Hollow figures - what makes them perfect

A smooth, even shell that has a beautiful snap, high gloss and an ideal thickness: Callebaut chef Beverley Dunkley shares her insights into how you can recognise flawlessly crafted chocolate figures.

GOOD TO KNOW

What should you take to heart when making hollow figures?
Use polycarbonate moulds. These yield the highest gloss and contract slower than chocolate, which makes unmoulding far easier.

Choose the fluidity of the chocolate according to the size of your moulds: a three-drop fluidity for smaller moulds, a two-drop fluidity for bigger ones.

Heat the moulds briefly before pouring in your tempered chocolate. This way, you’ll avoid temperature shocks that could make your chocolate turn grey afterwards.

Make sure that the heat can escape from the mould during cooling. If it remains trapped inside the mould, chances are high the chocolate shell will show dull spots after the chocolate has cooled down.