Tempering chocolate does not have to be difficult. Tempering chocolate involves heating and chilling it in a certain manner. When the chocolate cools, the crystals in the cocoa butter organise themselves in a precise order if you temper it appropriately. When you bite into properly tempered chocolate, it is glossy, hard at room temperature, and has a sharp snap. Tempered chocolate is great for producing homemade confectionery like truffles, peanut butter cups, and peppermint bark because it stays smooth, shiny, and hard even at room temperature. It provides your candy with a professional appearance and makes it much easier to serve and transport, not to mention that it tastes better because of the lovely snappy texture.
What Exactly Is Tempering Chocolate?
Tempering produces chocolate coatings that are super smooth, shiny, and have a pleasing crunch when consumed. Tempering allows us to alter the fat molecules in the chocolate's cocoa butter to organise its crystalline structure in a way that produces that sharp chocolate texture. This method, coupled with proper storage, also aids in preventing blooming, which occurs when a white coating forms on the top of the chocolate.
What Is The Use Of Tempered Chocolate?
Tempering chocolate is ideal for preparing chocolate candies, truffles, dipped confections, and cake decorations. You won't get a crisp coating if you just dip it in melted chocolate. It will be dull and soft and must be refrigerated to avoid melting. Tempered chocolate remains hard at room temperature. To preserve the structure of the tempered chocolate, avoid keeping it at high temperatures and humidity.
Methods To Temper Chocolate
Method 01
• Chop or grate the desired amount of chocolate. In the top pan of a double boiler, melt two-thirds of the chocolate. Stir continually over hot but not boiling water until chocolate reaches 110°-115°F.
• Place a towel over the top pan of the double boiler. Allow chocolate to cool to 95°-100°F. Stir in the remaining chocolate in the top pan until melted. The chocolate is now ready to be moulded into sweets, coated, or dipped.
Method 02
• To begin, melt two-thirds of a pound of broken chocolate over indirect heat, such as in the top pan of a double boiler. Get the chocolate to a liquid, smooth state by melting it (110°-115°F).
• When it's smooth, add the remaining one-third of the broken chocolate and heat until it's smooth all the way through. Pour the chocolate onto a stone or other non-porous, cool, smooth surface. Scrape and whisk the chocolate across the surface with a spatula to smooth and chill it. Return the chocolate to the top pan of the double boiler when it has cooled to 80°-82°F. Place in a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Heat and stir regularly until the temperature reaches 87°-91°F. Remove the double boiler's top pan. The chocolate is now prepared for coating, dipping, or shaping candies.
