How to melt chocolate in a microwave, double boiler, or water bath. Melted chocolate for decorating cakes and desserts How to melt dark chocolate

Select chocolate to melt. In addition to the basic types of chocolate - bittersweet, semisweet, milk and white - you can melt whole chocolate bars, chocolate chips or discs of special melting chocolate. They can all be melted using the same basic methods. Keep this in mind when deciding which chocolate to buy:

Chocolate for melting can be purchased at specialized bakeries or confectioneries. This chocolate melts easier and can withstand higher temperatures than regular chocolate.
White chocolate is more finicky because high temperatures can make it dry and crumbly.
Unsweetened chocolate bars are also suitable for melting. Sugar can be added to taste after the chocolate is melted.

Keep chocolate away from water. Even one stray drop of water can cause the chocolate to harden, affecting its consistency or structure. This flawed chocolate will not melt evenly, no matter how long you stir it.

Once you've unwrapped your chocolate, place it in a dry bowl away from the sink or other sources of water.
No matter which method you choose to melt your chocolate, remember that even steam or condensation can ruin it.

Melt chocolate at low temperature. Too high a temperature can also damage the chocolate. Overheated chocolate can become dry and crumbly. To avoid this, make sure to always melt your chocolate slowly, at a low temperature, no matter what melting method you choose.
Use vegetable oil. Sometimes even defective chocolate can be saved from the trash can by adding a drop or two of vegetable oil.
- Stir the water-hardened chocolate with a little vegetable oil. If only a small amount of chocolate is affected, vegetable oil may help melt it.
- Stir the chocolate, which has hardened from excessive heat, with a small amount of vegetable oil. The oil should help restore moisture.
Prepare the foods you will be dipping in chocolate. After melting, the chocolate cools and hardens very quickly. Therefore, it is better to prepare all the products in advance so that you can start dipping them into chocolate as quickly as possible.
- Make sure the fruits you use are already washed and dried. Wet pieces of fruit may cause the chocolate to harden; Make sure to thoroughly dry strawberries, blueberries and other freshly washed fruit pieces.
- Line a baking sheet with oiled or parchment paper. If you are dipping fruits and berries in chocolate, place them on this sheet. Once you've finished dipping your fruit into chocolate, place it in the refrigerator. The chocolate will not stick to the paper once it has cooled and hardened.

The easiest and fastest way to decorate homemade baked goods is to top them with delicious chocolate glaze. Compared to preparing creams and other confectionery coatings, this option will probably take the least amount of time, and will look and taste tempting and aromatic. However, even this simple process requires a competent approach, otherwise the culinary masterpiece may be spoiled. There are not many proven ways to melt chocolate. Each housewife chooses the one that is simpler and more pleasant for her personally and will bring maximum pleasure to her guests.

The taste of chocolate goes well with the vast majority of ingredients used in the production of desserts:

nuts;
ice cream;
fruits and berries, including dried;
coconut flakes,
marmalade;
different types of creams;
condensed milk, etc.

With such a variety of options, calling on your design skills to help, you will certainly create an inimitable chocolate miracle even from an ordinary gingerbread.

Which chocolate is better?

The easiest way to prepare glaze is to bring the finished chocolate bar to a liquid state. The main thing here is the correct choice of source material. After all, stores often sell sweet bars with minimal cocoa content, but with the presence of chemical and other additives, under the guise of chocolate. When melting such a product, even if you fully comply with the technology, you can get the most unexpected results, not to mention harm to health.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, you need to choose high-quality milk or dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In such cases, these ingredients appear in the first lines of the product composition.

It is necessary to avoid confectionery bars saturated with trans fats and sugar. In addition, even from high-quality chocolates, it is better not to take for melting those that contain nuts, raisins and other flavoring additives - unless as an experiment.

It must be taken into account that milk chocolate, when melted, will give the most flexible and manageable glaze. The dark chocolate mixture will harden extremely quickly and give a very dense surface. This is also convenient for molding decorative elements.

If this option does not suit you, add a couple of tablespoons of milk or cream to the chocolate when melting. A small piece of butter will also add softness and shine and prevent the glaze from burning, especially if you grease the bottom of the cooking vessel with it.

How to melt chocolate: basic methods

In the microwave

With the current massive presence of such an important achievement of technical progress as a microwave oven, the question of how to melt chocolate at home is resolved in no time. Here you don’t need to stand at the stove without taking your eyes off the boiling mass, when every second can be decisive.

