Candy Making

How to temper chocolate

Need to temper chocolate? Help is at hand! Believe it or not, the fear of tempering chocolate is quite common. But it can actually be fun. I always thought tempering chocolate would be a daunting task – and really tried to avoid it. Recently I saw a segment on the Food Network on how to temper chocolate. Now, I’m all in to tempering! It's actually fun! There are so many recipes which really rise to the next level, simply by using a good quality chocolate and tempering it. I’ve been a home cook and part time caterer for years, so I found many of The Food Network shows fun to watch and also got many good recipe ideas. Alton Brown has always been the most interesting, because he gave scientific facts about the food you cook and eat... and what actually happens, scientifically, to the food during preparation. Over the years, Alton has played many a roll on the Food Network, but his “Good Eats” show has remained popular and entertaining, as well as informative, to this day. Who knows how many years it’s been on, and yes, how many reruns we’ve endured, but, he’s given us many interesting and important scientific facts about the food we eat. Alton has several interesting “side-kicks” on his show. One he refers to as “W” is a well versed but impatient kitchen store employee who finds Alton totally exasperating because he searches for kitchen implements which are (as he put it) “multi-taskers”. In other words, he wants a pot or pan which will have more than one use in the kitchen! The other side-kick, known as “Shirley” is an actual food scientist who explains reasons for the action and re-action you get when you mix ingredients or substances. I happened to be watching a “Good Eats” show recently and the subject “WHY TEMPER CHOCOLATE?” came up. It was Shirley’s job to explain exactly what happens when you temper chocolate and why it has to be done a certain way and maintain an exact temperature to be successful. I thought it would be interesting to pass this along to you and hopefully you’ll find it both interesting and helpful the next time you're working with chocolate.

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Chocolate candy recipes using Sephra Chocolate Melts

Sephra chocolate melts are not only perfect for making delicious treats like chocolate covered strawberries, but are also ideal for making fun chocolate candy delights in a variety of kid-friendly shapes. That's why Sephra suggests Wilton candy molds that make it easy to turn Sephra chocolate melts into race cars or heart lollipops whenever the mood strikes! Why Choose Sephra Chocolate Melts for Candy-Making

Sephra chocolate melts are available in dark, milk or white chocolate so that everyone’s cravings can be satisfied. Sephra chocolate melts are made using vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter and cocoa powder in lieu of chocolate liquor. This special combination enables them to harden quickly, ensuring your chocolate candy looks professional and tastes delectable!
Sephra chocolate melts are cost-efficient, meaning you no longer need to pay a fortune to produce professional-looking chocolate candy at home. Your guests might have difficulty believing that you didn’t purchase the chocolate candy from a high-end chocolate shop, and they will definitely be surprised to learn how economical Sephra chocolate melts really are.
Better yet, Sephra chocolate melts are microwave-safe, or they can be melted over the stove.
Of course, they can also be placed into a Sephra chocolate fountain for everyone to enjoy making chocolate candy using dipping treats. Sephra chocolate melts harden quickly around dipping treats, including fruit like fresh strawberries or orange slices, baked goods like blondie bites, and confections like marshmallows or meringues.
Sephra Chocolate Melts: Making Kid-Approved Candy
If you want to give a child the best birthday party around, then add Sephra chocolate melts to your birthday supply list. You can then create a variety of fun chocolate candy that not only looks great, but tastes delicious too!
Lots of candy molds avaliable which include race cars, smiley faces, butterflies, flowers, hearts and also letters and numbers so you can spell out the name of the birthday boy or girl in delicious Sephra chocolate. You can transform any of the candy molds into lollipops, or you can simply arrange the chocolate candy on serving dishes and watch them disappear into the mouths of happy children.
Sephra chocolate melts were also designed to use in Sephra chocolate fountains. You can let kids have fun dipping treats during the party and watching the chocolate harden to a shiny finish.
Sephra chocolate melts means endless fun for kids and adults alike. Sephra chocolate melts make dipping treats extra fun and ensures that anyone can make chocolate candy which rivals store-bought specialty candy. Sephra chocolate melts not only yield perfectly hardened chocolate coating, but taste as delicious as it looks!

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Compound Chocolate: What are Chocolate Melts?

What are chocolate melts? We receive many inquiries each day regarding the differences between couverture chocolate and compound coating. Simply put, Compound chocolate uses vegetable fats in place of the cocoa butter used to make 'real' chocolate. Given the common reference to both as 'chocolate,' it is important to make the distinction between 'real' chocolate and chocolate melts. In this article, we will highlight the unique characteristics of chocolate melts and their most suitable applications. [caption id="attachment_3153" align="aligncenter" width="1675"]

Key Differences between Couverture and Compound Chocolate[/caption]

Defining Compound Chocolate

 

Understanding Chocolate Regulations

  The FDA stipulates that to bear the label “chocolate,” the product's fat must derive solely from cocoa butter and dairy fat. This ensures that 'real' chocolate possesses the distinctive “melt-in-your-mouth” sensation due to cocoa butter's unique melting point. By U.S. standards, only products with cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and dairy fat earn the chocolate title. However, the European Union's regulations diverge, allowing up to 5% of alternate vegetable fats in genuine chocolate.  

