We’ve reached the chocolate portion of our Superior pastry class. I’m completely fascinated by the process of turning chocolate from a dark, shaggy mass to a lustrous, shiny confection. Perhaps it’s the science that interests me – although it’s not as exact as you would think. During our practicals when we get to try our hand at tempering, each chef has a different technique and sometimes it's rather confusing as to what works and what doesn't.

Here’s the general principle. Tempering is the act of melting the chocolate to 50 degrees (122 F), cooling it to around 27 (81 F) and then heating it back up to 30 (86 F). Chocolate must be tempered to stabilize the crystals inside otherwise the crystals will separate creating a dull, marbled surface. If you are just one degree off, the process must be started again.

Begin by heating the chocolate over a hot water bath to 50. This must be done carefully because the bowl is hotter than the chocolate inside. If the temperature inside is 50, it will continue to climb because the bowl is still hot. It’s best to remove the chocolate once it reaches 47 since the temperature will continue to climb.

Now the chocolate must be cooled to 27. This can be done in two ways: one, place the bowl in an ice bath and stir until the chocolate begins to seize and the temperature drops, or two, the chocolate can be tabler (or tabled). Or of course you can buy a machine to do everything for you. But hey, we’re in school, so we get to make it by hand.

Cooling chocolate using an ice bath is fairly straightforward. Just set the bowl in the water and stir while the temperature drops. However, you need to be very careful because if any water gets into the chocolate, you’ll have to toss it in the poubelle (garbage can). Water is the ultimate enemy when tempering and just one tiny drop can wreak all sorts of damage.

Tabling the chocolate is the preferred method of most chocolatiers (if they don’t have a nifty machine). It’s more complicated, not to mention extremely messy. Once the chocolate is melted, remove it from the hot water bath and pour 2/3 of it on a marble countertop. Using a paint scraper and a pallet knife, smooth out the chocolate and then scrape the edges into the middle. This is done over and over until the chocolate begins to cool and harden. Just before it’s completely hard, scrape the cold chocolate back into the bowl with the still warm chocolate and mix the two together. The temperature should be between 25 – 27 degrees.

Now it’s time to heat the chocolate up just slightly until the working temperature – 30 degrees – is reached. Place the chocolate bowl over a hot water bath for about 15 seconds. The water will heat up the bowl and in turn, melt the chocolate. But again, you need to be careful. Because the bowl is always hotter (or in some cases colder) than the chocolate, don’t wait for the temperature inside the bowl to reach 30. If it does, you might as well begin again because your chocolate will keep heating and not be properly tempered.

Once you’ve reached this stage, it’s time for the fun stuff. The chocolate can now be used to mold individual chocolates, spread on plastic and cut into shapes, brushed on the inside of containers to make sculptures, or any number of possibilities. My favorite is painting the inside of individual chocolate molds with color, putting down a layer of chocolate and then filling them with yummy things like caramel. I plan to make several batches for Christmas, so you better be nice!

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