How to Temper Chocolate in the Microwave
If you've ever struggled to get glossy, streak-free, snappy, perfectly tempered chocolate, learn this quick and easy method for how to temper chocolate in the microwave WITHOUT a thermometer!
Servings 1 lb melted chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 1b pure chocolate dark, milk, or white chocolate
Instructions
- Coarsely chop 3/4 of the chocolate, and very finely chop the remaining 1/4.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the coarsely chopped chocolate only.
- With the microwave on full power, beginning with one or two 30 second bursts, begin melting the chocolate, stirring after each burst. Continue melting in 10-15 second bursts until the chocolate is about 70% melted.
- Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth. If this is taking a very long time, give it another 5 second burst in the microwave.
- Add half of the finely chopped chocolate to the melted chocolate, and stir vigorously until it is fully melted and smooth. Continue to add chocolate, about 2 tablespoons at a time, and stirring, until you see that the chocolate is starting to take a long time to melt.
- Keep stirring the melted chocolate vigorously for about 4-5 minutes. Dip the back of a metal spoon into the chocolate, place it on the counter top and give it 4-5 minutes to set up. If the chocolate sets ups with a smooth, beautiful shine, and no streaks, it is tempered and ready to use.
- If the chocolate is not even beginning to set, keep stirring, even adding a little more finely chopped chocolate, and test again. Your chocolate is ready when it sets up hard, shiny, and streak-free in just a few minutes.
Video
Notes
*Because of the greater amount of control you have over the melting, which prevents overheating, I find the microwave method allows you to temper chocolate in much smaller quantities than other methods do. I regularly temper an amount as small as 4 ounces when I just want to drizzle some biscotti, or make a few cake decorations.
*The post above contains plenty of tips and tricks for tempering chocolate, and I highly recommend giving it a read before proceeding!