You will create a great kitchenalia style in your kitchen by using those old moulds.
Sparkling copper, rustic in terra-cota or modest in cast iron, the baking tins are just asking to be used again! They can also decorate so well your kitchen’ walls or even your shelves.
They became more democratic during the 20th century. The sophisticated pastries baked until now especially for the wealthy elite, invites itself to the middle-class table, thanks to the discovery of the beet sugar.
The sweet dishes, served on a service trolley at the beginning of each meal had to be as nice as good.
The brassworkers had to excel themselves to realize some perfect baking tins adapted to the various specialities of cooking.
Many of them present some spectacular decorations: straight or trunks grooves, swags, and floors for tiered cakes… Those luxurious tinned copper moulds request a lot of maintenance and remain the privilege of the bourgeois’ houses and restaurants. They are still nowadays very popular. The most modest households are looking for the white iron ones, more practical for use and cheaper, but sensible to rust, also light and easy to manufacture. The cast iron baking tins are simpler than their copper’ equivalent: tart mould, panettone mould, charlotte mould, brioche mould, cannele mould… and many other cook tops for small pastries like: the “Madeleine”, the “financier”, the “langue de chat”… Nevertheless, this material, still used nowadays, is going to be less and less used during the 50’s, replaced by the aluminium material which was easier to work with and totally insensible to oxidation.
Very popular for their traditional forms, the terra-cota moulds, quite fragile, were made in east of France, in Alsace. Some are simple models like the lamb, the fish, the wrapped up little baby or the bunch of grapes. Others like the Kouglof mould can present some twists with motives. Some collectors tear away certain rare vintage decoration: such as the eels’ decoration ones.
Some are very special to me: The chocolate moulds!!
They are very similar from the baking moulds; they are made with tins or white iron, and have one or two parts keeping together with clips. In the first case, you have to put the melt chocolate in 2 steps, while in the second case; it is moulded all in one piece.
Those models at first for professional only are manufactured more and more since the 1880’s, and they follow the trend very closely. The chocolate moulds are the favourite during the Christmas season and during the Easter season. Santa’ boot, Santa, St Nicolas, bells, eggs, hens, chicks, rabbits… the classic motives are placed next to other quirky ones like the coins, diverse animals (cows, lions, dogs, and cats…), fruits and characters.
Try to find those antiques one for a vintage decoration. Absolutely, don’t use the terra-cota ones which are very fragile and can present some invisible cracks and if you cook them they will burst at the first cooking. The cooper ones can be used again, make sure their tin plating is really perfect, otherwise can be very toxic, if you have a doubt, just don’t use it or ask for professional advise. Anyway, the demolding is very complicated compare to a classic one. And the cleaning part can be really tough too!
Now make your choice there are so many different! Check what we have in stock!