Who doesn’t love eating a little bit of chocolate! Me … me … me!!!! I love working with chocolate too, and for some time have wanted to understand what it meant to “temper” chocolate, and how that would make a difference to my chocolate making attempts (many of which have been a failure).
So in May 2015 I enrolled in a Bean to Bar course at the fabulous Savour School in Melbourne (http://www.savourschool.com.au) where we were taught the process of taking a cocoa bean (the “Bean”) and transforming it into a delicious edible chocolate treat (the “Bar”). We learned that tempering is not so much a “science”, but a very fine balance between time / movement / temperature when melting chocolate … whether that is dark / milk / or white.
Bought chocolate is in a tempered state with a nice shine and snap when you break it. When you melt chocolate the crystals in the cocoa butter (there are 6) are released from their stable state, and unless you heat and cool the chocolate correctly (which is tempering) it:
- will not set at room temperature;
- will melt quickly in your hand; and
- will leave unattractive streaks or marks on the chocolate as it sets.
This does not harm the chocolate as it can be re-tempered, but it does not look great.
Cooking chocolate often contains vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter so you do not need to temper it (as there is no cocoa butter present), but they lack flavour and texture and are not the same as the “real” thing.
For more information and details on tempering chocolate see this post by David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/08/tempering-choco/
At the Savour School we learned the three main methods of tempering chocolate:
- Microwave method (all the chocolate is placed into a plastic bowl – glass retains too much heat – and melted in very short bursts until half the chocolate is melted, then you continue stirring quickly without any extra heat until all the chocolate is melted)
- Seeding method (75% of chocolate is melted to 45°C, then final 25% of chocolate is added and stirred vigorously until all the chocolate is melted)
- Manual method (all the chocolate is heated to 45°C, then 2/3rd of the chocolate is poured onto a marble surface and worked vigorously to reduce it’s temperature, then it is incorporated back into the other 1/3rd and stirred thoroughly until the total temperature of the chocolate had reduced)
I have tried a variety of processes to temper chocolate in a Thermomix with varied results. This is because there are many factors that can affect the result, but finally I feel confident enough to share with you what I have found works for me:
TM Bowl
It is important there is no moisture at all in your TM bowl before you put your chocolate into it … moisture will “seize” your chocolate making it unworkable.
Quality of Chocolate
Currently I am using Callebaut callets (which are small pea size pieces also known as “buttons”). If you are using block chocolate you will need to break it down before melting by chopping it into pea size pieces with a sharp knife. Many people suggest milling chocolate before starting, but I find it easier with less mess using the pea size pieces.
When using dark chocolate get one with 55 to 70% cocoa butter … the more percentage, the higher the cocoa butter content, the more bittersweet the taste.
Milk and white chocolate have less cocoa butter and more milk and sugar … so try to use one that has a cocoa butter percentage no less than 30 to 35%. Milk and white chocolate melts quicker (because of the milk and sugar) and takes slightly longer to cool, so it can be a bit challenging adjusting times in the Thermomix to get the right tempered result ( # see note below of dark/milk/white chocolate).
Any tempered chocolate I don’t use I spread thinly onto baking paper, set it, break it into pieces, and then place into a snap lock bag to use in baking, ganache, icings, etc. It can be re-tempered but I prefer to use a fresh lot of chocolate each time.
Room Temperature
The best ambient room temperature when working with chocolate is 19 to 21°C so most chocolate producing businesses have dedicated rooms where their chocolate work is done.
In a home environment it is unlikely you will have your kitchen at this temperature, but I mention this because you will need to consider it if planning to work with chocolate on a really hot day. This could definitely work against you in terms of setting the chocolate so maybe do it in the evening when the air is cooler.
Chocolate that is tempered using the “seeding” method is more forgiving and easier to manage in a humid or warm environment, so this is the method I had adopted for the Thermomix.
Dark / Milk / White Chocolate #
Not all chocolate is created equal … dark chocolate is the easiest to temper and sets the quickest, milk and white chocolate is less so due to the extra milk and sugar, and less cocoa butter present. If your chocolate is tempered correctly, it should start to set by:
- Dark: 5 minutes (needs to be 31 to 32°)
- Milk: 7 minutes (needs to be 30 to 31°)
- White: 10 minutes (needs to be 29 to 30°)
Process
I use dark chocolate for tempering to make bark or coat truffles, but this process works for milk and white chocolate too but there needs to be a slight adjustment in timings (I can do this using a thermometer, but due to the variables involved I cannot easily cover this here … see note #).
