Tempering Chocolate

Appears in
top 1000Hoppin John’s Lowcountry Cooking
Hoppin John’s Lowcountry Cooking

By John Martin Taylor

Published 1992

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Perfect chocolate candies and glazes are accomplished by tempering—heating and cooling the chocolate to precise temperatures. A pure chocolate (which may include cocoa butter, cocoa mass, milk, sugar, lecithin, vanilla or vanillin) should never be subjected to temperatures above 120°.

Over a simmering bain-marie (do not allow the water to boil), place a stainless-steel bowl containing a small amount of chocolate. Begin to stir immediately. Continue to add the rest of the chocolate to be tempered. When all of the chocolate is smoothly melted, remove the bowl from the bain-marie. Wipe any water off the bottom of the bowl before you approach your clean work surface—marble, a sheet tray free of any grease or water, or an enameled countertop. Pour half to three quarters of the chocolate onto the surface. Spread out with a spatula, occasionally bringing some chocolate up on the spatula to touch your lower lip, to test the temperature. When the chocolate first feels cool against your lip, it’s ready to be tempered. When first out of the bowl, it should be between 110° and 120°.