decorations | The Kate Tin

How To Temper Chocolate

by Kate | Aug 16, 2018 | 2 comments

Do you like a challenge? Are you keen to learn a new skill? Boy, do I have a weekend baking project for you! This post is a step-by-step tutorial guide on how to temper chocolate. Whether you’re making chocolate decorations, a chocolate collar, a chocolate dome to fill with mousse or simply want to make your own chocolate pralines with fillings, you’re going to need to know how to temper chocolate. Well, if you’re using really good- quality couverture chocolate, that is!

Lucky for me, I’m married to a chocolate-maker – he just needs to look at chocolate and it tempers itself! So, when Food & Home Entertaining Magazine asked us to team up and show bakers how to temper chocolate for Easter, I thought it would be a good idea to share it here, too.

Why does chocolate need to be tempered?

You know that lovely shine a chocolate bar has when you open it? And when you take a bite, it gives a solid snap? That’s all down to tempering. When you buy a slab of chocolate, it is tempered. However, when it’s melted again, the cocoa butter crystallizes. This makes the surface of the chocolate dull and it loses its shine and snap. This you’ll know if you’ve probably tried to make chocolate decorations without tempering it. Tempering is basically a process of heating and cooling which arranges the cocoa butter crystals in a uniform way.

How to temper chocolate

There are a few ways of tempering chocolate by hand. I’m going to share my two favourites. Both require a little patience (as with all baking!) but getting that shine, is so worth it!

The tabling method

This is the fastest method for small amounts of chocolate (and the most fun!). You will need a marble slab or cold stone surface, though. You’ll also need the following special equipment: 2 x palette knives or bench scrapers (you can get the kind used in the images from Builder’s Warehouse!), digital thermometer. If you don’t have these things, skip down to the seeding method below.

STEP 1: Chop your couverture chocolate into small pieces.

STEP 2: Place the chocolate in a metal or glass bowl over a pot of gently steaming water. Melt it to the correct temperature as per the table below. Remember, each type of chocolate has a slightly different temperature so keep the table handy.

We’ve used dark chocolate here, so we want to melt it to 45 degrees Celsius.

Tempering Temperature Chart

Chocolate	Melted temperature	Cooled temperature	Reheated temperature
Dark Chocolate	45C	27C	31.5C
Milk Chocolate	45C	27C	30C
White chocolate	40C	26C	28C

Pour one-third of the melted chocolate onto the marble. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate thinly over the marble. We’re trying to cool it down now. Keep the remaining chocolate to one side.

Move and scrape the chocolate toward the centre of the marble. Then scrape the remaining chocolate off the spatula and spread it out again. Repeat this action, moving, spreading, and scraping the chocolate until it starts to thicken.

Check the temperature of the chocolate again. It should read 27 degrees (check the table for the ‘cooled temperature’ of the chocolate you’re using).

Scrape the chocolate off the marble and immediately add it the remaining two-thirds of melted chocolate. Stir until it is incorporated and completely melted.

The chocolate should now be tempered! If it’s very thick, you can reheat it VERY CAREFULLY to the reheated temperature in the table. Don’t heat it above this or you’ll have to start over!

To test if your chocolate is on temper, spread a small amount of chocolate onto a spatula or knife. You can also dip a piece of paper into the chocolate and allow it to set. If the chocolate is tempered correctly, it will start to set evenly within a minute and will be glossy. If your chocolate didn’t temper, simply remelt it and start again.

The seeding method

This is the cleanest way to temper chocolate and makes the least amount of mess!

Chop all your chocolate finely (the larger the pieces, the longer it will take).
Melt two-thirds of the chocolate to the correct temperature (see the tempering table).
Once the chocolate has reached the correct temperature, add the reserved chopped chocolate. Give it a stir and allow it to melt, undisturbed for a few minutes.
Check the temperature again – see the table for the cooled temperature.
Once the chocolate has cooled to the correct temperature, heat it again gently until it reaches the working temperature.
Your chocolate is now tempered and ready to be used!

Remember, once the chocolate is tempered, it’s important to never heat it over the reheating temperature. This will cause it to lose its temper. I like to use a hairdryer on the lowest heat setting to blast short bursts of warm air into the chocolate. This keeps it just warm enough and gives you full control.

Got any questions about tempering chocolate? Post them below!

In the meantime, here are some treats to make with your beautifully tempered chocolate:

WHITE CHOCOLATE SAILS TO DECORATE A CAKE

CHOCOLATE-COATED TIM TAMS

BLACK FOREST SWEETIE PIES

Christmas Gingerbread Macarons

by Kate | Nov 30, 2014 | 0 comments

Why buy Christmas tree ornaments when you can make them yourself, and then eat them?! This was the very epiphany I had last week when after moving into a new house I suddenly realised I had nothing to decorate a tree with (in my spring-cleaning chuck-everything-away state they were tossed in the bin). But if you’re a baker, who needs glass/plastic baubles when you can make your own which coincidentally look and ARE good enough to eat. My infatuation with macarons continues this year (I tried to convince you all last year to give them a bash with this Christmas mince pie macaron version) with my spiced gingerbread macaron – which I might add, if Christmas had a taste, would taste like this! And with the beautiful edible copper, gold and silver dusts and glitter you can buy these days, it’s super easy to add sparkle to your tree. Hang them up and after Christmas dinner, when the family asks where’s dessert? Channel your inner Heston Blumenthal and just point to the tree!

I know macarons are daunting but I’ve tested this recipe so many times I can recite the quantities and it works every time. My five crucial points to success are:

1. Grind and sift the almonds and icing sugar thoroughly

2. Beat the egg whites until very stiff – they should form very stiff peaks.

3. Fold until the mixture looks like lava – it should ooze when dropped from your spoon.

4. Check your oven temperature!

5. Bake on the lower third rack of your oven.

Christmas Gingerbread Macarons

Makes about 30

120g ground almonds

200g icing sugar

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

100g egg whites (about 3 large eggs)

1/4tsp cream of tartar

35g castor sugar

Spiced white chocolate ganache

110ml cream

peel of 1 orange

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp mixed spice

250g The Kate Tin White Baking Chocolate, chopped

Edible copper or gold dust and glitter, for dusting

Line 2-3 baking sheets with good-quality baking paper or even better, silicone sheets. Using a tot glass, trace circles onto the baking paper then flip it over – you’ll need these as a sizing guide (unless your piping skills are of Martha Stewart quality!)Blend the almonds, icing sugar and spices together until fine. Sift the mixture to remove any clumps then blend any leftover mixture and sift again until nothing remains. Begin beating the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed. Once the egg whites are very foamy and white, begin sprinkling in the sugar as you beat. Increase the speed to medium, if necessary, and beat the meringue to very stiff glossy peaks. The meringue should be very firm. Add about 1/4 of the almond/sugar mixture and fold until no streaks remain. Continue to add the almond mixture in quarters, folding until incorporated. The mixture should be a lava consistency so when dropped, it should start spreading and oozing. Spoon the batter into a piping bag and pipe rows of batter onto the baking sheets using the circles as a guide, giving them enough space to spread. Tap the pan on the counter to bring up any air bubbles and quickly pop them with a toothpick if necessary. Allow the cookies to rest on a level surface for 30-60 minutes until they are no longer tacky to a light touch. This is a very important step so don’t be tempted to be impatient! While they rest, place an oven rack in the lower 3rd of your oven and preheat to 150C (conventional oven, if fan-forced, reduce by 20C). Check your oven isn’t too hot or too cold by using an oven or sugar thermometer. Bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes. They’re ready when you lightly touch them and they no longer have any ‘give’.

Make the ganache by heating the cream and orange peel together until just simmering. Set aside for 1 hour to infuse before heating again and pouring over the white chocolate. Stir until melted then mix in the spices and allow to set until spreadable. Sandwich the macarons together with the ganache. Using a clean soft paint brush, coat the macarons with edible copper or gold dust.

TIP To turn the macarons into tree decorations, insert a long piece of wire with a hook at the top into the macarons while sandwiching them. Allow to set before hanging them up with ribbon or thread.