Chocolate Scares Me

by Elizabeth Kelly

For our final baking class, we did chocolate. I tried tempering chocolate for the first time. After making a Black Forest Cake and a Swiss Roll, I was not too into the idea of more chocolate. I was torn between giving it a shot and see what happens and keeping at it until I succeed. Try and fail or try and try and try until I succeed. I really wanted to succeed, I just didn't know if I would have the patience.

I compromised. I would try 3 times and then quit. I am pleased to announce, I succeed after the 2nd try. Thank you for small mercies. I don't think I could have stood there an stirred chocolate for another minute, let alone 30 minutes.

I ended up making about 6 chocolates, dipping 4 or 5 orange segments, and making a few mounds of chocolate and toasted coconut, and then quit. Well, I didn't quit, I just stopped and watched. Did I temper chocolate? Was I going to get streaks, bloom, dots? I kept looking, afraid to touch in case I was successful and ruined it by touching it. I played a few computer games, read some of my book, did some dishes, and watched.

Tempering chocolate is a terrifying experience. There is no tweaking the recipe, putting your own spin on it, resting between steps. It is a process and the chocolate is in charge. It either tempers, or it doesn't. The variance is temperatures is small, miss one, and you start again, the chocolate mocking you because there it sits in the bowl, un-tempered, looking just as it did half a degree ago.

After 3 hours, it looked like I succeeded so I melted the rest of the leftover chocolate to use another day. In this respect, chocolate is forgiving. It is no longer tempered but it can be. That is why I made so few chocolates. I could reuse the remaining chocolate but If I used it all and it didn't temper, it was wasted.

So, I will try again. I bought some chocolate molds. I also bought some coating chocolate to add colour. I hope to graduate to filled chocolates. I need a lot more practice first. Guess what you are getting in your stocking this holiday season?