To temper 300g of dark chocolate (enough to make a large tray of bark, or coat approximately 26 truffles depending on size)
- Place 200g dark chocolate callets (or pea size pieces) into dry TM bowl
- Melt 7 minutes / 50 degrees / speed 2 / MC off, pausing machine after 2 minutes to scrape down sides
- Scrape sides, add final 100g chocolate callets or pieces and stir 7 minutes / no heat / speed 2 / MC off
- Scrape sides and do final stir 3 minutes / no heat / speed 1 / MC off
Your chocolate in now tempered
If Using to Make Bark
Pour chocolate onto a tray lined with baking paper, spread the chocolate relatively thinly (I use an off-set spatula) and drizzle with toppings of choice … allow to set at room temperature before breaking into pieces. Best stored in a sealed container somewhere cool.
If Using to Coat Truffles
Tempered chocolate cools relatively quickly so to ensure your chocolate stays fluid enough for you to work with:
- Have a pot of boiled water close by on which you can place your chocolate bowl for a few seconds to slightly warm the underneath whilst stirring the chocolate (take care not to get any water in the chocolate); or
- Heat for just a few seconds in a microwave, stirring as soon as you take it out
In both cases take care not to overheat the chocolate as you will take it out of temper, so shorter times are better than longer times.
- Line tray with baking paper
- Place chocolate into a ceramic bowl
- Dip the truffles using two chocolate dipping forks, or two regular forks and place the coated truffles onto the baking paper
- Continue until they are all done, using one of the methods described above to keep the chocolate fluid enough to work with
- Allow truffles to set at room temperature
Once set store truffles in the fridge to preserve the filling, or depending on the fillings and when you plan to serve them, store at room temperature in a sealed container in a cool spot.
could you please confirm if your instructions for tempering chocolate in a Thermomix are based on the Thermomix TM5 model ( the latest one).Thank you
Hello Andrena … I have just had a quick look at my notes again and can’t see any reason why the process wouldn’t work in the TM5 … I did in fact do the testing in the TM31, but I have both machines and use both for everything … the only thing I can suggest is to go ahead and temper the chocolate and see how it works for you … tempering as you probably know can be a little tricky, but I have found this method works really well for me, so hopefully you will find the same … please let me know if you have any issues that I can assist you with … thanks for dropping by … xo Gina
Hi from Germany!
I was looking for a very long time for a method to temper chocolate that really works. I tried your method two times now in the TM5 and both trials worked out great!
Thank you so so much, Gina. I am very happy and just ordered callets and silicon molds 😀
Thank you!!!
Oh Claudia … you have made me so happy … it is one thing believing that I have been able to do something like tempering chocolate in the Thermomix, but the proof of the process is whether others can do it too! So having your endorsement makes me feel like I am on track with this information. Really appreciate you letting me know … enjoy your chocolate making! xo
Hi I live the tropics in Northern Australia, I would need to places bark straight into the fridge .. do you think will it still work as you advise to let set at room temperature ?
Hi Lorraine … gosh … now that has me thinking! Not having lived in the tropics I am not too sure exactly what your room temperature is like … obviously if you have air-conditioning then it may be fine to allow the chocolate to set at room temperature which is really what it should do if it is tempered correctly. But if you don’t have air-con and the room temp is high then I would definitely put it into the fridge. I honestly think the only way you are going to know for sure is to trial it … like most new recipes I always trial them first as it is hard to know what the author of the recipe has experienced, and everyone’s ingredients/conditions can affect the end result. Sorry if this isn’t a blanket answer but I don’t want to lead you astray … so I would say to make the recipe as it stands and see what happens (work with dark chocolate first as that sets quicker … usually by 5 minutes). You will know pretty quickly if the chocolate doesn’t start to set, and if that is the case then pop it straight into the fridge. The issue with the fridge is that it can lead to condensation on the chocolate which doesn’t look great, but when you are dealing with extreme heat then that may your only option … hope that helps xo
I have been making my own dark chocolate for a while in a bain-marie.
It is delicious, but I have not mastered tempering, so it melts in the heat.
Your method is amazing!
Now I can reliably temper my chocolate, and it stays in excellent shape even in very warm weather.
Thank you SO much for sharing this.
Anna … you have no idea how happy that makes me! Tempering chocolate can be such a challenge … I love working with chocolate too, and I am thrilled that you find my process works for you … really really appreciate you letting me know … cheers Gina xo
Hi Gina,
This looks amazing!
I know you said you weren’t able to put the details on temping milk and white chocolate but I’m needing to temper milk and dark chocolate separately. I tried milk chocolate in the microwave but it just stuck together like a ball (after grating it on speed 9 in the tmx). Some parts reached 30c but others did not and I couldn’t get it runny enough without the temp going too high. I’d like to try it in my tmx but wasn’t sure how long I need to put it on for and at what temp? I presume I follow the dark chocolate tempering method but just need to adjust time and temperature for the milk chocolate? Cheers!
