If you are new to Pucks, welcome! I am so excited you are here.
Your mold set is designed to give you just the right amount of chocolate over a huge variety of desserts, so let's walk through the process!
(Remember, there are LOTS of videos you can watch as well, the social media links are on my Home Page.)
THE CENTERS:
The first thing you will do is decide what flavor or type of dessert you want to make. There are so many options but for this post let's use cake as an example.
Your first step will be to bake your cake. (I recommend using my cake mix recipes because homemade can be too moist.) Let it cool and then crumble it in a large bowl. Make sure to get rid of any large or hard pieces.
Next you will add your binding agent- in this case it is buttercream. (I have a great recipe posted.)
I add about a 1/2 cup of frosting to my crumbled cake in dollops and then gently mix it in. You don't have to mash it, with Cake Pucks you can have really good texture as well as flavor!
What you want is a mixture that will hold its shape when its COLD. It's ok if it's softer at room temperature because the chocolate will hold it all together.
Once your cake and frosting mixture is ready you scoop it into the small mold (with Cake Puck on the top.) I use a large cookie scoop.
Take something with a smooth base (like a measuring cup) and gently press the mixture down into the mold, then use your scraper to smooth the cake level with the mold.
Place the small mold in the fridge to chill!
You can use an extra tray to support it or place it on a flat space. I like to pre make my centers a day ahead but if you want to dip them on the same day it will take an hour or so for the centers to set.
You can also place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes if you are in a hurry.
Once they are set you can pop them out to make more but keep your centers in the fridge until you are ready to dip them.
TO DIP:
There are lots of different options to use, another post to come about that but I LOVE Ghirardelli's Melts.
Melt your chocolate then place the larger mold (with the Benty Cakes logo on the bottom) on the plastic tray.
(Start out doing one at a time, once you are comfortable you can then start doing 2-3 at a time but you don't want your melted chocolate to have time to set.)
Fill your cavity about half full of melted chocolate, then take a chilled center and gently press it into the mold until the chocolate comes up over all the sides.
Using the tray tap the mold gently on the counter to get out any air bubbles and smooth out the chocolate. If you have too much chocolate use your scraper to remove it, if you have not quite enough just add a little more, tap the mold again (really get those air bubbles out!) and then if needed smooth off any excess.
Because the centers are cold your Pucks will set up quickly. Unusually it takes about 15 minutes on the counter depending on how warm your house it. You can stick them in the fridge if you're in a hurry.
You can tell your pucks are ready to pop out if the mold pulls away cleanly, if you see any chocolate stick as you gently pull, they are not set yet.
The most satisfying part is popping out your shiny, professional looking Pucks!!
Trouble Shooting:
If you have spaces on the sides you did not get out all the air bubbles, to help avoid this make sure your chocolate comes up over all the edges when you press your centers in. You might need to add a little more chocolate to the mold, it's ok it its too much, you can just scrape off the excess.
If your tops are cracked, you pressed your centers in too far. That's ok! You will get the feel for it, or the "eye" for it, as you press your centers in you will start to see how much of a chocolate layer you want on the bottom.
If you are having a hard time pressing your centers in, your chocolate is too thick. It should come up over the sides. So make sure if you are using candy melts you are thinning them with a little shortening or coconut oil. All melts are NOT created equal, but there is a way to Puck with any of them. Another post on that to come!
You can go to our FAQ page for answers to questions about storing etc.
Thank you for being part of the Benty Cakes Community.
Now let's get Pucking!
love,
Beth and the Benty Boys