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Indulgent Chocolate Creations

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The ins and outs of melting and tempering chocolate

Knowing how to melt chocolate is one of the key aspects of working with chocolate.
Whether you plan to pour it into a chocolate cake batter, turn it into a ganache or use it to
create delicate chocolate curls, it’s the first important skill to master.

Get organised – ‘mise en place’
Before you get started, lay out all your equipment and ingredients. This concept goes by the
French term ‘mise en place’, or putting everything in its place and means you’ll have fewer
distractions as you work. After all, crafting beautiful chocolate creations needs your full
attention, so chop up your LINDT chocolate and get your tools in line before you begin.

Two key chocolate melting techniques
There are two main techniques for melting chocolate: using a microwave or a double boiler.

The microwave technique is pretty quick and foolproof but remember to use a microwave-
proof bowl, limit the bursts of low heat to 15 seconds and to stir the chocolate in-between
each burst. This will prevent the chocolate from forming hot-spots and burning.

To melt chocolate using a double boiler, you’ll need a heatproof bowl that fits snugly into a
pot or saucepan. The trick here is to fill the pot with a little water (about a third), place the

heatproof bowl on top with the LINDT chocolate inside and allow the steam generated from
the boiling water to melt the chocolate. Make sure the water doesn’t actually touch the base
of the heatproof bowl (glass or metal) as this could cause the chocolate to burn. With this
technique, it’s essential that you work carefully to avoid any water droplets mixing with the

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