Hello Dell … I am so sorry for the late reply … I’ve had a busy few days.
As you will have read from the post, different chocolate tempers at different temperatures, so it can be a bit tricky for me to try and give those variations to you using the Thermomix as so much depends on the weather, quality of the chocolate, knowledge of the person using the chocolate, etc. etc. … so that is why I based it on dark chocolate as that is what most people would use, and can give you the best consistent results. To test the temperature for milk or white chocolate, I use a hand held thermometer to make sure I have it at the right temp before using, but that is not something that everyone would have at their disposal.
When using milk or white chocolate, what I would suggest is that you use the first method mentioned in the post which is the “microwave” method. This is the method that Savour use a lot, and it is the easiest to follow at home. The most important thing is to make sure you heat your chocolate in short burst of 20 seconds, and only take it until half the mix is melted. Make sure you use a plastic container too as a glass bowl retains the heat too much and can overheat the chocolate. It is important also to stir the chocolate between each burst to ensure even heating/melting. Once you can see that 50% of the chocolate has melted, then continue to stir vigorously until the whole lot is melted … then it should be tempered to use.
I noted from your comments that your milk chocolate “stuck together like a ball” … this can happen initially while you are doing your short bursts until the chocolate starts to melt more evenly so that is why it is important to stir between each burst, but also if you happen to get a tiny drop of water into the bowl of chocolate, that can also seize the chocolate and when that happens there is no coming back from it. The next best thing to do with the seized chocolate is to make chocolate ganache out of it as that can the be used as icing or for other desserts over the coming week.
I hope that helps you Dell … I know chocolate can be a bit challenging to manage to start with, but little successes can build confidence which I hope you find too xo Gina
Hi Gina
I am a first timer working with chocolate, bought some unsweetened cocoa butter (with colour). Would you be able to advise how to sweeten it using thermomix method?
Hello Julie … thanks for touching base … I am not sure if this is going to help you, but I also make a raw chocolate bark where I use cocoa butter, melted and then sweetened with maple syrup … I also add cocoa powder to give it a dark rich chocolate colour, and to be honest I prefer Dutch cocoa powder because it is not as bitter as raw cocoa powder … here is the link if you wish to check out the recipe: https://www.thepassionatepantry.com.au/raw-chocolate-bark/
The bark keeps really well in the pantry under normal weather conditions (ie mid to late 20’s and under) as long as you don’t live in really hot or humid areas … if you do then I would suggest you keep it in the fridge.
The most important point in the recipe is to ensure the cocoa butter is completely melted before finishing off the recipe … good luck, hope you find this useful xo
Thank you Gina! I will give it a go!
Omg! I’ve had my TMX for probably close to 8 years and I love baking!! But I’ve never been able to temper chocolate. I’ve tried so many ways and also so many TMX recipes. They all say ‘tempering chocolate’’, but really they’re simply melting chocolate.
It’s not till I tried this recipe that for the first time it has worked properly!!
I cannot believe my luck!
This will be my go to recipe from now, and I’m so pleased I found it!!
I just placed on top of a peanut butter and chocolate shortbread slice and it was setting within a few minutes. I knew as soon as that happened that it had worked!
Thank you so much for a detailed and ACCURATE recipe for actually tempering chocolate.
Also, I wonder for when using on slices when I want it slightly not so crisp, so add some veg oil, butter or coconut oil, when would I add this in?
Can I still use this same recipe but add it in at a certain step?
Hello Kelsie … you have no idea how much I appreciate your comments … I am thrilled that you have found this so useful. Tempering chocolate can be a real challenge so it is great to feel you have a recipe you can count on.
In terms of using a chocolate topping for slices, yes, you should always add a little oil which helps to allow a touch of softness when trying to portion the slice without the chocolate topping cracking. I can highly recommend you use the process in the Donna Hay recipe I have on my site … see here:https://www.thepassionatepantry.com.au/donna-hays-chocolate-caramel-slice/ … if you use that topping for your slices it gives you the right proportions, and also the process.
Thank you once again for taking the time to comment … I really appreciate it xo Cheers Gina
Hi Gina,
I have the Thermomix 6, would I still follow your directions for tempering the chocolate, I am making chocolate bonbons in polycarbonate moulds
Hi Dawn … thanks for asking … I used the TM31 at the time that I initially prepared the process for tempering, if anything the TM6 is actually better … more precise. I still use my TM31 … it is such a workhorse, but I also love the TM6 for its precision so please follow the process as described … good luck … hope you are happy with the results xo Gina