Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
"Maligning an individual says more about you than the one you malign."

http://web.mac.com/barbschaller; blahblahblog - Peanutless Peanut
Brittle and Nancy's Hungarian Short Ribs 11-30-2006

http://jamlady.eboard.com

One time on Usenet, Melba's Jammin' said:

Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

You can definitely nuke chocolate to melt it -- I start at 30 seconds
on high, then stir for a while. If there are still chunks in the
chocolate, I nuke it again for 20 seconds or so. Of course, your
micro will probably be different, but that gives you somewhere to
start. I'd say check your book that came with it, but most of us
don't keep those handy...

--
Jani in WA

On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:30:01 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

Alice Medrich, who is one of the Queens of Chocolate gives this advice
in her book Bittersweet :

Melt the chocolate in a dry bowl, without any other ingredients.
Chop semisweet, bittersweet, or unsweetened chocolate into pieces no
larger than almonds. Heat on 50% power for the time indicated:

1 ounce } 1 1/2 minutes
2-3 ounces } 2 1/2 minutes
4-5 ounces } 3 minutes
6-8 ounces } 3 1/2 minutes.

She says that these times are to melt the chocolate only partially,
and that you need to stir well even if it looks like less than half of
the chocolate is melted. Then add 10-15 seconds of additional heat
for dark chocolate, less for milk or white chocolate. Stir well
after each increment of heat. She says stirring hastens melting and
prevents you from overheating the chocolate.

Hope this helps and makes sense.

Christine

In article ,
Christine Dabney wrote:

On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:30:01 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

Alice Medrich, who is one of the Queens of Chocolate gives this advice
in her book Bittersweet :

Melt the chocolate in a dry bowl, without any other ingredients.
Chop semisweet, bittersweet, or unsweetened chocolate into pieces no
larger than almonds. Heat on 50% power for the time indicated:

1 ounce } 1 1/2 minutes
2-3 ounces } 2 1/2 minutes
4-5 ounces } 3 minutes
6-8 ounces } 3 1/2 minutes.

She says that these times are to melt the chocolate only partially,
and that you need to stir well even if it looks like less than half of
the chocolate is melted. Then add 10-15 seconds of additional heat
for dark chocolate, less for milk or white chocolate. Stir well
after each increment of heat. She says stirring hastens melting and
prevents you from overheating the chocolate.

Hope this helps and makes sense.

Christine

Poifect. Thanks.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
"Maligning an individual says more about you than the one you malign."

http://web.mac.com/barbschaller; blahblahblog - Peanutless Peanut
Brittle and Nancy's Hungarian Short Ribs 11-30-2006

http://jamlady.eboard.com

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.




Do you remember how easily chocolate burns? Nah, didn't think so.
You'll have to take my word for it.

You CAN melt it in the microwave but unless it's in small, even pieces,
some of it may burn before the rest melts. I've had luck chopping it,
then 'waving at 50% power.

gloria p

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

Yep, chop it up in small pieces and nuke it for 30 seconds
the first time, then stir thouroughly and hit it for 10 seconds
at a time, stirring in between. If you have a good thermometer
you can keep it under 90F degrees and it won't break temper.

If you don't need to care about temper, then just don't go
too hot. Much over about 120F will burn it.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

In article
,
Puester wrote:
Do you remember how easily chocolate burns? Nah, didn't think so.

You'll have to take my word for it.

Got it. VOE. Dang.

You CAN melt it in the microwave but unless it's in small, even pieces,
some of it may burn before the rest melts. I've had luck chopping it,
then 'waving at 50% power.

gloria p

Thanks. I think that's my route. I'm tempted to do the double boiler
thang but it just occurred to me that I have to find out about the
wisdom of Pyrex on my smooth top range.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
"Maligning an individual says more about you than the one you malign."

http://web.mac.com/barbschaller; blahblahblog - Peanutless Peanut
Brittle and Nancy's Hungarian Short Ribs 11-30-2006

http://jamlady.eboard.com

"Melba's Jammin'" wrote in message
...
Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
"Maligning an individual says more about you than the one you malign."

http://web.mac.com/barbschaller; blahblahblog - Peanutless Peanut
Brittle and Nancy's Hungarian Short Ribs 11-30-2006

http://jamlady.eboard.com

You *can* nuke it, if you chop it up first, and do it on 50% power for 1 minute at
first, then 15 seconds at a time until it's done. Personally, I think it's much
easier to do the double boiler thing, as you can see it the whole time and I think
all the starting/stopping/door opening/door closing of the microwave is a PITA :-)

kimberly

On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:30:01 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday (for
making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff -- it's on
their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

Barb you can melt it in the microwave, but I would suggest the double
boiler. And you don't have to unpack the pyrex, I use a ss bowl over a
saucepan of simmering water

Pan Ohco wrote:
On Fri, 01 Dec 2006 14:30:01 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
wrote:

Can I nuke chunks/pieces or must I melt it in a double boiler?

I bough a 1# hunk of some Guittard chocolate at Byerly's yesterday
(for making the two-layer chocolate and peppermint bark stuff --
it's on their home page at williams-sonoma.com.

I've got a Pyrex double boiler in mothballs but quite accessible.

See follow-up post.

Barb you can melt it in the microwave, but I would suggest the double
boiler. And you don't have to unpack the pyrex, I use a ss bowl over a
saucepan of simmering water

I concur. Melting in the microwave is a royal pain.

You are aware that you are going to have to temper it, right?

In article GzWch.2167$Gp2.933@trndny06,
"Janet Puistonen" wrote:

Pan Ohco wrote:
Barb you can melt it in the microwave, but I would suggest the double
boiler. And you don't have to unpack the pyrex, I use a ss bowl over a
saucepan of simmering water

I concur. Melting in the microwave is a royal pain.

You are aware that you are going to have to temper it, right?

It was quite easy and I was edgy about the db based on my stove manual's
comments about glass.

I didn't temper the chocolate and all worked swell. Pics on the dotmac
site link below.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
"Maligning an individual says more about you than the one you malign."

http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog -
12/3, Christmas Cookies!; Barcelona 12-2 (you might have
to scroll down to find it.

http://jamlady.eboard.com

You can melt chocolate by pouring boiling water over it for 40 seconds.
Doug
--
Doug Weller --
A Director and Moderator of The Hall of Ma'at http://www.hallofmaat.com
Doug's Archaeology Site: http://www.ramtops.co.uk
Amun - co-owner/co-moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Amun/

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

I didn't temper the chocolate and all worked swell. Pics on the dotmac
site link below.

You probably had compound chocolate which you can get away with not
tempering. I assume it was the caramel delight things? Those looked
good.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.