Chocolate: Tempering, Melting, and Dipping

Unless otherwise noted, always use pure chocolate when preparing the recipes calling for chocolate in this cookbook. When I say 8 ounces (227g) of chocolate, I do not mean chocolate chips, which are designed NOT to melt so they can hold their shape in chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate I am referring to is pure chocolate sold in bar form. The brands I prefer are Baker’s and Ghirardelli®. These bars are sold in 4-ounce (113g) quantities and can be found in the baking aisle of major grocery stores. If you can swing it, use Scharffen Berger or Lindt Excellence bars. I also like to use Pound Plus bars from Trader Joe’s®. Wonderful for the price, each Pound Plus bar is, you guessed it, a little over a pound (454g).