Chocolate tempering doesn't have to be hard. Chocolate must be tempered by heating and cooling it in specific ways. If you temper the chocolate properly, the crystals in the cocoa butter will arrange themselves in a specific sequence as it cools. When chocolate is tempered correctly, it has a crisp snap, is shiny, and is firm even at room temperature. Tempered chocolate maintains its smooth, glossy, and firm texture even at room temperature, making it an excellent choice for creating confections produced at home, such as peppermint bark, peanut butter cups, and truffles. In addition to giving your dessert a polished look and making serving and transportation much simpler, the delicious snappy texture enhances its flavour.
What Is Chocolate Tempering?
When chocolate is temperated, the resulting coatings are very glossy, smooth, and satisfyingly crunchy. By tempering, you can change the way the fat molecules in the cocoa butter of the chocolate are arranged in its crystalline structure to give it its distinct, crisp texture. When paired with appropriate storage, this technique also helps avoid blooming, which is the formation of a white layer on top of the chocolate.
The Use Of Chocolate Tempering
For making chocolate truffles, sweets, dipped treats, and cake decorations, tempering chocolate is a great idea. If you merely dip it in molten chocolate, you won't obtain a crispy coating. It has to be chilled to prevent melting since it will be mushy and squishy. Chocolate that has been tempered stays solid at room temperature. Avoid storing the tempered chocolate in areas with high humidity or temperatures to maintain its structure.
A Guide To Temper Chocolate
Here's how you can temper chocolate at home:
Method 1:
- Melt 2/3 of 450 grams of broken chocolate over indirect heat, in the top pan of a double boiler, for starters. Melt the chocolate to a liquid, smooth consistency (between 110° and 115°F).
- Add the remaining one-third of the broken chocolate after it's smooth and continue heating until it's completely smooth. Transfer the chocolate onto a cold, flat surface, such as a stone, that is not porous.
- After smoothing and chilling, use a spatula to scrape and whisk the chocolate across the surface. When the chocolate cools to 80°–82°F, transfer it back to the upper pan of the double boiler. Transfer to a pan of hot (not boiling) water.
- Cook, stirring often, until the temperature reaches between 87° and 91°F. Take out the top pan of the double boiler. Now that the chocolate is ready, you can shape, dip, or coat the candies.
Method 2:
- Chop or grate chocolate to the desired consistency. Half of the chocolate should be melted in the top pan of a double boiler. Over hot, but not boiling, water, stir constantly until chocolate reaches 110°–115°F.
- Cover the top pan of the double boiler with a cloth. Let chocolate cool to between 95° and 100°F. Melt the remaining chocolate by stirring it into the top pan. It's now time to shape the chocolate into candies, cover it, or dip it.