A few days ago I made some milk modelling chocolate with brilliant results but wanted some white roses to go with them on the cake I'm making this weekend. So I made up white modelling chocolate with 250g white chocolate to 70g liquid glucose and it went totally wrong. It was all crumbly like the chocolate was burnt. So I gave up with that and chucked it in the bin, then tried this recipe.
http://cakecentral.com/recipes/2091/white-chocolate-paste-for-making-roses

No more crumbly white modelling chocolate but it was super greasy and wouldn't hold together. I spent all afternoon sponging out the grease and, eventually, success. So I have my white chocolate roses now but was wondering why it came out feeling like it had been soaked in oil. It felt like I could literally wring the grease out of it. So, where did I go wrong? Was it the chocolate? I followed the recipe to a tee. To any UK bakers, this was waitrose chocolate. Have any of you had the same problems?
Look forward to hearing from you.

I had the same problem once. I chucked it too. The last batch I made, I mixed it well and kneaded it to get most of the lumps out. Then refrigerated it. It was fine when I took it out and started to mold it. The warmth of my hands was enough to make it nice & pliable.

The same thing happened to me twice using Wilton white chocolate melts (buttons). I was told that it is the oil separating from the chocolate. The first time, I used them to make white chocolate BC and the day after icing the cake, I found a small puddle coming out from under the border - happy ending: wiped it up and all turned out well. The second time it happened; I was making white modeling chocolate just like you and it 'separated' again! another happy ending though: I drained, soaked with papertowels, and used it to make more BC instead of the snow tubing figurines that I intended to make with it. Lesson learned: sometimes you just have to go to plan "B"!! LOL HTH!

http://ezinearticles.com/?An-Overview-Of-Modelling-Chocolate-For-UK-Cake-Makers&id=4898848

This is a link to a site I'd saved just yesterday, as I'm about to embark on my first try of making modelling chocolate.

The following paragraph is an excerpt from the above linked article, which may explain the problem.

UK chocolate is VERY different from that available in the USA. UK chocolate is sometimes referred to as "vegolate" by the EU as it contains such a low quantity of the actual ingredient that makes chocolate -chocolate. Chocolate from the USA does not suffer from this problem. This means 100g of american chocolate contains a much higher quantity of chocolat than the UK product.

I'm really nervous about trying it now!

Mama D

I think the real secret to modelling chocolate is QUALITY CHOCOLATE!! I have made it a couple of times with great success but think starting from CHOCOLATE not SOMETHING MADE FROM CHOCOLAET (ie: buttons) is a good start. Everything they added to that means that much less actual chocolate in your recipe. I have made white and milk chocolate and both worked.

Im in the US but I still have the same problem! Ive used Merkens chocolate and used the recipe on here and it comes out super crumbly and a big waste of time! Ive resulted to buying it, which ofcourse is super expensive. There was a thread on here at one point that someone had told how to make it work. I tried to get back into it but for some reason the older threads on here are wiped out.
The recipe I used is 1/3 cup of corn syrup and then the chocolate.

From this blog:

http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2010/08/barney-and-friends-cake.html

Modeling Chocolate Recipe:
(I prefer to weigh my ingredients, much easier and less clean up)
14oz bag of candy melts or chocolate, melted in the microwave in 30 secs increments, stirring each time, once all melted, add 4oz (weighed) light corn syrup (or 2.6oz measured), stir very little, spread over a piece of wax paper and let sit overnight to set. When ready to use, break off a small piece and knead until soft again. Use as is or knead some coloring into it.

The basic recipe is 16oz chocolate to 3oz (measured) corn syrup (4.5oz weighed). Candy Melts usually come in a 14oz bag, so use a little less corn syrup. Using more corn syrup will make the modeling chocolate softer, using less, will make the modeling chocolate harder.

Chocolate (any type) is supposed to work as well, but you are going to have to try to find the best solution for you since you're not in the US.

If you can get them online even for just a test, then you would see the difference and adjust your recipe with your own chocolate.

Globalsugarart.com delivers worldwide.

Thanks for all your advice imagenthatnj

tips i've relied on:

1) white and milk chocolate and candy melts use a different amount (less) of sugar ingredient (corn syrup/glucose) than semi/bitter darker chocolates (just like making ganache) because they are higher in fat and have less or no cocoa (which is what makes them more firm). sounds like UK chocolate is an even more extreme example of this. when you mix your sugar ingredient in... over-stirring will cause excessive separation and you'll have a sticky ball and a puddle of oil! The modeling chocolate need some fat in it to keep it smooth and not sticky.

2) get an electric chocolate melter or do the old double boiler method (but be sure NO WATER gets into your melted chocolate... it will seize it up and make it grainy). my wilton chocolate melter is the best!

3) best tip ever: spread the warm mixture out on 1 sheet of clean newsprint paper (cheap at an art supply store). it soaks up the extra oil. let the it cool completely at room temp, not in the fridge. it may be difficult to peel the paper from the final product, but it's worth it in the end.

