This is part two of my first hands-on exercise for Ecole Chocolat. Previously I tempered the chocolate by hand using the tabliering method. This method is called the seed method, and involves using properly tempered chocolate as seed crystals for a mass of untempered chocolate. As before, the exercise starts with melting the chocolate in a double boiler.

I used the chocolate from the previous exercise. Notice that some of it has bloom on it – this means that my chocolate was knocked out of temper when I left it to cool as a mass, likely due to residual heat within the thick mass. No big deal, as long as the chocolate isn’t burned due to excessive temperatures and hasn’t been exposed to water or steam (which will cause it to seize) and doesn’t have any other ingredients in it, it can be re-tempered over and over.

I’m using Amano Ocumare as my bulk chocolate, and just to be safe, I’m using chocolate direct from the manufacturer as my seed chocolate – since there’s no question it’s been properly tempered. Amano just announced they’re about to run out of Ocumare stock for a while, so I ordered another kilo just to be safe. It’s great chocolate and will definitely get used up.

I used 2.25 pounds of chocolate for melting, then set aside another 25% of my total mass (3 lbs) seed for tempering. I just used the discs as is from the manufacturer, but I think I probably would have had a better result if I would have grated the chocolate first. I didn’t feel like grating a bunch of chocolate, though! Here’s my 3/4 pound of seed chocolate.

Once my chocolate mass melted to 110 degrees, I took it off heat, began stirring, and started to slowly add the seed chocolate a bit at a time. This brings the temperature down, and introducing the tempered chocolate helps form the desired V Form crystals.

It took a while to get the temperature down to 88-90 degrees, and I had a couple of stubborn chunks of seed chocolate that wouldn’t completely melt. This is where the grated chocolate would have given me a better result. I didn’t use all of my seed chocolate – I ended up using about 2/3 of it. Once I brought the temperature down to 88-90 degrees, my assignment was to hold the temper for 20 minutes. This involved constant stirring and monitoring the temperature. If the temperature started to drop too much, I just put it over the simmering water for a short time.

I took samples of the chocolate at four intervals. Sample one is untempered chocolate, from the 110 degree mass. The result is dull and it doesn’t break with a snap. Test two was taken as soon as the chocolate hit 88 degrees. Samples three and four were taken in ten minute intervals as a test to see if I was holding the temper for 20 minutes.

The last three samples turned out beautifully. Very shiny and they break with a good snap. All three look the same. Once I’m done, I spread the chocolate out on parchment to cool.

This is an example of a broker temper. The bloom on there is an indication that residual heat from the thick mass broke the temper. Notice that on the edge, where the mass is thinner, the chocolate is shiny and still in temper. This isn’t a big deal, the chocolate will be re-tempered again and it isn’t an unusual problem. Of course I’d love it if my chocolate came out in a beautiful shiny tempered blob, but I’m happy with the outcome anyway.

This method of tempering is less complicated and easier than tabliering, but can be less reliable. I think my results turned out better than in the tabliering method, though.

My current project is learning how to make chocolates. I’m taking an online course that I’ve been thinking about for several years. It’s called Ecole Chocolat, and it has a great reputation. It’s geared towards people who want to make chocolates for a living. I might like that, but I’m sure the drop in income wouldn’t be something I like. Making chocolates seems kind of technical – which is probably why I like baking, I’m technically minded.

My first hands-on assignment was to learn to hand-temper chocolate. There are two methods, and I’ll cover the first one here – tabliering. This is the classic French method and I didn’t get it right on the first try.

At this point, I’ve already learned quite a bit about making chocolates – sourcing bulk chocolate was fun and interesting, and so was learning about the equipment I’d need. I settled on a terrific chocolate from Amano Chocolate, their Ocumare 70%. It was recommended to me by one of the best chocolatiers I’ve ever visited, Chris Blue of Chocolatier Blue. Chris’s chocolates are outstanding.

The first step was to melt three pounds of the bulk chocolate. I used a double boiler to melt the chocolate.

It didn’t take long to melt the chocolate. My first attempt, I wasn’t paying enough attention and let the chocolate get up to 130 degrees instead of the recommended 110. I was worried that I had ruined the chocolate for tempering, but my online tutor assured me that as long as it didn’t look or smell burned, it’s fine to re-use. It can always be re-used as ganache, anyway.

Heating the chocolate to this point destroys all of the crystals, so now the chocolate has to be re-tempered. Why go through this when the chocolate comes from the manufacturer already tempered? Because in order to use the chocolate in a mold, it has to be melted. But melting the chocolate destroys the cocoa butter crystals required for tempered chocolate (called V form crystals). Tempered chocolate is shiny and has a nice snap. I set aside a small sample of the chocolate at 110 degrees.

Next, I ladled out about 2/3 of the chocolate onto my granite slab. Granite works well because it’s got a smooth surface and a cool temperature.

Working quickly, I began to stir the chocolate. The agitation is important in the formation of the V form crystals. I used a pallet knife to stir, all the while checking the surface temperature of the chocolate. I found that using an infrared thermometer works great for this – the temperature reading is accurate since the chocolate is constantly being stirred, and pointing a thermometer is much easier that sticking a probe into a thin layer of chocolate.

For my first attempt, I got to this point and let the chocolate get too cold. It thickens as it cools to 79-80 degrees. At this point, the chocolate is tempered but the temper needs to be maintained in order to use it in molds. To do this, the temperature is brought up slightly, destroying any of the unwanted crystals that have formed.

But I let the chocolate mass get even cooler, and it started to clump up. I took another sample at this point, but shortly realized that I wasn’t fast enough and had to start over by re-melting the chocolate. The second time around, as soon as the chocolate hit 80 degrees, I quickly set aside a sample, put the chocolate into a warm metal bowl, and brought it back up to 89-90 degrees using small amounts of the still-warm chocolate on the double boiler. I set aside samples again after 10 minutes and then 20 minutes, to check to see that I had maintained the temper.

Success! My second Test 2 sample turned out beautifully. My checks at 10 and then 20 minutes also turned out nice, maybe not quite as shiny as the first. What I learned is that hand tempering is a delicate balancing act, takes a lot of attention and coordination, and makes me want a tempering machine! The last step is to spread the blob out on to parchment paper to cool off, for use in the next assignment.

I had hoped that the mass was thin enough and in perfect temper. I added the rest of the leftover warmed chocolate, so I’m sure that didn’t help – the residual heat plus the thickness of the blob caused unwanted crystals to form, and my chocolate was no longer perfectly tempered. It’s still got a nice snap, but it’s formed a grey bloom in some areas. No matter, it will be melted down again soon.