If you want some affordable homemade gifts to give to friends and family members over the holiday period, chocolates are a great way to go. Not only do they taste delicious, but they look extra decadent, too. To help you get your chocolates just right, you'll need to know the key to tempering chocolate .
Daily Meal spoke with Nicole Patel, Owner and Chocolatier of Delysia Chocolatier , and she provided some inside tips on how to do so. For one thing, she explains that you'll want to pay attention to the temperature. She also explains that you'll need to rely on the "seed chocolate", or a small amount of already tempered chocolate, to help the cocoa butter crystals form and stabilize.
Then, once you've tempered, she recommends you "dip a small piece of parchment into your chocolate. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes," and adds "The chocolate should be smooth and firm. If it's streaky or runny, try stirring in more chocolate to the mixture to bring the temperature down further.
" This lets you know if your tempering tricks were a success. Get your seed chocolate just right One of the key tips that Nicole Patel provides for making your own chocolates, whether that's homemade chocolate truffles or something else, is to make sure the seed chocolate you use for your temper is the right size. She explains, "The 'seed' chocolate chunks should be large enough to lower the temperature but not so small that it melts immediately.
" While some people use a cheese grater to ge.