Tempering chocolate is one of the fundamental skills required by a pastry chef or a chocolatier. It requires manipulating the temperature of chocolate by one of several methods in order to create the ideal crystalline structure as the chocolate sets. Tempering chocolate reliably takes a lot of practice --- or an expensive tempering machine with thermostatic controls. Sometimes it's easier to find an alternative.
Chocolate and Tempering
Part of what makes chocolate so addictive is the fat it contains, called cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is actually made up of several fats, each with its own characteristics. If the chocolate is heated and cooled properly, the cocoa butter will set with its crystals in an orderly arrangement. This is called tempering, and tempered chocolate has an attractive sheen and a satisfying, brittle snap when it's broken. It's also more resistant to melting, so tempered chocolate is preferred for most candy making. However, it can be replaced in most cases by an easier preparation called ganache.
Ganache
Ganache is made by melting good-quality chocolate into hot cream. It can be soft and fudgy in texture or hard and shiny, depending on the ratio of chocolate to cream. To replace tempered chocolate, use three parts chocolate to one part cream by weight. Flavorings and liqueurs can be added to the ganache, and some pastry chefs add butter, glucose or clear corn syrup to give the mixture an attractive sheen when it sets. Just heat the cream to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and stir until the chocolate has melted.
Molded Candies
One of the primary uses of tempered chocolate is for making candy. Because it sets to a hard and brittle texture and resists heat, tempered chocolate is favored for nut bark, candy bars and candies made in molds. You can substitute ganache for all three of these uses. Pour the ganache over toasted almonds or pecans to make chocolate bark, score it and break it into bars, or pour it in molds like tempered chocolate. The ganache will be slightly softer than pure chocolate and more perishable because of the cream, so chill it slightly in the refrigerator before serving.
Enrobing with Ganache
The second main use for tempered chocolate is for coating, or enrobing, centers made of nuts or other candy. These might include whole almonds, pecans in caramel, or even a truffle center of softer ganache. Gently melt the ganache in a bowl over hot water, and use a fork or dipping tool to lower your centers gently into the warm --- not hot --- chocolate. Draw your fork across the rim of the bowl to remove excess ganache, then place each candy carefully on a sheet of parchment or wax paper to cool.
References
- "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen"; Harold McGee; 2004
- "The Professional Pastry Chef"; Bo Friberg; 2002
- "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate"; Alice Medrich; 2003
- The Chocolate Source: Glossary
- Joy of Baking; Ganache; Stephanie Jaworski
Member Comments