Beyond Wonderful Barbara Adams: How To Melt Chocolate, Learn to Cook, Cooking Tips for Beginners and Advanced Cooks

HOW TO
Melt Chocolate

I prefer melting chocolate in the microwave because it’s less risky, but I’ve also included instructions for the double boiler here as well. Always chop chocolate appropriately before melting, and heat it gently and slowly to prevent scorching. Use extra care with white and milk chocolate, which are much more fragile than dark.

		Microwave
		1. Use medium or high power for dark chocolate, low power for milk or white chocolate. Place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 30-second intervals, stirring after each. (If you are melting a very small quantity of chocolate—one ounce or less—reduce the cooking time to 15-second intervals.)

		2. Remove the chocolate from the microwave when it is mostly, but not completely, melted. Stir gently until smooth, allowing the residual heat of the chocolate to dissolve any remaining lumps.
		Double-Boiler
		The key to success here is preventing any contact between the chocolate and the water. Moisture causes chocolate to “seize” or lump up, rather than melting smoothly. 1. Fill the lower pan with a shallow depth of water. The upper pan should be warmed by rising steam, not by actual water contact. Place the chopped chocolate in the upper pan.

		2. Bring the water to a gentle simmer over low heat and melt the chocolate, stirring often with a dry utensil. Do not allow the water in the lower pan to boil, since steamy vapors can escape the pan and contaminate the chocolate above.

		3. When the chocolate is mostly, but not completely, melted, remove the upper pan from the stove. Stir the chocolate gently, allowing the residual heat to dissolve any remaining lumps.

		4. Before pouring the melted chocolate into another container, be sure to wipe the exterior of the pan dry to prevent water drips.

		Troubleshooting
		If your chocolate does “seize” or lump up, it can sometimes be restored by stirring a small amount of melted butter or vegetable oil into the warm chocolate. This may or may not work, depending on the volume of chocolate and the degree of seizing involved, but it’s worth a try.

		Unlike seized chocolate, scorched or burned chocolate cannot be restored, and should be thrown away. If you’re not sure which problem you’re dealing with, taste a bit of the chocolate. If the chocolate tastes good and the grainy lumps seem to dissolve on the tongue, it has seized. If it has a faint burnt flavor, or the grainy lumps will not dissolve, it is scorched.