Please Explain...melting Chocolate
Decorating By momoftwogirls Updated 6 Oct 2005 , 6:54pm by missmersh
I am making a cake for tomorrow - using ganache. I don't have a double boiler. can I make one out of pans i have? I have only melted chocolate once and I just used a regular pot.
if melting in microwave do I just place in a bowl and stir every ten seconds?
Also I want to make a sheet of chocolate and cut into little triangles. Can I use real chocolate milk chocoate chunks? (they are used for putting in cookies I think) or semi-sweet baking chocolate squares? This is all I have in the house and really don't want to go get anything else.
I do have what I need to make the ganache.
also what should I put in the middle of the cake? what kind of filling? I was thinking ganache, but the recipe I am using is just a glaze and not both. It is Chocolate Butter glaze from the Cake Bible.
thank you so much.
I melt my chocolate in the microwave and then put in a pot of hot water on the stove to keep it warm. I have never made ganache so am not sure that this helps you or not.
You can "make" a double boiler by using a heat proof bowl in a pan or a smaller pan in a larger one, however it works for you.
Ganache is about 50/50 heavy cream and chocolate with a bit of butter. The Cake Bible has recipes and instructions for "whipped ganache" for frosting and filling. If you don't have cream, try chocolate buttercream.
You can try to use almost any chocolate product to make your triangles, but if it isn't tempered, it may bloom (turn white) or it might not harden enough to remove from the surface you cut on. However, it can be re-melted, so give it a try. Cool it slightly before cutting, mark your cuts, then chill it some more before you try to remove the triangles.
Also, double boiler, does NOT mean boiling water when it comes to chocolate. Be sure the water is barely simmering, and melt the chocolate slowly to prevent scorching.
It's gonna be messy, but you can have a lot of fun with this project.
JoAnn
thanks for all the tips. I am going to get working on it!! I will post when all is done!
thanks again.
christina
Sorry to butt in momoftwogirls, but I needed to ask a question based on your question. 
What is tempering?
I found this (and this might help you too) but it still doesn't tell me what tempering is...or I am just having a brain blockage. LOL Is tempering just the same as melting?
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/williams/choc_tempering.htm
Sorry I am so stupid right now. LOL
Thanks!
Leslie
i don't like to use a double boiler of any kind for chocolate, as the risk of steam makes me seize up. to make ganache, just break up the chocolate and pour the boiled cream over it, cover the bowl with plastic (or a plate) and let sit for a couple of minutes and then stir. to warm the ganache (or completely melt the chocolate if the cream hasn't done the job), put it in a glass bowl or ceramic bowl and microwave on 50% power for 3 seconds at a time. you do not need to "pre-melt" chocolate before adding the boiled cream when making ganache.
milk chocolate ganache is tricky. whenever i make milk chocolate ganache i reduce the cream by 1/3 or increase the chocolate by 1/3 as milk chocolate is MUCH softer than dark (semi-sweet). you can pretty much use chocolate in any form (semi-sweet baking, bar-form, or chips) for ganache.
fillings for a ganache cake should match with chocolate: a berry jam, dulce de leche caramel (my sister's favourite), etc. 
missmersh - Tempering is not quite the same as melting. Chocolate has to be melted to a temperature that melts the fats, and then cooled carefully to cause the fats to be stable. This prevents blooming, and allows the chocolate to set up hard and shiny.
Coating chocolate has additives that help prevent bloom, and adding liquids, such as cream for ganache, also make tempering unnecessary.
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