How do you normally melt your chocolate? Do you use the microwave as it’s the easiest method, or is the stove your go-to? It all depends on your preference and the tools you have in your kitchen, but we’ve outlined the best methods and nifty hacks you need to have up your sleeve.
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How to melt chocolate
Stovetop method
Place chopped chocolate in a dry, heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally using a plastic spatula until the chocolate is ¾ melted. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. The residual heat will melt the remaining chocolate. Stir again until smooth.
Microwave method
Put finely chopped chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on low/medium in short, 30-second bursts, stirring after each. When the chocolate is ¾ melted, set it aside for 5 minutes. The residual heat will melt the remaining chocolate. Stir again.
Why is my chocolate not melting?
You’ve melted your chocolate, but it’s become a horrible, grainy mass. What went wrong? If you were melting it on the stovetop over a saucepan of water, some liquid may have contaminated the chocolate. Even a few drops of water can ruin it, so ensure you use dry utensils, and take care when simmering to avoid any spray.
If using a microwave oven, you could have overheated it. When you melt chocolate in the microwave, it tends to hold its original shape until you stir it – so this is an easy mistake to make.
How can you save overheated chocolate?
Try adding more fat. Keeping the chocolate at room temperature, add cream, then place over a low heat and stir until smooth. Still left with a muddy mess? It’s probably best to start again, as any change in the chocolate’s structure tends to spoil the taste. Less confident bakers should keep an extra bar of cooking chocolate on hand to rectify any mishaps. Chocolate stores well in the cupboard, and the final outcome will be worth it. With a little practice and know-how, you’ll be melting like a master chocolatier in no time!
Types of chocolate
Couverture
The finest quality chocolate, couverture has a glossy finish and more brittle snap. It contains a high percentage (at least 32%) of cocoa butter and uses premium cacao beans. Because it melts smoothly, it’s ideal for specialty sweet-making.
Compound chocolate
Containing vegetable fat instead of cocoa butter, its flavour is not as strong as premium chocolate, and it is less expensive. This, along with its ease of use, makes it a popular choice, and more forgiving for beginners.
Milk chocolate
The most commonly eaten chocolate, it usually contains 36-46% cacao, although many common chocolate bars contain less – so check the ingredients list.
Dark chocolate
Chocolate should contain more than 60% cocoa to be ‘dark’. The higher the cacao content, the more bitter, intense and complex the flavour will be, and the better it will be for you. In fact, dark chocolate is considered a superfood for its antioxidant properties. Dark cooking chocolate has no added extras, so it’s perfect for cooking.
White chocolate
Containing no cocoa solids, this technically isn’t chocolate. It gets its sweet flavour from cocoa butter and is more sensitive to heat than any other variety.
Melts
Made from compound chocolate, melts come in milk, dark and white, and their shape and size make them ideal for melting. Chocolate bits or chips These milk, dark or white morsels contain less cocoa butter than other choc forms so will hold their shape when baked.
Cocoa powder
Unsweetened cocoa, or natural cocoa powder, is made from the solids that remain after about ¾ of the cocoa butter’s been pressed out of the chocolate liquor.
Cacao
Cacao, the Spanish word for cocoa, refers to the cacao bean, which is the source of delectable ingredients such as chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
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