Modeling Chocolate

This is a pliable chocolate paste made from just two ingredients, chocolate and corn syrup. It has the texture of a tootsie roll or marzipan and is very easy to work with. It can be used to make ropes, braids, ribbons, ruffles, flowers, or leaves. But my favorite is using it for figure modeling!  Modeling Chocolate can be made with bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk or white chocolate.

Modeling chocolate was used for the horse and the knights in this castle cake.

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Modeling Paste:
7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (If you don't have a scale, it looks to be about 1 1/3 of a cup when measuring melting chocolate's.)
1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Modeling Paste:
7 ounces (200 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
3 1/2 - 4 tablespoons light corn syrup

White Chocolate Modeling Paste:
7 ounces (200 grams) white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Milk Chocolate Modeling Paste:
7 ounces (200 grams) Milk Chocolate
2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Preparation

Note: To prevent the corn syrup from sticking to the measuring cup or spoons, spray with Pam or grease with vegetable oil before measuring.

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 20 – 30 second increments. Make sure the temperature doesn’t get too high. Your chocolate should not exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stir in the corn syrup. The chocolate will stiffen almost immediately. Stir until completely combined. Transfer the chocolate to a sturdy plastic freezer bag and refrigerate until firm (about two hours).

When the dough is firm, remove from the refrigerator, and knead it until it is soft enough to work with. If it is too hard, cut off small pieces, and knead until pliable. Grease the counter where you are working with oil or spray with Pam so the chocolate won't stick.

At this point you can make the chocolate into whatever shape you want. Some ideas: It can be formed into a long rope or braid and wrapped around the base of the cake. It can also be placed around the outside top edge of the cake.

This dough can also be used to make ribbons to cover a cake. To do this pat your dough into a disk shape and roll dough out to desired thickness using a rolling pin or else use a manual pasta machine. This dough can also be used to make flowers, leaves, or any other decorations.

Well wrapped it will keep for months. If it gets hard to work with knead in a little more corn syrup until it is pliable again.