Have you ever wondered how to get that perfect shiny finish on your dipped chocolate desserts? Have you tried melting chocolate chips and have been frustrated with the results? Here are a few tips that will help solve your problems.
Tip 1: Use A Chocolate Bar
Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape while being exposed to high heat in the oven. Making them very tricky to melt. It’s important to use a bar of chocolate instead which is more suited for the job. Chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter is best for tempering (32% or more) – the more cocoa butter the better!
Tip 2: Not All Chocolate Is the Same
Tempering your chocolate is like melting butter – it improves the consistency, durability, and texture. It’s an easy but necessary process to ensure that beautiful shine and “snap” we’re looking for when dipping our desserts. The process consists of heating the chocolate to the right temperature, and then cooling it down. Under-tempered chocolate will result in a clumpy texture, and over-tempered chocolate will become cloudy and will break easily.
How To Temper Your Chocolate
Start by chopping your bar of chocolate into fine pieces. This may be easiest to accomplish with a serrated knife and a cutting board. Melt 3/4 of your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted.
Add the remaining 1/4 of your chocolate and let it melt into mixture, giving it enough time to fully melt. Once melted, stir only long enough to combine, so you don’t add too much air until the chocolate.
Once your chocolate is ready, it’s time to dip your desserts. You can test it by dipping a knife into the chocolate. You’ll know your chocolate is tempered correctly when it hardens to a smooth shiny finish and snaps cleanly when broken or bitten into.
If the chocolate is still sticky? It's not in temper. Properly tempered chocolate will be firm after a few minutes. If your chocolate starts to harden before you are done dipping, you can simply reheat for 10 second intervals at 50% power until smooth enough to dip again.
Recipe by
Tara Wilkinson
@lovliecakes
Tara Wilkinson is a self taught baker, who has found joy in baking for her family and sharing her developing talent with the world through social media. She doesn’t believe in keeping recipes a secret, and is happy to help any who cross her path enjoy the baking process too!
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