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
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!
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!
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!!
I’ve always wanted to try it in the microwave! thanks so much for sharing at funtastic friday!
It is the best Lindsay! Just keep a close eye on it.
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!
I agree! Chocolate is better than gold! Have a great week Carlee.
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.
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?
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
I use my microwave and crock pot the most, Mollie. I hate to admit I mainly DUST my oven lately!
The best tip… chocolate melting can be a bit tricky if you are not careful.
Michelle, I do best with double boiler. It is much more forgiving than the microwave when I get distracted.
Great tips! 🙂 I feel like this is something everyone should know!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
It’s true Jess. I learned this the hard way. I wish someone had told me. See you next week.
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!
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!
This is how I do my chocolate 🙂 thank you for sharing with Pin worthy Wednesday Marilyn
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.
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.
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.
oh how many times I’ve burned the chocolate….
Thanks for joining the What’s for Dinner linky party!!
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! ????