Colouring of hollow figures with powders by spraying

Needed:

* moulds for pralines or hollow figures
* fat soluble pigments
* cocoa butter
* airbrush with compressor
* palette knife
* marble

Step 1

Melt a small portion of cocoa butter and dissolve the pigment in it. Mix this on the marble with the palette knife to a homogenous mass until all pigment granules are dissolved. The mixing and the cooling will thicken the cocoa butter into a coloured paste.

Step 2

Now mix this paste with melted cocoa butter (40°C) to produce the desired colour in the quantity you want.

Step 2
Step 3

Fill the airbrush container with this mixture and allow to mix under pressure.

Step 4

Important: make sure that the moulds are at room temperature. You may need to lightly warm them with a hot air blower (ideal: 26 to 27°C). Spray the moulds with the mixture. Obviously you should separate the two halves of double moulds before spraying.

Step 4
Step 5

Scrape the excess cocoa butter and remaining pigment from the edges of the moulds before you proceed with the moulding itself.

Step 6

Allow to harden at room temperature before adding the chocolate. The moulding/pouring process itself you can see in more detail in the Moulding section.

Step 6
Which Callebaut products are best suited to the colouring of hollow figures through spraying?


For making the colour paste and spraying, we advise you to use cocoa butter. This results in a semi-transparent colouring effect.

Which chocolate types are best suited to the pouring of hollow figures?

* For small and medium moulds:
All basic types () are ideal for this. They have the ideal fluidity for forming an even chocolate layer with the perfect thickness for the casting.

Please note: for large moulds, it is recommended that you repeat the chocolate pouring 2 to 3 times to achieve the necessary thickness of chocolate shell, as it enables the chocolate shell to be released easily from the mould after cooling.

* For large moulds:
For these, your best choice is chocolate with less cocoa butter content and therefore less fluidity. With a single pouring these leave a thicker chocolate layer inside the mould. During the cooling, the chocolate shell contracts. And that contraction is crucial: the shell, therefore, must have the necessary minimum thickness. This determines the strength of the shell and ensures it can be removed from the mould with no problem.

Viscosities of the C or D type (), these contain 3% to 4% less cocoa butter, are perfect for these applications.