Creamy, decadent, soul-satisfying chocolate — it’s a main staple of many delectable desserts and helps fulfill our sweet-tooth desires. When you crave warm, velvety chocolate that glazes over the top of pretzels, cake balls, almonds, and more, you may be left scratching your head on how to get the chocolate melted to perfection. While it may seem as simple as tossing semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels into the microwave for a quick zap, it can often leave you with a lumpy mess. If you want smooth, perfectly melted chocolate every time, you’ll want to follow these steps.
1 ½ to 2 pounds dark, milk or white chocolate
Chop 1 ½ to 2 pounds of chocolate into consistent sized pieces, about one-inch squares. Using a double boiler, place ⅔ of the chocolate into a glass bowl and stir continuously until the chocolate is melted to a creamy consistency. Check the temperature using a candy thermometer— for dark chocolate the temperature should reach 120℉, and 105°F for milk or white chocolate.
After the chocolate has reached the desired temperature, remove from heat and gradually add the remaining ⅓ of chocolate and stir to combine. Let the chocolate cool to 82℉, then reheat to 88-91℉ for dark chocolate or 85-87℉ for milk or white chocolate. Once the temperature has been reached, remove from heat and drizzle atop your favorite salty or sweet snack, or use as adip for your favorite dessert items.
A double boiler consists of two pots: a large one that looks like a regular saucepan and a smaller, more shallow pan that nestles inside. If you do not have a double boiler at home it is easy to improvise one from supplies you likely already have in your kitchen— a small to medium-sized pot and an ovenproof glass or metal bowl that will fit inside the pot without touching the bottom. Fill the pot with an inch or two of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and place the bowl in the pot, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. The intention is to heat the bowl with steam and not water. Add your ingredients to the bowl and follow the recipe as instructed.