Can anyone help me with how to use this metal egg mold?

I would like to mold some eggs with tempered chocolate and pecans for my family this Easter. I purchased a beautiful metal mold on ebay. It makes a nice three D egg. Each side of the mold is three dimensional, and there is a metal piece in between both sides. There are clips to clamp the mold tight, and one half of the mold is set in a wood base. It looks like it was used commercially. How do I use this mold? I don't know where to start. Please be gentle-I am a hobbyist, and not a professional! Thank you!-Donna

Hard to say without seeing it. My guess is:

1. Temper your chocolate

2. Polish the inside of your metal mould with cotton wool

3. Smear a thin layer of tempered chocolate on the inside of the mould using your finger

4. Let it set

5a (if the mould has an opening when two sides are clipped together): Clip the mould together and pour tempered chocolate into the mould - fill it up and then tip it out of the opening

5b (if the mould is completely closed when clipped together): put some tempered chocolate in one side and clip the mould together. Then slowly move the mould around in a circular motion to keep the chocolate moving inside to form an even and thick coating of chocolate.

6. Let it cool. If your mould is making a good sized egg, it might be best to give it a while in the fridge (maybe 5-10 minutes).

7. Unmould. It doesn't matter if you wait too long to unmould, but it will matter if you're too quick and this just comes from experience - knowing your chocolate, mould and conditions. Without knowing your mould, I would say give it 15 mins in the fridge and see if it releases easily from the mould. If not, give it a bit longer.

Good luck - 3D moulds are a piece of cake once you've done it once or twice and can produce some great things for Easter.

Thank you, Gap. I really appreciate you taking the time to answer! I have a few other questions for you, if you don't mind.

Do you know what the thin metal plate is in the middle of the two sides of the mold? It is on piano type hinges, and is decorated on both sides, on the outline of the egg hole. It sits on either side of the mold, (depending on which side you put it), flat on top of the mold half. Is this just to add a decorative accent to the finished product, if you are only doing halves? Or, is it to level off the chocolate and give the maker a level to level the chocolate?

And, if I would like to do solid eggs, do you have any pointers for me? I sort of had my heart set on doing solid chocolate eggs with pecans interspersed in the chocolate. (I was thinking about using Valhrona Caramelia or Trader Joe's pound plus bars in dark chocolate. I am not sure which would give the best finished product. Would you toast the pecans before adding to the chocolate, or just use them right out of the bag? They are pecan halves. Thank you, and sorry for the additional questions~I just don't want to mess up-it would be an expensive mistake. Luckily, I purchased a used Rev 2 temperer, so that part will be easy!

Hi Donna,

sorry, but I can't picture what you mean by the hinges but I haven't seen anything like you're describing before. Maybe someone else can chime in?

Solid eggs can be done depending on the size of the mould. If it's too big, it may take too long to cool, throwing your chocolate out of temper. If it's a smaller size, it will prob be OK and just need a little longer in the fridge than I described above. I would mould the egg first and then put the pecans into the mould. Personally, I prefer toasted nuts, but I think you could do whatever you prefer.

If it's the sort of mold I think it is - the piece between the two molds provides a decorative edge on one side of the egg and allows you to have a two piece egg.

I always toast nuts before adding to chocolate.

http://www.oldmolds.com/SpecialEggs.htm

Scroll down this page - there are several eggs with flanges - I wonder if this is what you are describing?

Yes, Kerry, the flange is what I have on this mold. (I looked almost to the end of your link and I see a flat metal piece like the one on my mold) The mold makes three eggs, side by side. They are about 5" long. There are two sides to the mold, so it makes 3 D eggs. In between the two sides of the mold, there is a flange. It has decorative marks all around the opening in the flange.

I would like to make solid eggs, with toasted pecans. I am still unclear about just how to do this. Should I pour the two pieces, and then attach them together when they are cool? How would I use the flange? ( I feel so lame, I should be able to figure this out) I asked my husband, and also my son who is an engineer, and neither of them can tell me how to use this mold. I might be able to upoad a photo of the mold if I can figure out how to do that. Thanks so much!

I don't know that you can make a successful solid egg with that mold with the flange in place. I tend to make my eggs in two pieces then heat both sides on a heated sheet pan and gluing them together.

Here are photos of it. So it sounds like this mold only makes hollow eggs. That's okay.

And two more photos. This is how the bottom looks-it is mounted on wood.

Yup - that would be traditionally hollow. You could put some little eggs inside and glue the two sides together.

Thank you so much, Kerry. Now I know. I will follow the instructions which Gap gave above for hollow molded eggs. It will be fun trying.