[Sca-cooks] chocolate temperer

[Gorgeous Muiredach]

>What is a "chocolate temperer"?
>
>I doubt it is a torch used to harden chocolate as you do steel...

A machine that keeps the tempered chocolate at the right temperature.  That
is, to work chocolae, you have to melt it, which separates the "molecules"
(from memory) of fat from sugar.  If the chocolate is just left to cool
down as is, it is likely to crystalize, hence leave the whiteish streaks
you see so often.  To temper the chocolate, you would melt it relatively
hot, then throw in unmelted chocolate and mix it in until it melted and
incorporated into the mass.  The "solid" chocolate stabilizes the melted
one, and a balance is struck, allowing chocolate to solidify without having
separated/crystalized.

This is a fairly easy, albeit tedious process, so when you do a lot of
chocolate, usualy you want to keep your chocolate tempered right, to work
at the right temperature, etc.

Chocolate temperer are expensive.

I once made one out of plywood, lights, aluminium foil and metal bowl.

Basically, make a box of 1/2" plywood, about 2 foot wide by 2 foot long,
and about 8" high.  In the middle, cut out a whole that will receive the
metal bowl in it so it's snug.  Before putting the "lid" on, mount two
light sockets in opposite corners.  Line everything witha  few layers of
aluminium foil (reflects heat).  Use 100 watt bulbs on each socket.  Once
your chocolate is tempered, you can use the heat of either one or both
bulbs to keep the chocolate at the right temp.  Stir the chocolate in the
bowl once in a while.

Works well.  Trick given me by a Meilleur Ouvrier de France - Chocolat :-)



Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd
Clan of Odds
Shire of Forthcastle, Meridies
mka Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" - J. Hockenberry