Transfer Sheets: Tips, Techniques & Care

[rowendrew]

I tried brushing, leaving overnight, everything except for the higher temperature. I sampled the sheets with just chocolate at different temperatures to mke sure the transfers themselves worked and that went fine. But once in the molds, it's a no go.

[pastrygirl]

Do transfer sheets need more time in contact with warm chocolate for the cocoa butter to melt/fuse? Could refrigerating the molds immediately be cooling the chocolate too quickly? Just a stab in the dark... If the kitchen is 68 that should be plenty cool enough for tempered chocolate to set up quickly without immediate refrigeration. Would you get a better transfer if the molds themselves were warmer?

[Kerry Beal]

Do transfer sheets need more time in contact with warm chocolate for the cocoa butter to melt/fuse? Could refrigerating the molds immediately be cooling the chocolate too quickly? Just a stab in the dark... If the kitchen is 68 that should be plenty cool enough for tempered chocolate to set up quickly without immediate refrigeration. Would you get a better transfer if the molds themselves were warmer?

Certainly a possibility and worth a bit of experimentation.

[Edward J]

How old are the transfer sheets? Sometimes, especially in warm climates, during shipping, storage, etc., the cocoa butter can get out of temper. If you have any other/newer transfer sheets--even used ones, try molding a few shells with that particualr mold to see if you get the same problem.

[prairiegirl]

I do alot of work with transfer sheets and airbrushing. I would agree with Edward that the transfer sheets are out of temper. I have had this happen to me and there is nothing you can do about it. I would contact the company and ask them to send you another sheet (of the same design) made in a different lot and see if you have any troubles.

When molding you should get the molds to warm up but not exceed the temperature of your chocolate. Your tempered dark chocolate should not exceed 32C which is about 89F. You want the mold to be warm enough so that the chocolate will adhere to the transfer sheet. If the mold is to cool the chocolate will be shocked and not stick to the cocoa butter design. Then after you have molded the mold, set it aside and let the chocolate set. Don't put it in fridge. Your room is cool enough that you don't need to set it in the fridge. By setting at room temp this allows a good gluing affect of the chocolate to the transfer sheet. Later if you want to store the mold in the fridge for later use, then do so. I have never wiped my sheet/mold with a damp cloth and I think that step is a waste of time. I do mold my magnetic mold twice for technical reasons.

Edited January 26, 2011 by prairiegirl (log)

[prairiegirl]

I tried brushing, leaving overnight, everything except for the higher temperature. I sampled the sheets with just chocolate at different temperatures to mke sure the transfers themselves worked and that went fine. But once in the molds, it's a no go.

If it has worked fine with your test, then i would say that the metal backing is too cold and you need to let it warm up to within a few degrees of 31-32 Celsius. We have an old furnace in the shop and I turn the furnace on and I place the molds on a rack and let the heat blow onto the molds. The rack is probably 10 feet from the furnace. Or you can put the oven light on and let the mold, or more importantly, the metal back sit inside the oven warming from the heat of the light. And don't put in the fridge to set!! you should be able to pull the molded frame out of the mold in about an hour without refridgeration. I do this day in, day out.

[Jim D.]

When cutting up transfer sheets to get pieces to be applied to individual dipped chocolates, is there any secret to the process? I soon came to realize how easily the cocoa butter rubs off, so it is difficult to find a place to hold the sheet to cut it up with scissors. An X-acto knife doesn't always cut through the plastic backing successfully. Am I missing something obvious, or is it just a delicate process? I did learn that it is wise to cut the individual pieces considerably larger than the top of the dipped chocolate to allow for "operator error."

[DianaM]

I use an x-acto knife, but change blades frequently, to make sure they are sharp. I place the sheet on a self-heal mat, cocoa butter facing down (I bought the mat at an office supply store - conveniently, it's got straight lines drawn on it already), and cut long "ribbons" from the sheet. Then sharp scissors to cut the "ribbons" into individual pieces.

I've also used before a paper trimmer or guillotine paper cutter, but they, too, need to be sharp.

In my personal experience, the transfer sheet itself can make a great difference: the "fresher" the sheet is, the less the cocoa butter rubs off on the wrong surface. Whenever I start a fresh batch, the cocoa butter stays in place when cutting, and then neatly transfers onto the bonbon. Older ones tend to flake more easily.

[choux]

I use a plastic paper trimmer that I got at Micheal's. It even has a ruler down the side so you can keep the pieces the same size. It has blade replacements for when they get dull, it works perfectly. Check your local craft store.

Edited March 15, 2013 by choux (log)

[Jim D.]

