How to Temper Chocolate

Tempering is the process of melting chocolate and taking it through a series of temperature changes so that its cocoa-butter crystals reach their most stable form. When you melt chocolate, you take it from its tempered state to its untempered state. In order to get the beautiful appearance back, you have to temper the chocolate or, in other words, make it behave. Untempered chocolate will have a matte or filmy surface and will crumble when broken, but proper tempering produces a nice shine and a clean snap.

You will need:
1 pound of chocolate (milk, dark, or white) chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 microwave-safe bowl
1 rubber spatula
1 digital thermometer

Place 2/3 of the pound of chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring at 30-second intervals until the chocolate reaches 115 degrees (110 degrees if you are using white chocolate).

After it has reached the desired temperature, add a small handful of the remaining 1/3 pound of chocolate bits into the melted chocolate and stir constantly until melted. Repeat this step until either all the chocolate has been stirred into the bowl and has melted or the chocolate has reached 89 degrees.

At this point the chocolate should be tempered and ready to use for dipping or molding. You can test it by dipping the end of a plastic utensil into the chocolate and letting it rest for two minutes. The chocolate should set up quickly; it should be dry to the touch and have a shiny finish.

Les Quatres Mendiants You will need:

1 pound bittersweet, best-quality chocolate, grated or coarsely chopped

Choice of nuts and dried fruit such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts and golden raisins

Preparation
Cut 12 6-inch squares of aluminum foil and line 12 4-inch tart molds.

Begin by tempering chocolate.

Let the chocolate cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the molds and then distribute the various nuts and raisins equally over the tops. If they sink, wait another few minutes and try again. The chocolate should be soft enough that the nuts and raisins adhere, but not so soft that they sink.

When the chocolates have hardened, lift them out of the molds and gently remove the aluminum foil. The cooling process can be speeded up by putting the candies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the chocolates on a serving tray or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Mayan Hot Chocolate
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces chopped dark chocolate
1 whole dried chili pepper
1 cinnamon stick

Place chopped chocolate in small stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Cut chili pepper open lengthwise. Combine milk, chili pepper, and cinnamon stick in saucepan. Bring just to a boil. Pour milk over the chopped chocolate, using a sieve to keep the chili pepper fragments out of the mixture. Whisk vigorously until chocolate is melted and milk is frothy. Pour into preheated mugs.