EASY MELT COUVERTURE
Expert guide to baking, making and creating with professional grade couverture
Discover the full potential of Firetree Chocolate’s Easy Melt Couverture - expertly crafted for seamless melting, glossy finishes, and deep, nuanced flavour. Whether you’re baking, tempering, or creating the ultimate hot chocolate, this guide will help you unlock the best in your chocolate makes, bakes and creations.
HOW TO MELT THE CHOCOLATE
Bain-Marie (Double Boiler) Method:
- Fill a saucepan with a little water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Place your Easy Melt pieces in a heatproof bowl and rest it over the pan (ensuring the bowl base does not touch the water).
- Stir slowly and continuously until the chocolate has melted and remove from the heat.
Microwave Method:
- Add your Easy Melt pieces to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat at 50% power in 20–30 second bursts, stirring in between.
- When nearly melted, remove and stir until smooth.
🔥 A note on heat: Avoid exceeding 45°C unless you’re tempering. Higher temperatures can cause chocolate to lose its temper - which gives the chocolate a smooth, even texture and pleasing 'snap' once set.
Tempering for a fine finish
If you’re dipping fruit, moulding bars or crafting filled chocolates, tempering gives your creations a lustrous finish, a clean snap, and perfect set at room temperature. Tempering aligns cocoa butter crystals into a stable, uniform structure. This gives your chocolate its professional polish.
How to Temper
Seed method for tempering
You’ll Need:
- A digital thermometer
- A clean, dry bowl
- A silicone spatula
- A chilled knife
- Easy Melt couverture pieces
Step-by-Step:
Melt: ⅔ of your Easy Melt pieces in the clean, dry bowl, stirring frequently until the temperature is:
- Dark chocolate: 45–48°C
- Milk chocolate: 40–43°C
Cool: Add the remaining ⅓ of unmelted pieces and stir gently and slowly until the temperature drops to:
- Dark: 30–31°C
- Milk: 28–29.5°C
Test: Check the temper by drizzling a thin trickle onto the chilled knife. If the surface sets to a dull sheen and feels solid in 30", the chocolate is tempered.
Use: Immediately and maintain the working temperature to stay in temper.
Tools of the trade
To make the most of your Easy Melt couverture, it’s worth having a few key tools to hand:
- Digital thermometer – for precise temperature control when melting and tempering.
- Silicone spatula – for even, gentle mixing without scratching or overheating.
- Microwave-safe or heatproof bowl – preferably wide and shallow for better control.
- Tempering slab (not necessary for the Seed method) – a marble or ceramic slab to rapidly cool, agitate the chocolate and test the chocolate's temperature.
- Accurate kitchen scales – for precise measuring, especially useful in ganache and drinking chocolate.
For professionals: A heat gun and digital infrared thermometer can also help maintain working temperature during longer tempering sessions.
Common Challenges & How to fix them
This usually happens when water comes into contact with the chocolate, or it’s been rapidly overheated. Even a drop of steam can cause it to seize. Always use dry tools and melt gently. It's always best to nearly melt and then stir to melt the rest of the chocolate.
This points to incorrect tempering—usually from cooling too fast or not stirring thoroughly. Always temper within the correct temperature range and test on a chilled knife tempering slab if unsure.
Bloom appears as white or greyish streaks or small circles. It’s caused by unstable fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Bloomed chocolate is perfectly safe to eat, and can be re-melted and properly tempered to restore its shine. However, bloom does affect the way the chocolate feels in the mouth and may crumble or melt unevenly when you place it on your tongue.
Absolutely! It's one of the perks (or pitfalls - depending on your perspective) of using professional grade couverture. In fact, we recommend tasting a little before you begin your creations to get a feel for the taste notes, mouthfeel and sugar content in case you need to adjust your recipe.
Our Easy Melt couverture really is versatile and makes a delicious hot chocolate. Here's a link to making the perfect cup.
RECIPE INSPIRATION
CHOCOLATE CHERRY TART
Featuring Firetree's Vanuatu, Malekula Island 72% Easy Melt Couverture, with its taste notes of cherry, white grape and soft lemon and paired with cherries and kirsh, this is the perfect centrepiece for a special occasion. Find the recipe here.