Thanks for those great suggestions. Obviously having lines already drawn on the bottom piece will be very helpful.

[Alleguede]

I don't use an exacto knife but more a box cutter. The blade is more efficient. If you scotch your sheet at regular intervals it prevents from moving. You also can find at Office Depot a paper cutter that gives great results.

[keychris]

I just use scissors... must have cool hands or something, I've not smudged any sheets yet!

[curls]

Like DianaM, I use a sharp x-acto knife, self-healing mat or wooden cutting board (which ever is most accessible) and a straight edge with the cocoa butter side down. I cut strips and then make the individual cuts. Have not had any problems with the cocoa butter rubbing off.

[Meenap101]

Can anyone help, pls?

I'm using cocoa butter transfer sheets with a magnetic mold and recently I've been getting a blemish on the surface, can I ask for advise as to whats going wrong, thx.

Edited December 25, 2014 by Meenap101 (log)

[Lisa Shock]

Were you trying for that multicolor effect, or were the tops behind the transfer supposed to be solid chocolate? (I am assuming the transfer colors were just white and blue.)

[Meenap101]

Yes, the transfer sheets were just blue and white and the chocolate should have been solid and one tone, trying to figure out what caused the chocolate to be a different shade

[ChocoMom]

I've had that happen under two circumstances:

One, when the filling/ganache wasn't cool enough----it was just warm enough that it made the shell sink. I kinda forced them out and really blew it.  I knew better but I was in a hurry. (my bad.)

The second time was because I didn't have a thick enough shell before I piped in the filling. It was so thin, that the middle sank in after they popped out.

 

Not sure how much help that might be, but if you can go back and retrace your steps you might be able to identify the issue. Hope you had a lovely Christmas anyways!

Andrea

[keychris]

They look like what I call release marks, I see them on big pieces like easter eggs when the chocolate pulls away from the mould. Did you have thicker shells and then do something that would have caused the chocolate to contract quickly, eg. Put into the fridge?

And tbh, every time I've done something which has had a finish I've been unhappy with, not one single person has noticed the issue! I bet everyone thought they looked amazing, because they still do

Edited December 26, 2014 by keychris (log)

[Jim D.]

And tbh, every time I've done something which has had a finish I've been unhappy with, not one single person has noticed the issue! I bet everyone thought they looked amazing, because they still do

This is an insight that I have been learning.  Sometimes I give friends some "seconds," pieces that taste fine but that I would not feel confident putting in a box.  Inevitably the recipients say, "What's wrong with them?"

[Meenap101]

After tracing my steps, I did place the mold into the fridge to allow the shells to set quicker as I was in a bit of a rush to get the filling in.

And you're absolutely right nobody notices the imperfection accept me :-(

Edited January 10, 2015 by Meenap101 (log)

[Thomas Ferraz]

Hi Everyone.

I do not know if we have had this topic in forum.

But I need help with transfer to chocolate.

 

How do I make the white paint to chocolate transfer????

Has anyone succeeded?

 

tks

[gfron1]

In case I'm not the only one - I don't know that I understand the question. Do you mean, how do I make my own transfer sheet or are you having trouble making white cocoa butter from a transfer sheet stick to your chocolate. Si es mas facil en Español, entonces preguntar.

[Wicked Bonbon]

I continue to have trouble with the edges of the transfer sheets I use. My room temp is about 76, molds the same, low humidity, chocolate 88 degrees. I do not hit with a heat gun but pour the chocolate in and let it sit in the molds while cleaning off the outside of the mold, then dump. I do not turn over to rest instead allow them to set-up while sitting upright and in the open, no refrigeration.  I use El Rey Apamate 74%. These are not as bad as they can and have been. I have had several conversations with Paul at Chef Rubber about it but I still am having trouble. Any insight?

[curls]

Wicked BonBon I have never seen transfer sheets fail that way. Would you please describe your process from application to removal, that might help us figure out what is going on. Are you using magnetic molds?

[Wicked Bonbon]

I use magnetic molds, yes. They are about 75 degrees when I use them, via my heat temp gun. My room is about 76 degrees, humidity less than 65%. I use El Rey 74% at about 88 degrees. I fill the molds and let the chocolate sit in the cavities only long enough to clean the sides of the mold and then I dump the chocolate out. I leave them cavity side up (not upside down) the entire cooling process as I have found when I leave them upside down for any period of time they bloom in the corners. I let them set overnight. I fill with ganache the next day and let sit overnight then bottom, refrigerate for ten minutes, pop the back off and peel the plastic off. It is only the edges that are problematic.