Florence: How Tempering Chocolate and obtain terrific Hand made Chocolates!

Tempering chocolate frightens many, I know, but in fact it is simple and painless. Chocolate is highly influenced by season: that is why it is not much required in our cooking classes in Tuscany, it is a typical wintry ingredient. On the other hand, during the “Cold Season” becomes a fun and interesting course for adults and children.

Working with the melted chocolate, maybe your kitchen’ll suffer a little, and maybe’ll definitely affect your fingers if you do not wear gloves … but these honestly seem to me minor problems.

In short, in front of the cream fudge that melts in your mouth, bringing to mind all that more “lustful” did you ever happen to you or you would like … I think a little chocolate flourishes here and there on the floor or on the work surface … it certainly is worth the effort.

Or at least, for me is definitely that!

How tempering chocolate was our last lesson during the professional chefs course.
And so, since we have to try and try again, I found myself in a few minutes: a ladle in hand, from the tip of the nose to the chin, completely coated with chocolate, hands leaking as those artists who use their bodies as a tool to paint.
Well anyway if you know in advance, you’re careful, and maybe can prepare your place of “chocolate” to prevent the total “brown” look that happened to me.

The chocolates that we have “created” and that I present below, have been appreciated by all … a real pleasure fudge at 60% filled with white chocolate ganache (my favorite). And then the beauty, the brilliance of “well” tempered chocolate strikes immediately your sight. Yes, because the handmade chocolate is really more polished and warmer than bought, and who has never tasted, or looked it, can not even realize the big difference there is.

Remember
Dark chocolate: (the real one) consists of: cocoa powder, cocoa butter and fundamental sugar. (industrial level also provides soy lecithin)
Milk chocolate: skimmed milk powder will be added to these ingredients (industrial level also provides soy lecithin)
White chocolate is instead composed of: cocoa butter, sugar and vanillin (industrial level also provides soy lecithin)

Tempering chocolate
Tools:

Marble Slab (or steel, or anything else that lends itself to being cold)
Steel trowel
Knife with a wide blade
Thermometer with probe (I use one for meat, bought at Ikea, very easy)
Polycarbonate molds (professional chocolate) or silicone (household)
Pots to melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave bowls

Chocolates Table
Dark Chocolate merging at 104°F-113°F max; Tempering at 87.8 °F max

Milk Chocolate merging at 104°F max; Tempering at 84.2 °F max

White Chocolate merging at 100.4 °F max; Tempering at 80.6 °F max

DARK CHOCOLATE (Chocolates)
500 g dark chocolate (60%)
100g white chocolate (for the ganache)
50 g cream (for the ganache)

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (or in microwave, trying about 3 times, 1 minute, 500W, every time stirring and… careful not to burn it!)
Turn off the heat, take the pan, dry the bottom and pour the chocolate on a marble slab
Knifedout the chocolate for a couple of minutes with circular and vertical movements, also with the aid of a wide knife.
Measure the temperature at the core of chocolate (the highest part) and continue to stir with a spatula until the temperature of 87.8 °F max (it will take about 5 minutes in winter)
Take the chocolate, pour into the mold
Once the mold is filled, tap the mold with decision to let the air out
Turn from the top the mold and put in all the chocolate on the marble floor, shaking and stopping in several times (4 or 5)
Turn over the mold and smooth with a spatula the excess chocolate (outside the cavity)
Place the mold in the refrigerator about 10 minutes
Collect the chocolate on the floor and pour back into the saucepan
Prepare the ganache by melting white chocolate in a double boiler with the cream
Remove the mold from the fridge and fill the cavities with the ganache (3/4)
Put back in the fridge for 10 minutes
Tempering again (the second time) the chocolate: after merging, waiting until is 87.8 °F max (tempering)
Take the mold with the cool ganache in the fridge and cover with chocolate to close chocolates
Level again with the spatula and beat again the mold
Put in refrigerator for about 2 hours
Scrape the excess chocolate from the mold
Flip the mold and beat
Our delicious chocolates will jump out as if by magic (If you have well taken TEMPERATURE!)