Tempering chocolate changes how it sets
Melt a bar of dark chocolate and let it cool on the kitchen counter, and it often sets with a dull, streaky gray surface and a crumbly texture instead of a glossy snap. Because the cocoa butter fat inside chocolate can solidify into six different crystal shapes, chocolatiers must 'temper' it, carefully heating, cooling, and stirring the chocolate so a desirable crystal structure predominates.
Questions you could explore
- What does tempering change in cocoa butter?
- Why might different chocolate formulations need different conditions?
Start reading
- Institute of Culinary EducationChocoholics Anonymous
A culinary-training account introduces tempering and stable crystal formation.
Ready to try your ideas aloud?
Your topic carries over. Record up to 2½ minutes, depending on your plan.