical steps that will require a little practice and some tests to succeed.

Good to know before you start 

• Moulds: Use chocolate moulds specially designed for chocolate-making. You can get them in specialized kitchen accessories stores.
  Fillings and toppings: There are endless fillings and toppings to add to your creations. It’s suggested to make a chocolate ganache to which you can add grated coconut, chopped nuts or crushed cereals. If you opt for caramel, make sure it is not too liquid, to avoid overflows.
  The enemy of chocolate: water! If water is found in the chocolate, it may whiten or create white streaks. Avoid using overly liquid fillings that may contain water.
• Refrigeration: To ensure a brittle and firm chocolate with each bite, keep it in the refrigerator.

The steps

1. Prepare the fillings and make sure they’ve cooled before placing them in the chocolate.
2. Temper the chocolate following the instructions above.
3. Fill the mould with chocolate and empty the mould above a large bowl so that the cavities are covered with a layer of chocolate. Let it temper at room temperature or in the refrigerator to speed up the process.
4. Fill the stuffing cavities with a pastry bag and make it equal so that there are no air pockets.
5. Do a final layer of chocolate over the moulds and let it set.
6. Unmould the chocolates when they are hard.

Easy-to-make chocolates

Want to embark on a chocolate-making adventure? To ease into it, here are some basic ideas on what to make.

• Chocolate bark

  You can prepare these chocolate bark-like shards by pouring tempered chocolate onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle the chocolate with toppings like candy, nuts and other treats, and then break it into large pieces once it has set.

  Try our recipe: Chocolate bark with candy

• Mendiants

  This confectionery consists of a small disc of chocolate covered with candied fruit, nuts or coffee beans. Simply pour about 1 tbsp (15 ml) of chocolate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread it in small circles with the back of a spoon before adding the toppings.

  Try our recipe: Chocolate mendiants

• Fruits or treats dipped in chocolate

  Offer your Halloween guests personalized sweet treats by dipping them in chocolate. Opt for strawberries, dried fruit or pretzels.

  Try our recipe: Pretzels dipped in chocolate