All About Chocolate - Cooking Tips

Title:
All About Chocolate - Cooking Tips

Yield:
1 Servings

Categories:
Chocolate




Ingredients:









   MELTING CHOCOLATE


 


   Chocolate scorches easily, so always melt it over hot - not boiling -


 water.  It is best to use a double boiler, but you can improvise by using
a


 c  or bowl in a small saucepan over very gentle heat. The water must be


 kept below simmering to prevent steam from curling up and hitting the


 chocolate. If steam gets into the melted chocolate it will immediately


 thicken the mixture to a stiff mass. If this does happen, however, you can


 rescue the chocolate by softening it again. To do this, add 1-2 tb of


 vegetable shortening (never use butter as it contains moisture which will


 cause the chocolate stiffen even more!) to the chocolate and stir


 vigorously.  You can also melt chocolate directly over very low heat in a


 heavy gauge saucepan, but you must watch the mixture carefully.


 


   HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CURLS


 


   Use a vegetable peeler with a long narrow blade and a chunk or bar of


 chocolate.  Warm chocolate and blade slightly. Be sure your peeler is


 absolutely dry. Draw the peeler along the smooth surface of the chocolate.


 


 HOW TO GRATE CHOCOLATE


 


   Be sure that the block of chocolate is cool and firm. Grate on hand


 grater, cleaning the grater often so that the chocolate doesn't clog the


 surface of the blade. You cn use a blender, but be sure to cut the


 chocolate into sm pieces first.


 


 HOW TO STORE CHOCOLATE


 


   Chocolate should be stored in a cool, dry place at a temperature of about


 60F. If the chocolate becomes too warm, the cocoa butter rises to the


 surface and forms a dusty gray film known as "bloom." This "bloom" is not


 harmful and, once the chocolate is melted, it returns to its natural rich


 brown color.  If you do store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer,


 take in out and let it stand until it returns to room temperature before


 you use it in a recipe. Chocolate is very sensitive to sudden changes of


 temperature and you will not get the best results if you do not treat it


 with respect.


 


 Origin: Farm Journal's Choice Chocolate Recipes Posted in COOKING by:


 Sharon Stevens 8/10/93


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini