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SOLID MOLDED CHOCOLATES
    General Description:
    One of the most creative applications of tempered chocolate is casting it into elaborately detailed shapes . Some molded chocolates are flat-backed, whereas others are fully three-dimensional. These confections are the ultimate in chocolate art, and most children—as well as many adults—will agree that chocolate tastes much better when it’s shaped like a bunny.
    History:
    The first chocolate molds were made of metal, usually tin, in 19th-century France. Germany soon became a productive chocolate-mold maker since the country already had a large industry making similar molds for shaping cookies. Many of these beautifully detailed molds are now collectors’ items. The chocolate bunny likely originated in Germany, along with the Easter bunny, who is known as the Osterhase , or Easter hare.
    Serving Suggestions:
    Molds of all shapes and sizes are available in cooking supply stores and online, which makes it easy to custom-design chocolate for any event: Halloween pumpkins, spring flowers, wedding bells. Many flat-backed molds also allow you to add a lollipop stick for chocolate lollipops. Decorate the finished chocolates by tying ribbons around the necks of chocolate bunnies, using edible paints to add color, or using small candies to simulate buttons or eyes.
    Candy-Making Notes:
    This recipe can be used for making flat-backed solid chocolates or three-dimensional solid chocolates. Some three-dimensional molds are specially made as one piece. Unless you invest in the sturdy, plastic, professional-quality molds, it may be difficult to make solid chocolate pieces that are more than 24-inches tall; the molds may not be strong enough to hold the weight of so much melted chocolate. Use extra-large molds for hollow molded chocolates .
    Recipe:
    16 ounces bittersweet, semisweet, or milk chocolate
    1.
Make sure the mold is completely clean and dry.
    2.
Melt and temper chocolate .
    3.
Ladle tempered chocolate into the mold cavities, filling them just to the top. Tap the mold lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.
    4.
Using an offset spatula, scrape away any extra chocolate, leaving the top of the mold completely clean and level.
    5.
Refrigerate the mold for 15 to 30 minutes to let the chocolate set.
    6.
When the chocolate looks firm and is starting toshrink away from the sides of the mold, remove it from the refrigerator. Flip it over on a clean surface to unmold chocolates. At this point, you are finished if you are making flat-backed chocolates.
    7.
To join two halves, warm a clean baking sheet in the oven. Press the flat side of one half to the sheet just until the surface starts to melt.
    8.
Quickly press the half to the other to join. Hold it together until the chocolate sets.
    Yield:
    One large chocolate
    Storage:
    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

AGAR JELLIES
    General Description:
    Asia’s version of Jell-O is made with agar, an ingredient made from seaweed with properties similar to gelatin . Like Western-style jelly candies, agar jellies come in a variety of colors, flavors, and forms. The texture of agar jellies is somewhat firmer and chewier than gelatin-based jellies. Commercially made agar-based candies are commonly sold in stores across Asia. One of the most popular styles is rainbow-colored cubes, made of thin layers of variously colored jelly. Opaque varieties are also popular, made with coconut milk or almond milk.
    History:
    The word agar agar means “jelly” in Malay; either agar or agar agar can be used to refer to the substance. Agar has been used across Asia for centuries as a thickener in desserts as well as sauces and soups. It was brought to North America in the 19th century and has become popular as a gelatin substitute, especially since it contains no animal products. One form of agar jelly popular in Asia is an almond-flavored type called almond tofu , due to the similarities in appearance and