Tempering chocolate

This is the method to use whenever a recipe calls for tempered chocolate.

1. In a large heatproof glass bowl, place about 75 percent of the chopped chocolate called for in the recipe. You will be adding more chocolate to the bowl later. You should be able to stir the contents easily without spilling. The remaining chocolate should be chopped into smaller pieces.

2. Fill a saucepan with enough water to create heat and steam, not enough to touch the bottom of the bowl. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Remove the pot from the heat and set it on the counter. Set the bowl of chocolate on the steaming water. It will melt the chocolate. Stir the chocolate occasionally as it melts. (Be very careful that no water gets inside the bowl of chocolate.)

3. If the water cools down too much, set the bowl aside and reheat the water before proceeding. Melt the chocolate until it registers between 115 and 120 degrees on a thermometer; set the bowl aside for 10 minutes.

4. Stir the chocolate. Start adding the remaining finely chopped chocolate by the handful. This is called "seeding the chocolate" because you are adding seeds (finely chopped chocolate) to melted chocolate. Slowly incorporate each handful of chocolate by stirring it in completely until smooth. You may not need all of the remaining cold chocolate to bring the larger amount of melted chocolate into "temper." Test the melted chocolate after fully incorporating each handful. If tempering dark chocolate, you want 86 degrees (milk and white chocolates need to reach 81 degrees).

5. Stop seeding as soon as you reach the correct temperature. If you have used up all the chopped chocolate and the melted chocolate has not cooled down sufficiently, finely chop more chocolate and continue seeding.

6. This part is tricky. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the water. Heat the water and place the bowl of cooled chocolate over it for 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each heating. Melted chocolate holds residual heat that continues to raise the overall temperature. For dark chocolate, bring the temperature back up to 89 degrees; for milk and white, 86 degrees. Adapted from "Making Artisan Chocolates"