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Marilyns Treats

February 26, 2016 · 22 Comments

Tip Friday Melting Chocolate

Tip Friday

Sometimes in every bakers life you will come across the need to melt your chocolate. don’t be nervous! this common mistakes followed by 5 different ways to melt your chocolate will make that recipe turn out fantastically!
Sometimes in every bakers life you will come across the need to melt your chocolate. don’t be nervous! this common mistakes followed by 5 different ways to melt your chocolate will make that recipe turn out fantastically!

Melting Chocolate

There come a time in every bakers life you will come across the need to melt your chocolate. Don’t be nervous!

These common mistakes followed by 5 different ways to melt your chocolate will make that recipe turn out fantastically!

The Microwave Method

Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave at 70% power for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and give it a stir.

Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring frequently, until the chocolate has fully melted.

The Double Boiler Method

Melting Chocolate using chunks.

Add chopped chocolate to the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water.

A DIY double boiler can be a small metal bowl over a saucepan. Just make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pan.

Stir gently and frequently until the chocolate has completely melted. Use a heat safe rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl as you stir.

Make sure you stir constantly so it doesn’t burn.

The Water Bath Method

Fill a stock pot one third of the way with water. Set the heat to high. Don’t use a lid on the pan.

Place wide mouth mason jars of chopped chocolate inside the pot of heated water.

Step away for 30 minutes or so, leaving the lid off and you will have melted chocolate that’s ready to drizzle.

The Slow Cooker Method

Place chopped chocolate pieces directly into a slow cooker.

Set heat to high, cover and let cook for one hour.

Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, covered, for an additional hour or until completely melted, stirring every 15 minutes.

This method is best for large batches of melted chocolate like a fondue and chocolate dipping table.

The Sandwich Bag Method

Place chopped chocolate in a resealable plastic bag.

Seal completely, and place in a bowl filled with hot (but not boiling) water.

When the chocolate is melted, use scissors to cut a very small hole in a corner of the bag, then drizzle as needed.

Listed below are some common mistakes. Avoid these for a better melted chocolate experience.

Forgetting to Dry Your Tools

Before you begin, make sure that all your equipment is dry.

When moisture comes into contact with chocolate, it causes the sugar to turn into syrup and the cocoa particles to clump. You’ll know your chocolate has seized if it looks dry and lumpy.

Don’t Rush It

When exposed to too much heat too fast, chocolate gets a grainy texture. It can burn entirely. The thing to remember when melting chocolate is to cook low and slow.

Not buying the Good Stuff

A secret for a smooth finish is to start with quality chocolate. Good chocolate has a high cocoa butter content.

Following these tips and using one of the 5 methods to melt chocolate will aloow your recipe to shine!

Most images in my Tip Friday Series use free stock photos. This article is part of the Tips That Help in the Kitchen Series, Tip Friday.

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blankI am Marilyn Lesniak. Writer, Photographer and Chief Bottle Washer behind the scenes at Marilyn's Treats. Don’t burn down the kitchen!! Let me help with my Kitchen Tips, Hacks and Recipes for all levels of Chefs. Read More…

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Comments

  1. blankJamie @ Medium Sized Family says

    March 9, 2016 at 7:43 PM

    I love this method for melting chocolate. It can be such a tricky process, especially when I wind up eating the stuff I’m supposed to be using in my recipe. haha! Thanks for sharing this on the Friday Funday Blog Hop #FFBH!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 9, 2016 at 8:15 PM

      Ha! I thought I was the only one that doubled the amount for chocolate so I would be left with what I needed! How many times I burnt my tongue!!

      Reply
  2. blankLindsay says

    March 9, 2016 at 10:10 AM

    I’ve always wanted to try it in the microwave! thanks so much for sharing at funtastic friday!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 9, 2016 at 2:21 PM

      It is the best Lindsay! Just keep a close eye on it.

      Reply
  3. blankCarlee says

    March 9, 2016 at 9:39 AM

    Great tips! Chocolate is precious and should not be wasted, so it is good to know how to work with it! Thanks so much for sharing at Throwback Thursday!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 9, 2016 at 2:20 PM

      I agree! Chocolate is better than gold! Have a great week Carlee.

      Reply
  4. blankNikki Frank-Hamilton says

    March 7, 2016 at 3:04 PM

    I’ve tried both of these, and I’ve overdone them both at times, I hate that! The chocolate breaks and it’s becomes grainy. I need to take your advice and use the microwave on half power! Thanks.

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 7, 2016 at 3:31 PM

      With the microwave you need to stop and stir every 10 seconds but it is done VERY quick. I melted 44 kisses once and they still had their shape after 5 minutes. Oh, did I say they were a brick?

      Reply
  5. blankFrugal Hausfrau says

    March 5, 2016 at 4:03 PM

    I almost always do the microwave! What did we do without them? Thanks for bringing this by Throwback Thursday; we’re already looking forward to what you’ll be bringing next week.

    Mollie

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 5, 2016 at 4:57 PM

      I use my microwave and crock pot the most, Mollie. I hate to admit I mainly DUST my oven lately!

      Reply
  6. blankMichelle says

    March 5, 2016 at 2:43 PM

    The best tip… chocolate melting can be a bit tricky if you are not careful.

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 5, 2016 at 4:55 PM

      Michelle, I do best with double boiler. It is much more forgiving than the microwave when I get distracted.

      Reply
  7. blankJess says

    March 3, 2016 at 12:29 PM

    Great tips! 🙂 I feel like this is something everyone should know!

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 3, 2016 at 3:01 PM

      It’s true Jess. I learned this the hard way. I wish someone had told me. See you next week.

      Reply
  8. blankCJ Huang | Morsels of Life says

    March 3, 2016 at 7:20 AM

    I always seem to mess up melting chocolate unless I’m using a double boiler. Good idea about removing from heat once it’s 75% melted and letting carry over heat do the rest!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 3, 2016 at 9:25 AM

      CJ I can’t tell you how many times I didn’t just burn chocolate trying to melt it. I burned it into a brick! Thanks for visiting from #thursdayfavoritethings!

      Reply
  9. blankAmberjane says

    March 2, 2016 at 1:34 PM

    This is how I do my chocolate 🙂 thank you for sharing with Pin worthy Wednesday Marilyn

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      March 2, 2016 at 7:08 PM

      I had to learn the hard way…. More than three times! It’s nice to be validated when you are doing something well! Thanks Amberjane.

      Reply
  10. blankLori says

    February 29, 2016 at 10:36 AM

    This is really helpful! I pinned the image. It’s easy to burn it in the microwave if you’re not watching it or set the time for too long.

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      February 29, 2016 at 9:11 PM

      I am glad Lori it helps. I found out the hard way. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time and remove and stir in between. The chocolate will continue to melt even after you remove it. I melted 44 Hershey Kisses in less than 15 seconds in the microwave. That said, for myself, the best way to retain the integrity and flavor of the chocolate is in a double boiler. Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  11. blankHelen Fern says

    February 28, 2016 at 12:13 PM

    oh how many times I’ve burned the chocolate….
    Thanks for joining the What’s for Dinner linky party!!

    Reply
    • blankMarilyn Lesniak says

      February 28, 2016 at 3:32 PM

      I remember trying to melt Hershey’s Kisses with Candy Cane pieces in the microwave. The recipe called for 10 seconds, but every time I checked they retained their shape. Never thought to stir them. Anyway, 5 MINUTES later I had a ROCK burned into my bowl! I threw away the bowl with 44 kisses burned to a crisp! ????

      Reply

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