How To Temper Your Chocolate.

Tempering chocolates isn't really that hard once you get the hand of it. Possibly trying to make it a whole bunch also helps.

A properly tempered chocolate will have a shine to them once melted, and its finger licking good if you ask me. Additionally, once set, the chocolate will have a distinctive SNAP! if you bite into it. On the other hand, a chocolate that was heated too much, will crumble than break cleanly. So why are chocolate so temperamental? Here's the science bit, so if youre not so keen on "knowing" why chocolates have to be tempered, look away... Tempering chocolates has something to do with the Beta crystals arranging properly, when chocolate is melted and cooled, there are 6 forms it can crystallized into. Unfortunately only the Beta crystallized form will give you the shiny and sharp snap that a properly tempered chocolate look like. The Beta crystals are VERY dependent on the temperature the chocolate melts in. Too much heat, and the Beta crystals are unable to form giving you either a streaky, grainy chocolate. Which in fact will never set in room temperature and will possibly bloom. *Bloom- those white-ish streaks.

Are you still there?? I hope so because here comes the fun part...

Chop your chocolates into smaller pieces, smaller pieces are easier and faster to melt

Place a glass bowl on top of a LOW simmering water.  Make sure the saucepan has no spout, melting chocolate hates moisture and if significant moisture comes in contact while its melting, it can seize on you. SEIZE- this means when the chocolate gets hard and will not melt no matter how high the temperature becomes.

Place 2/3 of your chocolate on the bowl and stir it continuously, melting chocolate loves to be stirred gently.

The temperature varies from dark, milk and white chocolate. Although if you search the web they will tell you to get a candy thermometer, and the temperatures given by different authors are also different. I only get my temperature to 109-110'F. I know some people say 115'F or lower but you have to give the thermometer some doubt for manufacturing error, 110'F is the safe point.

Once the chocolates melt, remove it from the heat and wipe the bottom of the bowl. Place 1/3 of chocolate and let it melt from the heat of the melted chocolate. Stir gently for 2 minutes.

Place the chocolate back on the heat, and with stir for a minute or so.

Voila! Perfectly tempered chocolate!

If this is your first time tempering chocolate, I suggest you do some further research.

The main brands of chocolate I always use are:

Guittard : I am i love with this chocolate, even more so than Ghirardelli. I think you can but the chips for cookies on Albertsons, or Winco. Although for baking chocolate that has to be tempered, I order it from them which cost about $80 for 8 pounds of 61% Cacao Semi-Sweet chocolates.

Another brand I really love is Callebaut its marketed about $70 for an 11 pounds Semisweet chocolate block.

I always say a fine chocolate makes a fine day. I know these chocolate seems to be on the expensive side, but its worth it and they do last for a while. So Happy Tempering!