It is enough to break the tiles, put the pieces in a glass or ceramic bowl and put them in full power mode for one minute. After this, mix well and return for another half a minute. You need to repeat this cycle three times to get a homogeneous mass.

There is an even simpler way: melt chocolate slices for two minutes in defrost mode. If after this there are small pieces in the mass, mix and turn on for another minute in the same mode.

The mixture from the microwave acquires a special consistency, ideal for forming chocolate decor of various shapes - flowers, leaves, letters, etc.

On the stove

The stove is always at hand, so any home confectioner should know how to properly melt chocolate on it. The main risk here is burning. To reduce it to a minimum, it is better to use a saucepan with a double bottom. Add a spoonful of butter or heavy cream to the broken chocolate and bring to a boil, stirring.

The main thing is to immediately remove from the heat, without allowing the mass to truly boil, otherwise you won’t get a homogeneous consistency.

In a water bath

Unlike melting on the stove, this method will protect the glaze from burning, but it will still require the utmost attention. Place a bowl of chocolate pieces and 20 g of butter in a deeper container with boiling water.

Throughout the melting time, the mass must be stirred, and as soon as it becomes homogeneous, remove from heat and use for its intended purpose.

How to make liquid chocolate glaze?

With milk

Milk-based chocolate glaze is considered the most delicate in taste. To prepare it you will need for one bar of chocolate: a quarter of a glass of milk, a tablespoon of sugar and a little butter to rub the bottom of the dish.

Pour milk into this bowl, add granulated sugar and gradually heat on a not too hot stove for 3-4 minutes until the sugar grains dissolve completely. When this happens, remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the chocolate melted in the microwave or water bath.

All that remains is to cool the resulting mass and use it for its intended purpose.

With sour cream

The glaze with the addition of sour cream is very plastic, creamy, with a barely noticeable sourness. The fattier the sour cream, the richer the taste, aroma and texture of the finished product.

Take 100 g of 20% sour cream, 100 g of dark chocolate, 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 35 g of cow butter.

We will chop the tiles into small pieces in advance. Place the cream and powder in a container, bring to a boil and remove from the stove. Now you need to pour in the chopped chocolate, wait for it to dissolve for three minutes, add the butter and mix well again. Then cool and apply in an even layer to the surface of the confectionery product.

Creamy chocolate glaze is respected by many culinary masters for the fact that it allows them to achieve the formation of spectacular drips on the surface of the dessert. It is prepared from 80 g of dark chocolate pieces, 40 g of heavy cream and the same amount of butter from them. All this needs to be melted in a water bath, stirring, until completely homogeneous.

Impeccable chocolate glaze looks very impressive even without additional decor: smooth, shiny, silky, eye-catching. It gives the surface of cakes and other baked goods perfect smoothness. This consistency can be achieved if a number of conditions are met.

Cream and butter must be added if your goal is a glossy shine to the glaze.
During the preparation process, the glaze should not be covered with a lid: droplets of condensation falling from the lid will disrupt the chocolate idyll.
Do not overheat the chocolate, otherwise the icing will be dull, dry, crumbly or lumpy. When melting the tiles, it is better to remove the mass from the heat a little earlier rather than later, even if there are small unmelted pieces in it - they will quickly dissolve with further stirring.
High-quality white chocolate can also be melted and used for enrobing purposes. But you should remember that it is more capricious than usual, so in this case it is better to abandon the stove and use a water bath. It must be remembered that white chocolate glaze hardens very quickly and forms a fragile surface, but the important advantage of this product is its mild taste and the ability to be painted in any color.
If you add pre-soaked gelatin (10 g per 100 g of mass) to a freshly brewed glaze that has not yet cooled down and mix thoroughly, you will get an incomparably shiny, mirror-like coating. Ideally, it should be applied to a frozen surface.

Conclusion

Chocolate icing is one of the basic means of decorating confectionery products. Cooked to perfection, it tastes and looks wonderful even on its own. Knowing how to melt chocolate, you already have the necessary minimum skills to prepare it.

Mother of two children. I have been running a house for more than 7 years - this is my main job. I like to experiment, I constantly try different means, methods, techniques that can make our life easier, more modern, more fulfilling. I love my family.

The history of chocolate goes back almost six centuries. Over hundreds of years, both the taste and appearance of chocolate have undergone dramatic changes.

