Unforgettable Desserts: Tempering Chocolate

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Unforgettable Desserts by Dede Wilson, includes recipes like Tempering Chocolate; Matcha Tea Leaf Shortbreads; Chocolate Raspberry Bliss Bites (Truffles); and Frozen Peanut Butter-Honey Cheesecake with Warm Chocolate-Honey Sauce.

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Tempering Chocolate

by Dede Wilson

Tempering is the process of carefully heating and cooling chocolate so that after cooling it will display a crisp texture, shiny appearance, and stability at room temperature. Most chocolate is "in temper" when purchased and will display these hallmarks. If your chocolate has grayish streaks, is tacky to the touch, or has a crumbly texture, it is "out of temper." When you melt chocolate, it can lose its temper unless careful attention is paid to temperature fluctuations at certain stages. You need a thermometer with a range from 40 degrees to 130 degrees F that shows 1 degree increments for this technique.

Tempering Instructions

Start with the desired amount of chocolate as stated in the recipe and chop it very finely.
Place about two-thirds of it in the top of a double boiler with gently simmering water in the lower half of the double boiler. Place a thermometer in the chocolate.
Occasionally stir very gently to encourage melting, but do not stir vigorously, which will add air.
Do not allow chocolate to heat above 115 degrees F for bittersweet and semisweet chocolate and 110 degrees F for milk or white chocolate. As soon as the chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from the heat and wipe the bottom of the pot to eliminate any chances of water droplets reaching the chocolate, which would cause it to seize.
Add about one-third of the remaining chopped chocolate and stir gently. The residual heat will melt it. You want to cool the chocolate down to 79 degrees F. Adding the reserved chopped chocolate will bring down the temperature gently and gradually; do not just let the chocolate sit and cool, as it will not cool quickly or evenly, and the tempering process will be thrown off. Add the remaining chocolate in two more stages, if necessary, to cool the chocolate further, continuing to stir gently until 79 degrees F is reached.
Place the pot back over hot, not simmering, water and rewarm gently. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates should be brought back up to 88 degrees to 90 degrees F, milk chocolate to 85 degrees to 88 degrees F, and white chocolate to 84 degrees to 87 degrees F. Do not allow any chocolate to rise above 90 degrees or you will have to begin entire process again. Sometimes chocolate labels will tell you what their specific tempering temperatures are, so heed that advice.
The chocolate is now ready to use for dipping truffles, making chocolate decorations, etc.
To test the temper, thinly spread a teaspoon amount on a piece of aluminum foil and allow it to cool. If your room temperature is warm, refrigerate it for about 2 minutes. The chocolate should look shiny and smooth and break with a crisp snap. Any dull spots or streaks or a soft texture indicate that the chocolate is not in good temper.
Now you must retain the chocolate's temperature while you are working with it. Try setting a heating pad on low and placing your bowl of tempered chocolate on top of it. Always keep checking the temperature, keeping it fluid but not over 90 degrees F. Stir it occasionally to keep the entire amount evenly heated, as it will cool around the edges.
It is easiest to temper at least 8 ounces of chocolate at a time, and it is not that much more difficult to temper two to three times that amount. Take advantage and plan your approach, so that if you need tempered chocolate for more than one recipe, you can do them all at once. Any leftover chocolate can be scraped out onto a piece of aluminum foil and allowed to harden; then you can chop it up and fold it into your favorite cookie batter, or save it to melt for brownies or other recipes.

from:
Unforgettable Desserts
More Than 140 Memorable Dessert Recipes For All Year Round
by Dede Wilson
Wiley 2009
$29.95; Hardcover; 150 pages
ISBN: 0470186496
ISBN 13: 978-0-470-18649-7
Reprinted by permission.

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