The Lowdown on Compound Chocolate

  Compound Chocolate stands apart, opting for vegetable fats over cocoa butter. Frequently employed fats include the semi-solid varieties like coconut oil and palm kernel oil. This choice significantly reduces costs since vegetable fats come cheaper than cocoa butter. Notably, compound chocolate requires no tempering, sidestepping challenges like fat bloom, which mars the appearance of untempered true chocolate. Despite these advantages, it doesn’t mirror the lustrous finish of genuine, tempered chocolate. Compound chocolates share a foundational recipe: cocoa solids, vegetable fats, and sweeteners. Milk varieties integrate milk solids, with some variants also including added flavors, colors, and essential emulsifiers to maintain consistency.  

White Chocolate vs. White Chocolate Coating

  In a twist, “White Chocolate” isn’t true chocolate, as it lacks cocoa solids. Instead, a "White Chocolate coating" comprises sugar, vegetable fat, milk, whey, emulsifiers, and flavorings. Primarily, chocolate melts are presented in forms such as chips, melts, or discs, ensuring efficiency in packaging, marketing, transportation, and consumer application.  

Handling, Storage, Heating and Use of chocolate melts

  At a glance, chocolate melts bear a striking resemblance to genuine chocolate chips or discs. Please note that tempering isn't a requirement for compound chocolate. Additionally, their distinct texture differs from the coveted "mouth feel" true chocolate enthusiasts seek. This distinction arises because the fats in chocolate melts possess a notably higher melting threshold. For optimum storage, place chocolate melts in an environment that is both cool and devoid of moisture, steering clear of any extreme heat and dampness. A word to the wise: refraining from refrigerating or freezing both couverture and compound chocolates is imperative. Doing so risks condensation, leading to moisture infiltration, which can compromise the chocolate's integrity, making it gritty and uneven upon melting. Diving deeper into specifics, compound chocolate has a melting curve that's marginally elevated—about 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit—compared to couverture chocolate. This curve ranges from 103 to 108 degrees, peaking at 118 to 123 degrees Fahrenheit. Maintaining this temperature spectrum over a prolonged duration is feasible; however, periodic agitation is crucial to circumvent any charring or uneven heat distribution. If one employs the melts in a chocolate fountain, agitation becomes redundant. But, a caveat with couverture chocolate: the milk and white variations demand extra caution since their dairy elements render them susceptible to scalding under intense heat.  

Chocolate melts ingredients

 

Sugar

Sugar is a sweetener. It also adds texture and body to a recipe in which it is an ingredient. The word “Sugar” implies derivation from cane or beet sources.

Vegetable Fat

Replaces the cocoa butter used in couverture chocolate. The substitution of vegetable fat for cocoa butter results in a considerable cost savings. Vegetable fats used may include coconut oil and palm kernel oil.

Cocoa

The cacao tree produces a dried, partially fermented seed essential for chocolate making. Cocoa is a robust powder, obtained by grinding these seeds and separating the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter solids.

Milk Powder

This is the “milk” component in milk chocolate melts and a primary ingredient in white coating chocolate. This is an animal product with implications for those with milk protein allergies, vegans and vegetarians.

Soy Lecithin

Used commercially in products requiring a natural emulsifier and/or lubricant. Lecithin is the emulsifier that keeps cocoa and cocoa butter in a candy bar from separating.

Vanilla

Vanilla is a generic term describing the flavor essence associated with the pod of certain orchids of the genus vanilla.  

Uses of Chocolate Melts

  Compound chocolate is a favorite in the chocolate world, especially for molding candies. Its affordability and ability to set without the need for tempering make it a top pick for hobbyist chocolatiers. While its flavor might not match true chocolate's richness, its taste remains appealing. In chocolate fountains, compound chocolate stands as a viable alternative to couverture chocolate, offering notable cost savings for businesses like catering services and restaurants. Its use mirrors that of couverture chocolate. For confectioners and bakers dipping items, such as strawberries or cookies in chocolate, compound chocolate is the go-to. It's unique in that it hardens into a shell at room temperature, eliminating the need for tempering. However, in baking, it doesn’t retain its shape like commercial chocolate chips designed to withstand oven temperatures.  

Sephra Chocolate Melts

  Sephra coined the phrase "chocolate melts" for our compound coating range. Both to distinguish them from our Belgian and Premium couverture chocolate ranges, and to highlight their perfect suitability for use in chocolate fountains, candy-making and dipping. You can taste the difference yourself over at our website - sephrausa.com

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Peanut Butter Eggs

Even the Easter Bunny doesn't have eggs this good!

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups peanut butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ cups Sephra Belgian Dark Chocolate, melted
 

Preparation

Combine the first four ingredients in a mixer until thoroughly mixed. Roll by hand into egg shapes. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Dip eggs in melted chocolate and then roll in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or coconut. Chill the finished eggs on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper until firm. A Twist: Personalize the eggs by decorating them as a family or with a group. Decorate them with your guests’ names to use as place markers.

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Chocolate Fondue Recipes - Chocolate Dipped…Vegetables?

Perhaps parents will find a new way to get their kids to eat their veggies…by dipping them in chocolate! Chocolate chefs continue to push boundaries and create new chocolate delights using food most people would never associate with chocolate. Read on to see if you’re willing to try chocolate dipped vegetables.

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Easy Fudge Recipe - A Delectable Holiday Tradition

So... the holidays are all about fudge. Am I right? If you don't have a good fudge recipe - you do now. Get the tradition started!

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Recipe: White Chocolate Bark with Toasted Pecans

There's nothing better than a homemade gift – especially if it contains our White Chocolate Bark with Toasted Pecans.

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