Tempering Chocolate Tutorial Recipe

Tempering Chocolate Tutorial Recipe Instructions

Ingredients

• Glass bowl
• A chocolate thermometer or a good digital thermometer
• A marble slab 
• Chocolate scraper
• Spatula (silicone or plastic, not wood)
• A double boiler or, a pot and a heatproof bowl that fit tightly over each other – but the bowl isn’t touching the water
• Bittersweet chocolate (no more than 70% cacao)

Directions

1. Fill the pan (or double boiler) with water and bring it up to a simmer. no vapor or steam should have any direct contact with the chocolate, and to make sure that doesn’t happen, you want a tight fit, meaning the bowl rests on top of the pot creating a seal that doesn’t let vapor escape.  You also don’t want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water, so check by placing the bowl, then removing it and checking if the outside bottom is wet. If you need to, test first with several pots and bowl until you get the right fit.
2. Place the chopped chocolate or pistoles on the heatproof bowl, and then place it over the pan, making sure you have the tight fit we discussed above, and that no vapor is escaping. 
3. Place your thermometer on the chocolate and then stir once or twice, very gently (you don’t want to add air to the chocolate) with a plastic or metal spoon or spatula, until the chocolate is melted and your thermometer reads 118º-120º F. 
4. Remove from heat and take it to your clean and dry marble slab for cool down.
5. Pour about two-thirds of the chocolate over the marble and spread it evenly over the whole surface. Reserve the other 1/3 in the same bowl, in a warm spot. 
6. Use your metal scraper to start moving the chocolate around the entire slab, extending it in one motion, gathering it up the next. The naturally cold marble will cool down the chocolate and the continuous motion will build up chocolate crystals. 
7. Test the temperature– once it’s reached between 88° and 91° F, it’s ready.  
8. Using the scraper and spatula to help you out, scrape the chocolate together and put it back into the bowl with the warm chocolate you set aside. The goal is to raise the temperature of your just-cooled chocolate by mixing it with the warm chocolate. Stir very gently and test the temperature – it should be between 88° and 91° F.  
9. If it’s too warm, let it cool back down. If it’s cold, heat it up again using the double boiler or bain-marie. 
10. Your chocolate is now tempered and ready to use. It should be smooth, shiny and even.