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It has been described as sinful, decadent, addictive and a woman's best friend. With beans that were once used as currency, the value of chocolate (both economic and psychological) has long been understood. By far the most popular ingredient in desserts, this velvety-smooth confection can require a bit of delicate handling if you plan on using it for molding or coating. With a few professional tips, you can easily learn to temper chocolate and make luscious candies, desserts and other treats.
Why go to the trouble of tempering chocolate? Why not just melt it and go? In order to understand the need and purpose of tempering, you must first understand the makeup of chocolate. Chicago cooking school students can learn these essentials and so can you!
What Makes Chocolate So "Temper-mental"?
Real chocolate (not confectioners coating) contains between 50-60% cocoa butter. Within the butter are crystals. The cocoa butter crystals remain suspended until the chocolate is heated. As the temperature rises, the crystals break loose. When the chocolate cools, crystals rise to the surface forming a dusty white/gray film. Also, rather than snapping crisply when bitten into, heated, untempered chocolate crumbles. The normal, creamy texture is replaced with a dry, powdery consistency.
Properly tempered chocolate, on the other hand, is creamy, glossy and firm enough to hold up well to molding, coating and other processes. Culinary arts school instructors explain that this is because tempering cools the chocolate slowly, returning the crystals to their suspended state.
The Tempering Process
Chefs at prominent restaurants in popular cities like New York or Chicago, cooking school instructors, and experienced confectioners use similar processes when tempering chocolate. While the details may vary slightly, these steps will deliver the results you need.
Heat a double boiler to a fast simmer. You can also use a glass bowl set atop a pot. In the top of the double boiler, melt 2/3 of your chocolate. Once smooth, remove the bowl from the heat. Coarsely chop the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and add it, about 1/2 cup at the time, to the bowl. Stir gently until the chocolate melts and blends. Continue until all chocolate is melted. This process, taught in well-respected culinary arts schools, incorporates more cocoa butter solids and crystals into the previously melted chocolate to prevent it from crumbling, turning gray and losing its texture.
Once the chocolate is tempered, keep a constant check on its temperature. A rise above 91 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the mixture to fall out of temper. There is no recovery from this. It will be necessary to start over from the beginning.
Now you are ready to coat fresh, plump strawberries, creamy peanut butter balls, nuts and more. Tempered chocolate is also great for use in icings and frostings, candies, sculpted accents and more.
Before venturing to make your next chocolate treats, use the technique the pros use. While preparation may take a few more minutes, it's well worth the effort. Tempering your chocolate is one of the small details that bring about beautiful and tasty results.
About the Author
Mike Churchill provides online marketing support for the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Cooking school applications are currently being accepted. If you love cooking, attending culinary arts school could be the next step. Visit us at http://www.chic.edu.
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