Initially, it was a liquid mass with a bitter taste and incomparable aroma. A little later the taste became sweet and the chocolate became hard. Nowadays, chocolate has become the favorite delicacy of millions of people; it amazes with the variety of its types and forms.

What kind of chocolate is there?

Chocolate can be:

dairy;
bitter;
white;
diabetic;
powdery;
porous.

This is what we’ll talk about today about porous chocolate. Aerated chocolate can be milk, black (bitter) or white.

Milk aerated chocolate is made from cocoa beans, milk or dairy products, cocoa butter and sugar. Some varieties of aerated milk chocolate have filling and various additives in the form of puffed rice, nuts and dried fruits.

The history of the creation of aerated chocolate

How is aerated chocolate made, when did it appear, where did the idea to create such chocolate come from? We do not know the name of the creator, but the first aerated chocolate bars appeared almost simultaneously in Czechoslovakia and Great Britain. This happened in October 1935. The English chocolate bar was called "Aero", the Czech one - "Vista".

The first domestic porous chocolate appeared in 1967. The Red October factory then produced the Little Humpbacked Horse and Slava chocolates.

Technology for making porous chocolate.

How is aerated chocolate made? Undoubtedly, many of us wondered how these wonderful bubbles get inside the chocolate bar, which burst so pleasantly on the tongue and give those with a sweet tooth additional pleasure.

Each commodity producer has its own technological secrets.

Aerated chocolate is made on conventional production lines, since it is made from the same dessert mass as regular chocolate. The only difference is that these lines are additionally equipped with vacuum generators and special units located in the gap between the chocolate collector and the tempering machine.

Inside this unit there is a special low-speed turbine, with the help of which the chocolate mass is foamed. The whipping process is accompanied by intensive saturation of the chocolate mass with a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

The gas-saturated liquid chocolate then enters a vacuum generator, where it is kept for at least four hours at a temperature of 40 degrees. Under the influence of vacuum, air bubbles increase and are evenly distributed throughout the mass.

The technological parameters of the foaming unit for each manufacturer are unique and kept secret: after all, it is these characteristics that determine what the size of the magic bubbles will be.

The process of casting aerated chocolate is absolutely identical to how regular chocolate bars are cast. The only difference is the size of the finished bar: with the same mass, a bar of aerated chocolate will be slightly larger than a bar of simple dessert chocolate. At the moment of casting, the already tempered chocolate mass passes through a vibrating conveyor, which helps it to be evenly distributed throughout the mold.

Is it possible to melt aerated chocolate?

Sometimes, to decorate homemade baked goods, housewives need melted chocolate, so they often have the question: “how to melt aerated chocolate”? The information posted on the Internet on this matter is extremely contradictory.

Some sources categorically state: “aerated chocolate cannot be melted.” Other sources report that the mass obtained by melting porous chocolate is no worse than that obtained from regular chocolate.

Most likely, the reason for unsuccessful attempts to melt aerated chocolate (in some cases it curls, forming a lumpy mass) is its poor quality. Therefore, if you want to get a good chocolate glaze, take chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (without added vegetable fats) and from a good manufacturer.

It is best to melt porous chocolate in the microwave. To do this, break the chocolate bar into pieces, place in a dry glass mold and set the microwave to defrost. Two minutes is enough to melt the aerated chocolate.

If you do not have a microwave, you can use a “water bath”. Pour some water into the bottom of the saucepan, heat to 80 degrees, reduce the heat and place a dry bowl with chocolate pieces on the edges of the saucepan. It is very important that the hot water under the bowl does not come into contact with it and does not get into the chocolate mixture. There is no need to cover with a lid (to prevent condensation from forming). The chocolate must be stirred constantly and the water in the pan must not be allowed to boil (so as not to overheat the chocolate). The stirring spoon must initially be dry (even a drop of water falling into the molten mass can cause the glaze to quickly harden or lose its plasticity).

When the last bit is melted, remove the bowl from the pan. The temperature of the melted chocolate mass is no more than 50 degrees. Remember that you should not melt more than 200 g of chocolate at a time: a little later you can make another portion.

Is it possible to make aerated chocolate at home?

Is it possible to make aerated chocolate at home? Unfortunately, this is not yet possible. The process of making aerated chocolate is too complicated and requires the use of high-tech equipment.

