Tempering Chocolate at Home

Here it is – How to temper chocolate at home!

As promised here is a way you can temper chocolate at home using a microwave.  This is great to use if you are dipping fruit or your own truffles in coverture chocolate it means the chocolate will have a nice gloss and shine to it that will last.  This would also be fun to do during the school holidays to make your own chocolates.

What you will need:

500g Devonport Chocolates Callets (I used 56% cocoa solids)

1 x medium microwave proof bowl
1 x small microwave proof bowl
Chocolate Moulds (depending on size of chocolates this quantity of chocolate will make approximately 2 moulds)
Lint free soft cloth
Digital Thermometer (with probe) available from all good kitchen stores
Rubber spatula
Disposable Piping Bags

Method:

Polish the cavities of your mould with your soft lint free cloth.

Put 300g of chocolate callets in your medium bowl.

Place in the microwave on medium power and microwave in one minute bursts until melted.  Stir well between each burst in the microwave.  

Once melted check the temperature of your chocolate, it needs to be between 46-49°C.  If your chocolate has melted but hasn’t reached this temperature put it in the microwave on medium for 20 second bursts until it reaches this temperature, stirring well each time.

Now you want to bring your melted chocolate down to 29°C  - this is how you do it.
Slowly add spoonfuls of unmelted callets to your melted chocolate stirring well between each spoonful and checking the temperature.  Only add up to approximately 100g of chocolate (half of what you have left).  It is really important to keep scraping the sides of your bowl and keep stirring, never leave it to just sit.  Check the temperature regularly until the temperature of your chocolate is down to 29°C.  This can take some time depending on the temperature of your room. 

Once the temperature has reached 29°C you need to bring it up to 32°C and this is how you do this: microwave your remaining chocolate callets on medium in one minute bursts until melted.  The temperature of the chocolate that you are melting needs to reach 46°C.

Then add this melted chocolate to the chocolate that has reached 29°C.  Your chocolate should now have come up to 32°C.

Give your mould a very quick heat on low in the microwave for a few seconds, you don’t want to melt the mould but you don’t want to lose your temper because your mould is cold, the mould needs to be around 25°C.

Fill your piping bags with chocolate and pipe into your moulds.  Bang the mould lightly on the bench this will help settle the chocolate and bring our any air bubbles.   Put in the fridge to set until the chocolate has retracted from the mould (you will see what I mean), approximately 10 minutes.

Some tips:
You can get heaps of fun moulds from Spotlight and www.homestylechocolates.co.nz
You can knife test your tempered chocolate before you use it, literally dip a knife in melted chocolate and put it in your fridge to set before you use your chocolate, if it is shiny and not streaky in colour it has tempered.
The temperature of your room will affect your tempering, take your time and don’t stress – Chocolate is very temperamental, if you are in a rush don’t even try, make something else!
If your tempering doesn’t work, keep your chocolate, once it has set break it up and try again, that is the fabulous thing with solid chocolate it won’t go to waste.