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Transform your favorite cheeses into playful shapes using candy molds. Discover tips, the best cheeses to use, and how to melt and mold cheese for any occasion.
Why do it?
If you’re looking for a fun and creative way to serve cheese, molding it into shapes is a simple way to transform it! For special occasions, parties, or as simply a fun kitchen experiment, it’s easy to melt cheese and mold it into creative shapes using candy molds.
Kids love “fun foods” that are tasty and visually appealing. Colorful snacks, creatively shaped meals, and playful foods can make mealtime fun. Incorporating fun foods into their diet can help children focus more on what they eat. It can also draw them into the kitchen to help you.
Ingredients:
This simple food project only needs one ingredient: cheese!
For smooth melting and easy molding, stick with cheeses that have a good fat content and melt evenly. Provolone, cheddar, Gouda, mozzarella, or a mild Swiss are great options.
Avoid using shredded cheese, as it often contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly.
- Provolone: Melts easily and has a mild, creamy taste.
- Cheddar: Sharp or mild, cheddar melts well and hardens nicely in molds.
- Gouda: A smooth-melting cheese with a rich, buttery flavor.
- Mozzarella: A cheese with a mild taste and stretchy texture.
- Swiss: Melts well with a smooth texture and nutty flavor.
I also melted some bacon grease to help grease the molds to ensure easy removal of the molded cheese shapes.
Equipment
- Candy Molds: Silicone molds work best since they make it easy to pop out the cheese once it hardens, but you can use plastic candy molds too.
- Air Fryer, oven, or Microwave: for melting the cheese.
- Microwave-safe or heat-safe dishes for melting the cheese: If using the microwave, don’t use metal pans. If using the oven or air fryer, use heat-safe dishes or pans that won’t break when baked.
Steps for molding cheese
1. Prepare the cheese
Cut your cheese into small cubes or slices, depending on what fits best in your melting container. This helps the cheese melt evenly without clumping.
2. Grease the molds
Lightly grease your molds with melted fat or oil. Don’t overdo it, or you may not get the fine details in your finished cheese shapes.
3. Melt the cheese in the microwave
- Place the cheese in a microwave-safe dish.
- Microwave the cheese on medium power for about 30 seconds. Check and stir frequently to avoid burning or separating.
- Continue heating in 15-second increments, stirring each time, until the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
Or melt the cheese in an air fryer or oven
- Preheat your air fryer or oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the cheese in an oven-safe dish that fits inside your air fryer basket or oven tray.
- Heat for about 2–3 minutes, checking frequently. Stir to ensure it’s melting evenly.
4. Fill the candy molds
Once your cheese is melted, quickly spoon the melted cheese into the candy molds. Be careful as the cheese will be hot! Use a spatula or spoon to smooth the surface of the cheese in the molds, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
5. Cool and set the cheese
Let the cheese cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. After that, transfer the molds to the fridge to fully set for about 30 minutes to an hour. Once the cheese has hardened, gently pop it out of the molds.
In the photos above, the skull and crossbones cheese looks whiter because I experimented with freezing the cheese. If you find that the cheese can’t be removed in one piece from certain molds, try freezing the cheese to see if it helps.
Storage tips
After the cheese has been molded and cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. These cheese shapes will last for up to a week. They’re perfect for adding fun shapes to cheese boards, salads, or serving as individual appetizers.
Expert tips for cheese molding success
- Mold size: Use smaller molds for faster setting and a more uniform shape.
- Use silicone molds: These are ideal because they’re flexible and make it easy to remove the cheese once it sets.
- Don’t overheat: Be cautious when melting cheese; overheating can cause it to separate or become grainy.
- Don’t use shredded cheese: Store bought shredded cheese has anticaking agents to keep the cheese from sticking. If you only have shredded cheese and have your heart set on using it, try rinsing it and drying it before melting it to remove as much as you can.
Serving Ideas
These molded cheeses can be used in a variety of creative ways:
- Cheese platter: Arrange them on a cheese board for parties and special occasions. For Halloween, they look great paired with a prosciutto face or hand cheese ball. Add some cheese shapes cut with a cookie cutter for more variety.
- Salads: Use the cheese molds to add some fun to salads.
Video
Molded Cheese Shapes
Equiment
- Candy Molds
- Air Fryer, oven, or Microwave
- Microwave-safe or heat-safe dishes For melting the cheese:
Ingredients
- 1 block cheese High fat cheese melt best
Instructions
Prepare the cheese and molds
- Cut your cheese into pieces that fit in your melting container.
- Lightly grease your molds with melted fat or oil.
Melt the cheese in the microwave
- Place the cheese in a microwave-safe dish.
- Microwave the cheese on medium power for about 30 seconds. Check and stir frequently to avoid burning or separating.
- Continue heating in 15-second increments, stirring each time, until the cheese is completely melted and smooth.
Melt the cheese in an air fryer or oven
- Preheat your air fryer or oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the cheese in an oven-safe dish that fits inside your air fryer basket or oven tray.
- Heat for about 2–3 minutes, checking frequently. Stir to ensure it’s melting evenly.
Fill the candy molds
- Once the cheese is melted, spoon the melted cheese into the candy molds.
- Use a spatula or spoon to smooth the surface of the cheese in the molds, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
- Let the cheese cool at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. After that, transfer the molds to the fridge to fully set for about 30 minutes to an hour. Once the cheese has hardened, gently pop it out of the molds.
Notes
Storage tips
After the cheese has been molded and cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge.Expert tips
- Mold size: Use smaller molds for faster setting and a more uniform shape.
- Use silicone molds: These are ideal because they’re flexible and make it easy to remove the cheese once it sets.
- Don’t overheat: Be cautious when melting cheese; overheating can cause it to separate or become grainy.
- Don’t use shredded cheese: Store bought shredded cheese has anticaking agents to keep the cheese from sticking. If you only have shredded cheese and have your heart set on using it, try rinsing it and drying it before melting it to remove as much as you can.
Serving Ideas
- Cheese platter: Arrange them on a cheese board to add fun style.
- Salads: Use the cheese molds to add some fun to salads.
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