Therefore, the only thing you can do with it at home is to melt it and use it to make chocolate glaze, although experienced chefs advise using regular dessert or white chocolate for this purpose.

The best use of aerated chocolate is to print out a colorful package and simply enjoy this wonderful delicacy filled with air bubbles: after all, aerated chocolate was once invented for this purpose.

If you know how to melt chocolate correctly, you are one step away from becoming a real confectioner. This exquisite delicacy can be the basis of culinary masterpieces. It is also used for enrobing, decoration or in making chocolates. The distinctive feature of melted chocolate products will be their uniqueness.

How to choose a tile

To melt chocolate without spoiling it, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for choosing it. The fact is that not all chocolate can be tempered, and the resulting product will only bring disappointment.

To get a high-quality product, you need to melt a chocolate bar containing at least 50% cocoa (it can be either bitter or milky).
You can melt dessert chocolate, but there is no point in doing this, since it is a finished product with additional additives, while table chocolate is an excellent raw material, so it is optimal for heat treatment.
Porous chocolate is also not suitable for tempering. It is produced in an original way, radically different from the classical one. This “volumetric pillow” contains a lot of air, so the melted tiles will not have the desired consistency.
Forget about fillings like raisins, nuts, marmalade, etc. When choosing raw materials, it is necessary to give preference to confectionery products without additional additives.
It is strictly not recommended to use cheap sweet tiles. It is absolutely pointless to drown them, since they contain a set of ingredients that does not correspond to the classic one.

Little tricks

To understand how to melt chocolate correctly, you need to get acquainted with some methods. At home, this can be a water bath on fire, using a microwave oven or multicooker, etc. In this case, you should study some nuances.

Melted chocolate should have a uniform consistency, a pleasant aroma and a characteristic shine. You can add an extra knob of butter for extra shine.
Dark chocolate is melted at a temperature of 55 degrees, the optimal temperature for white is 45 degrees. Overheating threatens the presence of bitterness, so you should strictly monitor the process.
During preparation with various methods, chocolate requires continuous stirring. This will prevent burning and the formation of unacceptable lumps.

In a water bath

Let's consider a classic recipe, which will be especially appropriate in a situation where it is impossible to use small kitchen appliances.

Prepare two pans of different sizes, one of which should easily fit into the other. It is not recommended to use aluminum cookware; it is better to prefer enamel pans.
Fill a large saucepan with enough water so that the smaller saucepan floats slightly without touching the bottom.
Submerge a small saucepan with three-quarters of the chocolate chips into the already boiling water in a large saucepan.
Continuously stir the pieces until completely dissolved. Monitor the melting temperature so that it does not exceed the norm.
Gradually add the remaining pieces, thus balancing the temperature.
The chocolate water bath must be kept open as condensation may form on the lid. An outer container that is too large or deep can also cause water to get into the chocolate mixture. This should under no circumstances be allowed to happen.
Additional ingredients you can use are milk, cream, butter.

Microwave

You can use the microwave to make melted chocolate. To do this, you need to take three-quarters of the chocolate or callets crushed into pieces, put them in a glass oven-safe dish and put them at a low temperature. The mass must be periodically stirred and turned if there is no rotating circle.

Melt until completely dissolved, avoiding burning, and add the rest. It will help balance the desired temperature of the entire mass. Cool to 36 degrees. The chocolate is ready (see also the video after the article).

In a slow cooker

It's very easy to melt chocolate in a slow cooker. To do this, you need to place the raw materials in the steaming mode. The automatic function ensures the highest quality preparation of the product.

Using a hair dryer

Yes, yes, there is such a simple way that allows you to melt chocolate easily and quickly. You will need a dry cutting board, bowl, knife, spatula and hair dryer.

Cut or break the chocolate bar into pieces (as large as possible) and place them in a bowl. Turn on the hair dryer and hold it over the bowl about 25 cm from the chocolate, controlling the hot air stream and stirring the resulting mass with a spatula.

Having familiarized yourself with the classic principles of melting chocolate, adding a little imagination and love, you can make chocolate figures by pouring the mixture into molds, prepare fondue, build a chocolate fountain, decorate a cake, etc.

Not everyone knows how to melt chocolate. But this ingredient is used in many desserts. We’ll talk about popular methods of this culinary process in today’s article.

In order for chocolate to melt well, you need to pay attention to its composition. It is desirable that the tile contains as few additional components as possible.

Ideally, the base should be cocoa beans. White, dark and milk chocolate are suitable for kindling.

