Tempered Chocolate Food

TEMPERED CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Place 1/2 pound chocolate in a metal (or other heatproof) bowl. Bring a saucepan containing 2 inches of water to a simmer, then turn off heat. Set bowl of chocolate over saucepan (don't let bottom touch the water) and let melt, stirring gently with spatula until chocolate registers 118 degrees to 120 degrees on thermometer. Remove bowl; cover saucepan to keep water warm.
• Add remaining 1/4 pound chocolate to bowl, stirring constantly until chocolate registers 82 degrees on thermometer. Remove any unmelted pieces of chocolate with spatula. Line bottom of bowl with a kitchen towel and return to saucepan, stirring constantly until chocolate registers 88 degrees to 90 degrees. (The towel will help ensure the chocolate does not climb above 90 degrees, which would cause it to "bloom" when set.) Use immediately, stirring frequently while using to maintain temper and prevent streaking once chocolate hardens. If tempered chocolate thickens too much during use, place over simmering water again, stirring, 2 to 3 seconds.

HOW TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• 1. Finely chop 1 1/2 to 2 pounds chocolate. Smaller amounts make it difficult to control the temperature changes.
• 2. Place two-thirds of the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place a candy thermometer or digital thermometer in the chocolate and stir frequently with a rubber spatula.
• 3. Do not let the temperature of the chocolate exceed 120°F for dark chocolate or 105°F for milk or white chocolate. When the chocolate has fully melted, remove the bowl from heat. Wipe the bottom of the bowl to get rid of any condensation.
• 4. Stir in the remaining third of the chocolate a little at a time. Let it melt before adding more.
• 5. Let the chocolate cool to about 82°F. It it is warmer, keep stirring and let it cool some more. If it is cooler, begin reheating in the next step.
• 6. Once the chocolate is 82°F, place it back over simmering water. For dark chocolate, reheat to 88°F to 91°F. For milk and white chocolate, reheat to 85°F to 87°F. Remove the bowl from heat once you have reached the right temperature.
• 7. Spread a small spoonful of chocolate on a piece of wax paper. If it looks dull or streaky, re-temper the chocolate, starting with step 2. If it dries quickly with a glossy finish and no streaks, the chocolate is in temper.
• Keeping chocolate in temper
• Once melted chocolate has been tempered, it must be used before it cools and sets. If it cools to about 84°F to 86°F and is still fairly liquid, it can be reheated to a liquid consistency. If it has completely cooled and solidified, it should be re-tempered. Heat it for 5 to 10 seconds at a time, stirring and checking the temperature before reheating. For dark chocolate, reheat to 88°F to 91°F. For milk and white chocolate, reheat to 87°F to 88°F. If you keep your chocolate within these temperature ranges, it will stay in temper and be liquid enough to use.
• Easy alternatives to tempering chocolate
• Several products exist for those who do not want to temper chocolate. They are called confectionery coatings, coating chocolate, summer coating, or chocolate bark coatings. They are usually made of vegetable fats that melt smoothly and set up quickly to a finish that is very similar to tempered chocolate. They may not contain actual chocolate. Nothing can perfectly duplicate the taste and mouth-feel of tempered chocolate, but quality coatings can be good substitutes. They can be cooled and reheated quickly, and as often as necessary.

HOW TO TEMPER CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Tempering Chocolate: Tempering is important because it determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. In order to put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it.
• One of the easiest ways to temper chocolate is to place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. The chocolate should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip, and it will retain its shape even when mostly melted. Any remaining lumps will melt in the chocolate's residual heat. You can also use an immersion blender to break up the lumps and start the recrystallization process. Usually, the chocolate begins to set, or crystallize, along the side of the bowl. As it sets, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered longer.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, tempering is achieved by adding small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate but is usually 1/4 of the total amount. I usually use an immersion blender to mix them together.

TEMPERED CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Chop chocolate.
• Melt in a double boiler, stirring constantly.
• When it reaches 120 degrees Fahrenheit (dark chocolate) or 115 degrees (milk chocolate) remove from heat.
• Continue stirring and allow to cool to 82 (dark) or 80 (milk).
• Reheat to 90 (dark) or 86 (milk). Keep at this temperature as you work with your chocolate. We transfer our double boiler to a sous vide to maintain temperature.

TEMPERING CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Tempering determines the final gloss, hardness, and contraction of the chocolate. When you melt chocolate, the molecules of fat separate. To put them back together, you temper it. There are a variety of ways to do it.
• One of the easiest ways is to place it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on high power until the chocolate is melted. Be very careful not to overheat it. The chocolate will not look as if it has melted because it retains its shape. It should be only slightly warmer than your bottom lip. You may still see lumps in it, but don't worry; the residual heat of the chocolate will melt them. You can also use an immersion blender to break up the lumps and start the recrystallization process.
• Usually, the chocolate begins to set (recrystallize) along the side of the bowl. As it begins to crystallize, mix those crystals into the melted chocolate and they will begin the recrystallization process. I like to use a glass bowl because it retains the heat and keeps the chocolate tempered for a long time.
• Another way to temper chocolate is called seeding. In this method, tempering is achieved by adding small pieces of unmelted chocolate to melted chocolate. The amount of unmelted chocolate to be added depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate but is usually one fourth of the total amount. I usually use an immersion blender to mix the two together.
• The classic way to temper chocolate is called tabliering. Chocolate is melted over a hot water bath to a temperature between 88°F and 90°F (31°C and 32°C). (White and milk chocolate are melted to a temperature approximately 2°F less, depending on the amount of milk fat they contain.) Two thirds of the melted chocolate is poured on a cold table or marble surface. The chocolate is spread out and worked with a spatula until the temperature of the chocolate is approximately 81°F (27°C). At this stage, it is thick and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the remaining one third of nontempered chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the mass in the bowl has a completely uniform temperature. If the temperature is still too high, part of the chocolate is further worked on the cold table until the correct temperature is reached. This is a lot of work, requires a lot of room, and makes a big mess.
• A simple method to check tempering is to apply a small quantity of chocolate to a piece of paper or to the point of a knife. If the chocolate has been tempered correctly, it will harden evenly and show a good gloss within 5 minutes.