We turn to Belgian chocolatier, Benoit Nicolay, for a guide to making truffles, bars, and more.
Everybody loves chocolates, but only a few attempt to make their own. As Benoit Nicolay shows you, it's actually not so hard to do.
What You'll Need:
Chocolate thermometer It can be any kind of thermometer but ideally, its temperature range should reach only 55șC or 130șF to get an accurate reading.
Weighing scale This is used for weighing chocolate for melting, as well as other ingredients to be added into chocolate.
Silicone or rubber spatula Used for mixing chocolate to evenly distribute heat and allow you to melt the rest of the chocolates. A silicone spatula is a practical buy because it can withstand intense heat and can be used on top of a stove.
Chocolate dipping tools Used for making pralines or truffles, and coating anything in chocolate. The dipping fork makes draining excess chocolate easy to get that perfect coating.
The best chocolates Couverture, with at least 32 percent cocoa butter, is the best atype of chocolate for making candy. Some chocolate manufacturers sell chocolate in the form of chips or coins, for easier melting. When you buy a block of chocolate, make sure to chop it into even tiny bits before melting.
Belcolade Easy Temper Starter Kit This kit contains everything you need to make chocolates from scratch—a mixing bowl, an instant-read thermometer, different kinds of chocolates, cocoa butter, a temperature guide, a recipe book, and so much more. All you need is a microwave or a double boiler and you’re all set!
Tempering Chocolate
Here’s the secret: Working with chocolate is all about achieving the right temperature. Most people think that making chocolate just involves melting the chocolate pieces, pouring it into molds, and cooling it, but that’s not all. Learn to temper chocolate correctly and you’ll have glossy, nicely textured chocolate that breaks with that signature snap. Tempering also extends the shelf life of the product you make.
Step 1: Melt chocolate
Melting chocolate can be done in two ways, either through a double boiler or a microwave. If you’re using the first method, remember that the water should never touch the bottom of the bowl and it should stay at a simmer; any hotter and it will scorch the chocolate. Also, be careful not to get even a drop of water into the bowl of chocolate. Water is chocolate’s worst enemy since chocolate contains fat. Melting by microwave? Nicolay warns that you should never melt chocolate on full power. The ideal microwave to use is that with a power of 800 watts. If your microwave has a higher wattage, use only 60 percent power and melt chocolates for 1 minute first. Check the chocolates then continue cooking in increments of 30 seconds until only a few pieces of unmelted chocolate remain. At this point, stop using the microwave and use the rubber spatula to stir the mixture. This distributes heat evenly so that the remaining chocolate pieces melt.
Step 2: Check the temperature
Once chocolates have melted, check whether they have reached the ideal melting temperature. (See temperature guide for the complete list of melting, working and cooling temperature of different kinds of chocolates.) If they haven’t, bring the temperature up by reheating in the microwave or by blasting with a hair dryer. It is better to be under the working temperature range rather than over because it is easier to bring the temperature up with the aforementioned process. Be careful not to go over, because once you do, you have to add unmelted chocolate into the mixture and repeat the whole melting process all over again.
Step 3: Add flavors
Add cocoa butter, flavorings, and ingredients and stir until chocolate reaches the ideal working temperature. Check the temperature with a thermometer every once in a while. Keep the temperature constant by placing the bowl on a pan filled with warm water or by using a warming machine if you have one.
Easy Temper
For beginners (or for experts who just want an easy alternative), Nicolay highly recommends Belcolade’s Easy Temper Starter Kit, made specially for amateur chocolatiers. He demonstrates how easy it is to temper chocolates and come up with perfectly delicious creations using
this complete kit.
1 Check the temperature of the room. Ideally, you should be working in a cold room.Wave the thermometer in the air to get an accurate temperature reading. Do this twice or thrice.
2 Use the chocolate temperature guide to find out what temperature you need to heat the chocolate to. At this point, you also have to decide how much chocolate you would like to use.
3 Set microwave at 60 percent power for 2 minutes. After 1 minute, bring out bowl to check if chocolates have begun melting. Stir to distribute heat. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to stir, never a whisk or a wooden spoon.
4 Check every 30 seconds if the chocolate has melted. When half of the chocolates has melted, take out the bowl from the microwave and start stirring to melt the rest of the batch.
5 Check the temperature of the chocolate. Move the thermometer inside the bowl so you can check its temperature accurately. Place the bowl back in the microwave until desired temperature is reached.
6 Add cocoa butter, then bring down chocolate to the ideal working temperature by continuously stirring it. Check the temperature once in a while to make sure you do not exceed the ideal range.
Quick Temper Guide
Dark Chocolate Milk Chocolate White Chocolate
Melting 45șC to 50șC 45șC to 50șC 40șC to 45șC
Working 31șC to 32șC 29șC to 30șC 29șC to 30șC
Cooling 27șC to 28șC 25șC to 26șC 25șC to 26șC
Home chocolatier’s directory
Where to buy chocolate ingredients, tools, and equipment
Sweetcraft
373 Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City (tel. no.: 532-1595)
Chocolate Lover
45 P. Tuazon Blvd. corner C. Benitez St., Cubao, Quezon City (tel. nos.: 724-4964, 724-5752, 411-7474)
Cooks Exchange
G/F Crossings Department Store, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong City (tel. no.: 635-4410); G/F SM Megamall Building A, Mandaluyong City (tel. no.: 634-4325); 3/L Glorietta IV, Ayala Center, Makati City; LG/F Power Plant, Rockwell Center, Makati City (tel. no.: 898-0926)
Gourdo’s
The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (tel nos.: 887-5007, 845-1700); U/L The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan (tel. no.: 744-3087); Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City (tel. no.: 913-2991); 3/L Glorietta IV, Makati City (tel. no.: 757-5771); Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City (850-6437); www.gourdos.com
Puratos Philippines, Inc. (Manufacturer and distributor of Belcolade chocolates)
Mangosteen Street corner DBP Avenue, FTI Complex, Taguig City (tel. nos.: 838-5110 to 15); www.puratos.com
