Tempering chocolate

The tempering process is used when chocolate is being melted to use as a decoration or finishing touch, for example coating little cakes or dipping fruit or nuts into chocolate. It gives a shiny, professional finish. Without tempering, melted chocolate may well end up with a grainy or chalky finish. Tempering means melting the chocolate very carefully to a specific temperature, cooling it and reheating, so that the right kind of crystals predominate in the mixture, which gives it the glossy, smooth finish.