Chocolate and Dessert and Recipes!

Chocolate facts!

Everything you need to know about chocolate and dessert and recipes! Information on what to look for, when purchasing chocolate.
How to temper chocolate, for your dessert recipes.

If you're really "into" chocolate you might want to check out this site. Tons of chocolate and dessert and recipes to choose from. These tutorials and videos can help you create an amazing dessert even if you don't have the experience. Check it out at Dessert University. ^{(opens in new window)}


I Love Chocolate!

I think that there is only a few of us, that can’t appreciate the taste of chocolate. I Love it!
The valuable cocoa butter you find in pure chocolate has according to scientists, the same positive effect on our blood vessels as red wine. You can find the same antioxidants in tea, parsley and onions.
But I’m sure eating chocolate gives more pleasure than eating parsley! I most certainly would choose a bar of chocolate over an onion any day!
Don’t overindulge in your chocolate and dessert and recipes, or you will cancel out the benefits.

Follow the rules!

It’s a pleasure to eat chocolate – and it’s fascinating to work with. Chocolate is used in ice cream, sauces, cakes, and numerous desserts. It can be melted, moulded, squirted and tempered. Chocolate can be used for many purposes, and all you need to do is follow some basic rules.

Guidelines:

A high content of cocoa is not always a guarantee for quality chocolate. That would be the same as saying that a high alcohol percent automatically means a better red wine, and we all know that’s not true.

First: When choosing a chocolate, I think the most important thing is to choose one without additives, other fats and “strange” E-numbers.
Second: It is the quality of the cocoa bean that counts. A good quality bean gives you the pleasure of a high - and expensive - cocoa content.

If you “treat it right” purchasing a quality chocolate can be worthwhile, as the aroma and taste are rather splendid. True quality chocolate has a “snap” to it that chocolate lovers recognize.
Only the best will do for your chocolate and dessert and recipes!

A method that is used to stabilize the cocoa butter in the chocolate. Tempered chocolate is mostly used for coating, filled chocolates, chocolate decorations and Easter eggs.
The tempering of the chocolate does not change the taste, the structure of the chocolate becomes more delicate and more “connected” with the tongue.

Tempering chocolate gives it a beautiful, shiny surface, and of course the very much sought after “snap” that chocolate experts look for.

“Snap”…Where you can feel and hear the chocolate gives a crisp “snap”, when broken between the fingers. This is a sign that the “sensitive” cocoa butter is stabilized and “set” correctly.

Tempering chocolate can be troublesome. If you don’t “hit” the precise temperature the cocoa butter will remain “unstable” and become white and gray when cooled. This happens because the unstable cocoa butter is receptive to moisture from the air, giving the chocolate a white, grayish and dull appearance. Not appealing at all!

Keeping chocolate in the refrigerator?

Don’t…not before or after it is tempered.
One exception: When molding filled chocolates in plastic forms, you can give them a 5 minute shock in the refrigerator, but this is the only exception!
At temperatures under 50˚F (10˚C) the cocoa butter will crystallize, just as it will “burn” if the temperature reaches more than 149˚F (65˚C).

At temperatures above and below the recommended, the structure of the chocolate will change. Cells in the fat molecules change and alter the taste and consistency of the chocolate. This is not a good thing for your chocolate and dessert and recipes, be very careful when working with chocolate.

Pure chocolate must be treated with respect, don’t just throw it in a saucepan over a stove. Good chocolate "feels" best at a temperature between 122-131˚F (50-55˚C) – Use a thermometer to "hit" the right temperature.

All chocolate can (theoretically) be tempered, but the end result depends on the quality and cocoa content.

Tempering:

Chop the chocolate as finely as possible and melt over a double boiler (bain-marie) or in the microwave (low heat).
You can achieve the best results if you place the chocolate in a warm place and leave to melt nice and slow over night. The only rule is that the temperature must not exceed 131˚F (55˚C)

Pour the chocolate onto your counter top and “exercise” with a spatula. Stir the chocolate so it cools as fast as possible to a temperature of about 82-84˚F (28-29˚C).
Transfer the chocolate back to the bowl and heat to “working” temperature 87-89˚F (31-32˚C).

Simple method:

Chop the chocolate finely and melt about two thirds of the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler to a temperature of 131˚F (55˚C), use a thermometer. Place the bowl on the table and add the rest of the chocolate, stir until all the chocolate has melted. The temperature should be about 87-89˚F (31-32˚C).

Now you’re ready to use your chocolate.
Hurry…the temperature shouldn’t go any lower than 87˚F (31˚C). With a little care and caution, you can again very gently heat to 87-89˚F (31-32˚C).

Tempering milk or white chocolate:

The temperatures are a little different than with dark chocolate, but the method used is the same.

Milk chocolate: heat to 118-122˚F (48-50˚C), cool to 80-82˚F (27-28˚C) and heat again to “working” temperature 86-87˚F (30-31˚C).

White chocolate: Maximum 114-118˚F (46-48˚C), cool to 80-82˚F (27-28˚C), working temperature 84-86˚F (29-30˚C).

Chocolate and dessert and recipes:

Now that you know the basics about chocolate and dessert and recipes, you're ready to continue with your dessert "adventure". Enjoy yourself and start creating mouth-watering treats for everyone!