The star of the winter season, gourmet candles reinvent the world of sweets to create a warm, enveloping and decorative atmosphere. Inspired by desserts or winter drinks, they combine meticulous finishes and creamy textures to create unique, hand-crafted pieces.
In this article, you'll discover how to make a milk chocolate-style gourmet candle. This recipe is strictly for personal use only as it does not meet the criteria of Regulation 2023/988 concerning products that resemble foodstuffs.
As in our tutorial devoted to the snow-covered Christmas tree candle, we'll explain step by step how to make a wax chantilly, the key element for achieving this gourmand and realistic effect.
Gourmet candles, the essential winter trend
Gourmet candles have established themselves as one of winter's major trends, combining a sweet scent with a warm aesthetic. Inspired by desserts, hot drinks or other popular sweet flavours, they offer a real sensory experience and instantly transform the ambience of an interior. Their success can be explained by a growing desire for cocooning, comforting decoration and handcrafted creations capable of recalling the sweet moments of the cold season. These candles, often associated with vanilla, chocolate, spices or milky notes, are the perfect answer to today's demand for enveloping fragrances and handmade decorative objects.
The limits of gourmet candles: a reminder of the regulations
However, while gourmet candlesare seductive because of their realism, they are subject to strict regulations. Their appearance, which is very similar to that of real foodstuffs, can create confusion, particularly among children, and lead to a risk of ingestion. The law specifies that it applies to "any non-food product whose shape, smell, colour, appearance or even packaging could lead to the belief that it is food". Creations inspired by desserts, pastries or hot drinks are therefore particularly concerned.
The gourmet hot chocolate Christmas candle, with its very realistic wax whipped cream, is one of these sensitive models. It should be reserved for personal use only, as selling creations that are too similar to foodstuffs can pose risks not only to others but also to you. If you make this type of candle as a gift, simply remember to make your friends and family aware that it is a non-edible decorative object.
The hot chocolate candle
Ingredients and materials needed
To make this gourmet candle, you'll need :
- Cast candle wax
- Milk chocolate flavour
- Brown granulated colouring
- Thick glass container, preferably a mug (make sure the glass is thick enough to withstand the heat)
- Wick adapted to the size of your container
- Wick sticker
- Wick centring tool
To make the whipped cream for the candle:
- C3 soy wax (for whipped cream)
- Piping bag + tip in the size of your choice
- Container for making the whipped cream
- Bowl of cold water
- Beaker
- Classic or electric whisk
Steps for making whipped cream for candles
Prepare the base
1. Start by preparing your container: attach the self-adhesive pad to the base, then fit your wick in the centre. If necessary, use a wick centring tool to ensure a perfect fit.
2. Melt your container wax. In this recipe, we use the same wax as for whipped cream: C3 rapeseed wax. Heat it gently to a maximum of 80°C.
3. Then add 10% of the fragrance and mix using circular movements to achieve perfect homogeneity.
4. When the wax has cooled to around 75°C, add your granulated colourant and mix until completely dissolved. For a pastel shade: 0.1% to 0.2% (1 to 2 per kilo of wax). For a deeper shade: 0.3% to 0.5% (3 to 5 g per kilo of wax).
5. Then pour your coloured wax directly into the container. Try to pour into the centre to limit air bubbles.
Tip:
To reduce the risk of detachment, remember to preheat your glass to around 60°C. Two methods:
- Heat gun: a few circular passes are all that's needed.
- Oven: a few minutes to the right temperature
Leave to harden before preparing the whipped cream.
Prepare the whipped cream
1. Melt your C3 wax then pour it into a tall container to make it easier to cool.
2. Place the container in a cold water bath to accelerate setting.
3. When the wax is fluid but warm, add the fragrance and mix gently.
4. Start whisking lightly to incorporate the air.
5. As soon as the surface whitens, whisk again.
6. Alternate: whipping → cooling → whipping until you obtain a firm, creamy whipped cream.
7. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe the whipped cream onto the first layer of hardened wax.
8. Your gourmet drink candle is ready!
Between creativity and vigilance: what you need to remember
Gourmet candles have a seductive look and a cocooning feel, especially in winter. With this milk chocolate-style creation, you've discovered how to play with textures, volumes and wax whipped cream to achieve a realistic, decorative effect.
But it's important to remember that this type of candle can be mistaken for a real dessert. For this reason, it should be for personal use only and not for sale. If you're giving it as a gift, remember to tell your friends and family that it's a non-edible decorative item.
To find out more, read our full article on the ingredients, machines and accessories you need to make a success of your creations.
