When you order chocolates online for desserts it is often necessary to melt it before hand to achieve the textures you want in your confection. There are some tricks to melting chocolate that you need to be aware of before you begin. It is a bit of a delicate process because chocolate burns easily over direct flame.

Not enough good things can be said about mixing chocolate and baked goods. Chocolate adds very distinct flavors and can really elevate your creations from good to fantastic! Working with melted chocolate can sound really tricky and intimidating. In fact, when I first started baking it was one of the things that intimidated me the most! Despite what you may hear, chocolate is not nearly as difficult to work with as you may think. There are two really easy ways to melt chocolate and we will look at each one below.

Melting chocolate with double-boiler method

Before melting any chocolate, it is important the chocolate be cut or chopped into small pieces. This will help it melt more quickly and uniformly. It is possible to buy an expensive double-boiling pan. However, you can easily save the money and make one yourself if you have a bowl and saucepan.

To create a double-boiler, place chopped chocolate (and any necessary shortening) in a glass or metal heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl on a saucepan containing about 1-inch of hot, not simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Melted chocolate should not be heated over 120 degrees. The chocolate can burn if heated any higher or may turn grainy and/or lumpy. Always remember that chocolate has a melting point that lies between 30 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

As the chocolate begins melting, use a plastic or rubber spoon/spatula to frequently stir the chocolate. Once itmelts fully, remove the bowl from the pan and place it on the counter on a potholder or hot plate. Water is one of chocolate's greatest enemies. You should be careful when using the double-boiler method. Do not at any instance sllow any water drops to fall in the bowl. Water mixing with chocolate makes the chocolate to seize and be useless in the long run.

Melting chocolate with a microwave.

Chop the chocolate into small finer pieces. Place the chooped pieces in a glass microwave safe bowl. Ensure that the microwave is set at half power or defrost level to prvent the chocolate from burning. Cooking in cycles of 30 seconds, stir the mmixture with a spatula after each and every spurt. Do this repeatedly till the chocolotae melts fully. With this method it is hard to see if chocolate is actually melted because it still might retain a shape, the inside might be done but the outside just needs to catch up, so beware!

It will take you a bit of practice to fully understand these two main methods of melting chocolate down. But once you do you can then create all kinds of exotic desserts and treats for friends and family. Dedicate time to buy chocolates online. There are countless ways to utilize melted chocolate; most cookbooks have at least a few recipes. Soon you will be a professional chocolatier making all kinds of amazing confections to indulge in amazing chocolate tasting experience or preparing the best chocolate birthday cake.