When melting or tempering chocolate chips inside the microwave, be cautious to not overheat them. The higher cooking temperature in the microwave can ruin melted chocolate. Otherwise, the technique to melt is easy and fast.Melting Chips
All kinds of candy chips -- chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter -- are simple to melt inside the microwave. Heat them incrementally within a microwave-safe bowl for the top final results. Start off with one particular minute on a medium setting for 1 cup of chips, then heat the chocolate for no greater than 15 seconds at a time right after that. Stir the chocolate soon after every 15-second interval to make sure even heating. When the chips are nearly melted, stir much more completely to assist the final handful of lumps melt with out additional cooking. Drizzle melted chocolate more than baked goods or use it to produce shaped chocolates by pouring it into food-safe molds. The melting temperature for chocolate is among 104 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Verify the temperature in the chocolate using a quick-read candy thermometer.
Tempering within the Microwave
Tempering chocolate demands heating chocolate to a certain temperature to ensure that the crystals within the chocolate are stabilized. Tempering is crucial for chocolate candies or for coating foods in tough chocolate, like chocolate-coated strawberries. It not merely provides chocolate its glossy look, it assists hold it tough following cooling. Heat milk chocolate chips to 86 to 88 F and dark chocolate chips to 88 to 90 F. Heat the chips on medium at 15-second intervals, stirring in amongst cooking occasions to stop uneven heating and scorching. When nearly all the chips have melted, give the chocolate a final stir. Like with melted chocolate, test the temperature in the chocolate having a candy thermometer.
What to Watch Out For
Milk chocolate chips can scorch simply or separate if they're heated to as well higher a temperature. When milk proteins are overheated, they are able to grow to be undesirably grainy. When tempering chocolate, as well higher a temperature will imply the cooled chocolate is not going to create a glossy exterior. The hot temperature of melted chocolate also calls for cautious handling, since it may cause burns. Similarly, the rim in the bowl could possibly be hot from microwaving, so take care when removing it in the oven.
Option Choices
If you strategy to pipe chocolate -- onto baked goods, as an example -- melt the chips within a heavy resealable plastic bag. Knead the chocolate inside the bag to make sure that all lumps are melted. Snip off the bottom corner of one of several bags to pipe the melted chocolate straight onto cookies or cupcakes.