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Chocolate is among the most popular ingredients when it comes to baking desserts. Preferred by adults and kids, it adds a unique blend of bitter-sweet flavours with a smooth texture that take the delectable to another level. One of the most preferred ways of using chocolate in any dessert is to temper it, melt and cool, so that it can be impeccably mixed with other ingredients.
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It is an art form that only pastry chefs know how to master. However, the process is not as complex as you might think. It is quite easy and requires you to follow a handful of tips. By understanding the science behind the process of tempering, you can bake your dessert with a velvety smooth texture.
Chop And Melt
The process of tempering starts with chopping a chocolate bar. You can use a chef's knife to cut a chocolate bar into small pieces. It is crucial that pieces have equal size because it will help to ensure even cooking and prevent lumps in the melted chocolate. For melting, you should use a double boiler and make sure that the temperature of the vessel does not exceed 43°C for milk and white chocolate and 49°C for dark chocolate.
Pick A Quality Chocolate Bar
Before you start the process of tempering, you need to pick up a chocolate bar. Apart from techniques, you need to pick a quality chocolate bar. Most seasoned bakers prefer couverture chocolates which have a good amount of cocoa butter that helps to attain the smooth texture. It offers a noticeable shine to dessert and makes it more appealing.
Cool It Down
You must think that people are crazy for melting the chocolate and then worrying about cooling it down. The fact that many people don’t know is chocolate absorbs heat and continues to melt in. Therefore, you must turn off the heat and keep the bowl aside with one-third chocolate remaining to be melted. Continuously stir the mix, and the rest of the chocolate will melt. Moreover, this process will also prevent crystallisation.
Keep The Temperature Consistent
You should note that throughout the process of tempering, the temperature at which the chocolate is exposed to heat should remain constant. It can affect the crystallisation process. If you keep fluctuating the temperature, you will not get the smooth finish and velvety shine in the end.
Check Temperature And Temper
The next step is to ensure that the chocolate does not cool down beyond a certain temperature. For example, white or milk chocolate should cool down to 27°C, and dark chocolate should cool down to 28°C. You should also check the temper at this stage by dipping a spatula in the melted chocolate. It should appear glossy and feel melt-in-the-mouth when you put it on your tongue.
Application
The last step is the application of the melted chocolate. You have to be generous with coating on truffles or filling moulds. It is also necessary that you use the right tools to accomplish the taste so that the dessert has a pastry-chef like finish, which will help you collect all the praises from guests in your party.
