How to melt chocolate the dos and don'ts.
Melting chocolate over a pan.
- Place the broken pieces of chocolate into a glass bowl and place it on top of a simmering saucepan of water (not in the saucepan) and melt on a moderate heat for 2-3 minutes. The heat created from the water and steam below will cause the chocolate to melt. (Using this method is also known as using a Double Boiler or Bain Marie).
Don't put a lid on the glass bowl as this will cause condensation, the water will then drip into your chocolate, and it will seize.
Melting chocolate in the microwave
- Break the chocolate into chunks, place in a microwaveable bowl (ensure the bowl is thoroughly dry before using it) and melt on 30-second intervals stirring each time.
Don't - melt on high power for a few minutes without checking it otherwise; it may burn.
What to do with Burned chocolate.
- If you burn the chocolate, then bin it, as it will have an awful taste and cannot be rescued.
How to melt white chocolate.
- This has a different melting point to the other types of chocolate as it doesn't contain any cocoa solids. Therefore, the best way to melt it is over a pan of water; that way you can visually control how much heat and time is needed to melt it.
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