I've made multiple colors and learned the above in the process. Good luck!

Chala86, if you can see this link, scroll down and there are two recipes there from the Culinary Institute of America. It's a preview of their book, which I have, but haven't read yet...no time.

http://www.ciaprochef.com/fbi/books/previews/Cake%20Art.pdf

Thanks for the tips JennyLu...I'm definitely going to try these!

I'm so going to have to get my mitts on that book. Thank you, this is really useful

Oh great, that's encouraging. I only need brown milk chocolate, not white, so I'll give the tesco stuff a try. I've actually got a packet of that in the cupboard right now. I will try this at the weekend.

I need to practice for a cake a friend's sister has asked me to make for her in mid March. It's a Gryphon Which is the upper body and head of an eagle, with the back end and tail of a lion! Yikes! The plan is to make this guy out of RKT, cover with modelling chocolate, and have him sitting on top of a big rock, which will be the cake. Very nervous!

Mama D

I make all my figures out of modeling chocolate.
Do not use white chips they get crumbly. I use white candy melts.
Measure weight 16 ounces white candy melts
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Melt chocolate in double boiler
remove from heat add corn syrup ( I heat corn syrup 30 seconds in microwave) just before adding.
stir just until mixed don't over stir
wrap in air tight container and store over night in refrigerator before use

for chocolate 16 ounces chocolate
2/3 cups corn syrup

Overstirring the chocolate once you add the corn syrup will cause it to separate and be very greasy (the oil separates). Overheating it will burn the chocolate and make it crumbly.

Melt the choc, add the corn syrup and just give it 4-5 stirs, it will start to sieze, scrap the bowl, let it cool a little bit and fold the mixture over and spread over a piece of wax paper, spread it out, lightly press another piece of wax paper over that and let it sit overnight or a couple hours to set - the wax paper helps absorb some of the oil. I usually use a 9x13x2 pan to spread the chocolate between wax paper and lay a towel over it while it sits overnight or for a few hours. Once set and cool, peel the paper back, break off a piece and knead it. You can knead it all together, wrap it up in saran wrap and store in an airtight container.

Thank you, Angela! I almost called you in yesterday because I know you work with modeling chocolate a lot. I wish I could take your class! But I'm far away.

For everyone else, this is the owner of the blog I gave you before:
http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com

Angela - I too would love ta take some of your classes but, being in the UK, you are a long, long way from me and I don't think my partner would let me go out to America everytime I see that you have a class on
But thank you for all of your tips. I'll have to try making modelling chocolate again at some point and put all of your advice into practice. You've all been so helpful.

It's called Cake Art

It's this one.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0867309229/?tag=cakecentral-20

Read the reviews. It's very much for beginners. I like it, it's simple and teaches you a lot of basic stuff, but some people might be too advanced for this book. There's a DVD that's sold at the CIA site too. I don't have that one, even though I'm a fan of their instructional DVDs and I buy them a lot.

I was JUST reading about making modeling chocolate today! lol

The 2 things that stuck out to me in relation to the OP, is that:

1) you shouldn't use chocolate chips, because something they put in them to help them keep the distinctive "chip" shape interferes with the end product. You should either chop up good chocolate or use the disks.

AND

2) you should warm your corn syrup up to a similar temp as your chocolate before you combine them. But remember that corn syrup heats up faster than chocolate, so you need to check the temps (with a thermometer NOT your finger! lol)

I know Hobbycraft used to sell them (in my local Reading branch)
 

Hi, my first post! Glad I found you as I don't like fondant or working with it and much prefer SMBC and ganache, and here in Australia most of the magazines and forums are all about fondant. I teach how to make modelling chocolate and making various modelling chocolate flowers.  I have made modelling choc out of just about every chocolate out there, from supermarket compound all the way to good quality Belgium and the one thing that causes most of the problems described is not the chocolate but the melting and temperature of both the chocolate and the corn syrup or glucose. 

The chocolate needs to reach no higher than 40c/105f when it is fully melted.  I microwave chocolate on Medium power starting at about 1 min, and dropping the time down in increments of 15seconds stirring between each period of melting.  Remember you are melting not cooking it. If it starts to warm up too quickly let it sit and rest.  It is essential to use a candy thermometer to do this, they are cheap and readily available, I think I paid $10.00 for mine. Most people are quite surprised how cool the chocolate is but still fully melted.  When your chocolate is fully melted and smooth and 40c/105f, heat your corn syrup or glucose for 10 seconds, it should not be hot just a little above cool.  Immediately stir the corn syrup/glucose into the chocolate gently bringing it together until it forms a smooth mass and both ingredients are fully combined.  Flatten out into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest overnight before using.

If your modelling chocolate is dry and crumbly or has oil pouring out of it your chocolate and or corn syrup/glucose was too hot when you made it.  I have seen people say you only need to rest it for about 4 hours before use, it is much better if left overnight.

Hope this might help or encourage people to have another go at making it.