The Microwave Mistake To Avoid When Melting Chocolate
If you've ever tried baking with chocolate, you know that it can be a bit of a pain to work with. While some recipes call for simple chocolate chunks, like classic chocolate chip cookies, others require you to melt the chocolate. Melting chocolate often means breaking out a double boiler, which can be time-consuming. So, rather than fiddle around with water and a pile of pots and bowls, many of us just pop our chocolate in the microwave!
The trouble with the microwave is that although it's certainly faster than melting your chocolate in a double boiler setup, it's can also easily cause your chocolate to seize and go grainy if you're not careful. The good news is that this can be avoided. Rather than putting your chocolate in the microwave for several minutes, melt it in short intervals of about 30 seconds, stirring in between each round of heating.
Here are a few other pro tips to help you properly melt chocolate in the microwave. And in the event that you do accidentally overcook the ingredient and it seizes, here are a few ways to remedy the error.
How to properly melt your chocolate in the microwave
When it comes to melting chocolate in the microwave, there are a couple of tricks you can employ to ensure that your chocolate comes out glossy and smooth. For one thing, you can use the aforementioned trick of microwaving your chocolate in short bursts. In between each burst of 30 seconds, give the confection a stir to help distribute the heat more evenly. This helps avoid overheating, which is one reason your chocolate can seize up.
Another tip for melting chocolate in the microwave is to follow Southern Living's advice and set your device to 30% power. Reducing your microwave's power helps ensure that you melt the chocolate slowly and that the heat is evenly distributed. It'll take a little longer, but your patience will be rewarded with smoothly melted chocolate that doesn't seize.
Besides focusing on the heat and time your chocolate is in the microwave, you can also make sure that you're working with dry utensils. Water is chocolate's worst enemy, causing the confection to seize. To avoid this, make sure to use a dry bowl when melting your chocolate so that no water droplets get into the treat and make it grainy.
How to fix chocolate that's seized in the microwave
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, your chocolate might seize up anyway. If this happens to you, don't panic. There are a few ways that you can save the grainy chocolate and get it back to a good consistency.
The first way to go about this is to add a teaspoon of warm cream, milk, or water to your chocolate. Stir the mixture while you slowly add in the liquid. You can add another teaspoon if the chocolate continues to maintain its grainy texture, but it's best to take things slow so that you don't overdo it and add too much in the first place.
Another way to fix chocolate that's gone grainy and lumpy is to add oil or butter to your chocolate. Just like with adding milk or cream, you'll want to start by adding just a teaspoon of fat to the chocolate and stirring the chocolate as you add. You can always pop in a bit more fat if the mixture doesn't loosen up and get back to its smooth texture. Whichever method you choose, the main goal is to keep these microwave tips in mind so that you can make perfectly melted chocolate the next time you bake!