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Tempering Chocolate Guidlines
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Tempering Chocolate is a process necesary to ensure that your chocolate candy is firm on the outside. The melting process takes a little longer, but the effort will keep your candy from becoming sticky. Tempered chocolate will give your coated candies a dark, shiny, firm surface when they harden. This process works equally well with white chocolate.
The secret to tempering is to never let the chocolate reach a temperature greater than 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you are serious about candy making and plan to get involved in more than casual candy making, you may want to consider investing in a decent tempering machine, like the one at Candyland Crafts. I haven't gone that far yet, but if I ever decide to start selling my own chocolates, I will definitely consider it.
For now, here are easy instructions for making tempered chocolate.
Step 1
Grate or finely chop your chocolate. Place 2/3 of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Stir constantly as the chocolate melts over hot but not boiling water. Be sure water does not touch the bottom of the upper pan. Bring the melted chocolate to exactly 115 degrees on your candy thermometer.
Step 2
Remove double boiler from the hot water and place on a dry towel or a cooling rack. Stir in the rest of the chocolate. Stir constantly until it is completely melted.
Step 3
Pour the melted chocolate on a cooling surface, like a pastry marble or even a cookie sheet. Scrape and stir with a metal spatula or pastry scraper until the chocolate cools down to about 80-82 degrees.
Reheat back up to 87-91 degrees for semisweet chocolate and 83-88 degrees for white chocolate.
Step 4
Use the tempered chocolate for your chosen recipe. You need to keep your chocolate at its proper temperature throughout the candy making process. Monitor the chocolate to keep the temperature right until your delicious work is done.
Here's a couple of tips to hold your chocolate's temper:
- Place the tempered chocolate over a pan of warm water about 2 degrees hotter than your chocolate.
- Place your pan of chocolate on a heating pad on low temperature.
- Stir the chocolate occasionaly while you are working with it, to keep the chocolate on the sides from cooling and going out of temper.
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