Chocolate Tempering is done for several reasons:
1. To get a nice glossy and smooth texture,
2. Tempering helps chocolate release from a mold much easier,
3. Prevents Bloom from forming on chocolate. This is a greyish haze which is often times seen on chocolate that was not properly tempered,
4. The chocolate sets quicker for use in molds when making chocolates
What is tempering? It is a heating and cooling process that allows the chocolate cocoa butter molecules to solidify properly.
There are several ways to temper chocolate. One way is to use a double broiler, quality dark chocolate, spatula, a thermometer, and a marble board. In this process, you have to melt the chocolate in a double broiler over low to medium heat until a melted consistency is obtained. Pour 1/2 of the mixture onto a marble board and work it back and forth with spatulas to lower the temperature to a cooling temperature to work with and mold.
Dove Chocolate Discoveries sells a Tempuring unit that takes all the guess work out of tempering chocolate. It also allows for individualized settings for white, milk, and dark chocolate. Each chocolate flavor has a different melting process due to the level of cocoa butter molecules. The tempering unit can be purchased or earned with Hostess credits.
What a great way to treat your family to customized candy without the hassle of an elongated process.
