The one on the left was dipped with perfectly tempered chocolate. The one on the right was not.
Have you ever melted chocolate and allowed it to set, only to find a weird white blush on your chocolate? I have!! It stinks! Well, not literally. It just isn’t as pretty. Why does this happen? Your chocolate was too hot. Simple as that.
When it comes to chocolate, tempering the chocolate (or checking for the correct temperature) is the key to turning out praise worthy treats. Tempering sounds fancy, but it’s not.
Here is what I do to Temper:
1) When I melt my chocolate (whether in a double boiler or the microwave), I always leave some of the chocolate out (about an 1/8 of what you started with). For a 16 ounce bag, I leave out ¼ of a cup.
2) When I am melting the chocolate, I want to use the least amount of heat possible. With a double boiler, use low heat. When melting in the microwave, use only 50% power.
3) When using a double boiler, stir constantly. Never walk away. When using the microwave, heat at 50% power for intervals of 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in between each interval.
4) Stop using a heat source when the chocolate is almost melted. If you wait for it to be completely melted, it will be way too hot.
5) Chocolate’s perfect temperature is 98 degrees, the same as the temperature of your lips. So, check your chocolate for the correct temperature by placing a small amount on your lips. If you feel any heat, it’s too hot.
6) If you find the chocolate too hot, add half of your reserved chocolate and stir until it’s melted. Check the heat again using the lip test. If you still feel heat, stir in the rest of your reserve.
Your chocolates should look great if you follow these steps. Good luck and enjoy your creations!
