Smooth and Sweet: Melting Chocolate
Many desserts call for melted chocolate. And many desserts are melted chocolate—that's the entire recipe! Dipping strawberries into melted chocolate: what a sublime treat! Drizzling melted chocolate over anything always makes it yummier, too.
Melting chocolate isn't hard. There are just a few important rules to keep in mind.
In the P.M. years of cooking (that's pre-microwave) the only way to melt chocolate was to use a double boiler—and that's still a good method to use today.
Heat a small amount of water to simmering in a large pan, and suspend a smaller pan or bowl (filled with chocolate chunks) over the pan. The steam will gently melt the chocolate into a smooth, creamy, warm mass.
Nowadays, melting chocolate can be done quicker. To melt chocolate bars or pieces in a microwave, place chocolate pieces in a microwave-safe dish and heat briefly on medium power, 30 seconds at a time, and stir. Chocolate often appears to be solid, but when stirred, it softens and melts. Cook and stir every 30 seconds, and keep the cooking level at medium.
It's very, very important not to over-heat the chocolate. There's a magic window of time where the chocolate is smooth and satiny, but if it's heated just a few seconds beyond that, the chocolate "seizes." (That is, it turns from smooth and velvety to lumpy and hard.)
The second cardinal rule for melting chocolate is to never allow any water to come in contact with the melting chocolate. Just a drop or two of water can make the chocolate seize up. Even the steam from the bottom of a double boiler can cause this problem. Make sure to keep the chocolate dry as it melts.
If chocolate does seize, blend in a teaspoon of vegetable oil (not butter or margarine) and the chocolate should smooth out.
To make a dipping chocolate for coating candies, when the chocolate is almost melted add 1/4 cup more chips and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth. This will help set up sugar crystals so the chocolate stays firm at room temperature. Some recipes call for a very small amount (1 teaspoon or less) of vegetable shortening to be stirred into the melting chocolate. This improves the consistency and prevents the chocolate from becoming too hard once it cools.
Published 07/06/07