Porous tiles should not be used. It is quite difficult to predict in advance what kind of substance will be obtained after melting. Chocolate with fillings, nuts, and raisins is also not suitable for these purposes.
Only couverture is suitable for mirror glaze. This is a special type of cocoa powder, quite expensive. But only thanks to it you can achieve a delicious crispy crust. The product is sold only in specialized stores.
If your task is to make an inscription on the cake, then feel free to buy milk chocolate. Its consistency is thick and quite viscous.
When purchasing chocolate, carefully look at its labeling. Ideally, it should be marked “confectionery” or “canteen”.
If you notice lecithin in the composition, it is better to take a closer look at another brand of chocolate. Manufacturers have been replacing it with cocoa butter for a long time.

If you care about your health, try to buy chocolate without harmful components (flavors, emulsifiers, etc.).

How to melt chocolate in a double boiler

Melting chocolate over water is quite simple, you just need to know the technology for preparing the glaze:

You will need 2 bowls of different diameters. It is desirable that the smaller one has a non-stick coating.
Fill one pan with water, place it on the stove and bring its contents to a boil.
Reduce the heat, the temperature should be maintained around 75 - 85 degrees.
Break a chocolate bar and place it in a pan with a smaller diameter. Make sure there is no water in the container. Otherwise, the chocolate will burn and change its consistency and taste.
Place the smaller pan in the larger one.
Start stirring the chocolate.
Add a little butter to the glaze (can be replaced with cream). This will make your chocolate mixture more viscous.
After the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl and cover it with foil, after making holes in it. In this form, the mass should cool.

It is better to melt dark chocolate in a water bath. White and milky ones can “take on a piece” - there is not a lot of cocoa butter in these bars.

Try not to overheat the product. If the thermal regime is disturbed, the chocolate mass will certainly crack after 3–4 hours.

Microwave heating method

There are 2 ways to melt chocolate in the microwave. Each of them has advantages:

the glaze does not burn;
no lumps;
maximum cooking time is 3 minutes.

Both methods are so simple that even an amateur can handle them:

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a glass bowl. Place it in the microwave for 1 minute, with the oven power set to maximum. Remove the glaze and stir. Microwave again for 30 seconds. Repeat the process 3 times.
If your microwave has a defrost mode, you can use it. Place the chopped chocolate bar in the oven for 2 minutes. If there are any lumps left, add another 1 minute.

This type of chocolate is not very suitable for glazing the surface of a cake. There is a high probability that the mass will crack. But figurines made from such chocolate turn out excellent, it holds its head start perfectly.

On an open fire

You can also melt the chocolate on the stove.

An important point: the bowl in which the cooking process will take place must have a double bottom.

The cooking process is as follows:

Break a chocolate bar.
Place the bowl over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the product from burning.
As soon as the chocolate starts to melt, add a knob of butter.
To make the product liquid, pour in milk or cream. It is very important that the ingredients are warm, otherwise the mass will separate.

Once the glaze is ready, pour it into another bowl, otherwise there is a high chance that it will burn.

Do not allow the mixture to boil; the chocolate will lose its properties and will flake and crack.

How to melt chocolate to decorate a cake

Melted chocolate works well for decorating a cake. It is prepared only in a water bath.

The proportions of ingredients in a recipe are important:

black chocolate bar – 300 g;
heavy cream – 300 ml.

Cooking process:

Prepare a water bath.
Divide the chocolate into small pieces and place in the top bowl.
As soon as the mixture begins to melt, add warm cream.
Melt the chocolate until the glaze becomes viscous.

A secret from confectioners! To ensure that your chocolate has a crispy crust and does not crack on the surface of the cake, the mass must be cooled well and beaten with a mixer or blender.

To prepare the glaze

Real glaze should be shiny. You can achieve this effect with honey.

Ingredients needed:

chocolate (it is better to choose milk) – 300 g;
cinnamon – 10 g;
cream or full-fat milk – 60 g;
strong brewed coffee – 25 g.

Preparation:

Prepare a water bath.
Send the chocolate to melt.
As soon as the mixture begins to melt, add the remaining ingredients.
At the last moment, sprinkle the chocolate with cinnamon, bring to a smooth mass, remove from heat.

Chefs often add whiskey or strong brandy to fondue chocolate. These drinks give the mass not only interesting flavor notes, but also a special aroma.