How to Melt Chocolate

You are reading the recipe and it calls for melted chocolate.  What is the best way to achieve this?  It’s not as difficult as you may think.

The first thing to learn is that not all chocolate melts the same.  Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate can be heated a little longer than milk and white chocolate.  This is because milk chocolate contains milk and white chocolate contains milk powder which can scorch easily.

It is believed that white chocolate is not chocolate at all.  Real chocolate must contain cocoa solids.  White chocolate contains cocoa butter.  Do not confuse white chocolate with white confectionery coating, which has other vegetable fats in it along with the cocoa butter that give it a more bland taste.

There are a couple of different ways to go about melting chocolate for your recipe.  One way is to use a double-boiler.  A double-boiler is like two saucepans in one.  The bottom pan is filled with a small amount of water.  The top pan is where you put the chocolate.  Make sure the water in the bottom never touches the top pan with the chocolate in it, or it could overheat.  To melt the chocolate faster, it is recommended that your chocolate be chopped up into small pieces before adding it.   Next, you should keep the water at a slow simmer.  Never cover the pan with a lid or you could risk condensation dripping in the chocolate.    Just one drop of water will cause the melted chocolate to seize or turn grainy and clumpy.  Stir the chocolate frequently as it is melting.  Wooden spoons are not recommended because they could hold moisture in them.  Only heat the chocolate until it is completely melted, then use immediately.

A much quicker way to melt chocolate is by using the microwave. The important thing to remember is to always use a microwave-safe bowl.  Bowls that are not microwave-safe will get much hotter and could overheat the chocolate.  If you microwave on high heat you will need to watch the amount of time you set it for.  Place the bowl of chopped chocolate pieces in the microwave and  heat for 1 minute.  Stir the chocolate and heat for 20-30 second intervals, stirring between each one, until the chocolate has melted.  Chocolate will usually retain its shape when melting, so the only way to know if it’s melted is by stirring it.  A lot of people think that when you melt chocolate it will look very runny.  The consistency is more like soft pudding.  If you are using the melted chocolate for dipping it may start to thicken up as it is cooling.  You can place the chocolate back in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to bring it back to the softer consistency.

Melting Chocolate with Liquids

Some recipes will ask you to melt the chocolate with liquids added, such as milk, cream, liqueur, or water.  Using liquids will help the chocolate to melt faster and help to keep it from overheating.  The amount of liquid used is very important.  Small amounts of liquid could cause the chocolate to seize, so you should use at least 1 Tablespoon of liquid for every 2 ounces of chocolate.   All of the liquid should be slightly warm and added all at once.   This will prevent the dry particles in the chocolate from binding together.

Why Does Chocolate Seize

Chocolate is a combination of cocoa butter, and dry particles from the sugar and cocoa.  When melted chocolate comes in contact with even just one drop of water, the dry particles become moist and turn into a clumpy mess.  The chocolate is no longer smooth and silky, but grainy and thick.  It is possible to fix  seized chocolate enough to be used in a recipe calling for melted chocolate.   Just stir in 1 Tablespoon of vegetable shortening for every 6 ounces of melted chocolate.  This will make it usable for adding to a recipe.

You can learn a lot more about chocolate from candy.about.com under "Everything You Need to Know About Chocolate."   Remember, just about anything tastes better if you dip it in chocolate!

Happy melting,

Pam