Cooking with Chocolate

Chocolate are pretty easy to cook. Here are some of the tips on cooking with chocolate.

• Facilitate melting by breaking chocolate blocks, bars or chunks into smaller uniform pieces.


• Place chocolate pieces for melting in pan or dish that is completely dry and use thoroughly dry utensils for stirring.


• For range top melting, place chocolate pieces in heavy saucepan. Avoid scorching and stiffening by stirring constantly over low, even heat not exceeding a temperature of 110 degree celsius. Melted chocolate should feel lukewarm, not hot, to the touch.


• If chocolate should harden or stiffen during stove-top melting, add 1 teaspoon shortening or oil (not butter) for each ounce of chocolate and stir until texture returns to normal.


• For microwave oven melting, place chocolate pieces in microwave-safe container. A 1-ounce square will take 1 to 2 minutes on medium setting to become soft enough to stir to smooth consistency. Add 10 seconds per each additional ounce. Six ounces chocolate chips need 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes of medium microwave heat to become soft enough to stir. Add 2 to 3 minutes for each additional cup of chips. Note: Most chocolates melted by microwave method will retain original shape even though they have softened to proper consistency. Look for glossy appearance and stir before adding additional time.


• It is recommended to use 650-watt microwave ovens.

Source: Pillsbury - Make Mine Chocolate