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White chocolate cupstopcook.tomathouse.comPreparation:
White chocolate cups and saucersUsing a ladle, fill a plastic dome-shaped mold, about the size of a teacup, with white chocolate. Once filled, pour the contents back into the bowl with the chocolate. The inside of the mold should be evenly coated with chocolate. Wipe the rim of the mold and place it upside down on a rack set over a baking sheet. Once the chocolate begins to harden, after about 5 minutes, scrape the inside of the rim again with a small knife. You can place the mold in the refrigerator for a few minutes to speed up the hardening of the chocolate. Once it has hardened, gently press down on one side of the mold to release the chocolate cup. Repeat this process until you have made the desired number of cups. Spread a 0.5 cm thick layer of white chocolate on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let the chocolate set, but make sure it remains pliable. Using a knife, cut out a circle with a diameter of 11 cm. If making more than one saucer, cut them all out at once. Refrigerate and let the chocolate set completely. Once the saucers are set, remove them from the refrigerator and peel off the parchment paper. Set the chocolate saucers aside. Place a small amount of white chocolate in a small piping bag. Pipe the chocolate onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to form a small cup handle. Let it set until the handle hardens. If you're making more than one handle, pipe the desired amount at once. Place the baking sheet with the handles in the refrigerator and let the chocolate harden completely. Remove the hardened chocolate handles from the refrigerator. Carefully peel them off the parchment paper. Set the chocolate saucers aside. To assemble the cup, use white chocolate to glue the handle to the cup, then glue the cup to the saucer. Tempering chocolate at homeTo ensure that chocolate retains its shine after melting and re-solidifies with a uniform texture and color, it must be tempered (otherwise, fat molecules flake off and solidify on the surface of the chocolate). There are several ways to temper chocolate. One of the easiest methods is to chop it into small pieces and microwave it on high for 30 seconds, until most of the chocolate has melted. Be careful not to overheat it. (Dark chocolate should be 88-90°F (31-32°C), just warmer than your bottom lip. It will hold its shape even when almost completely melted. White and milk chocolate melt at about a degree lower than dark chocolate due to the lactose they contain.) Any remaining lumps will melt from the retained heat of the chocolate. Whisk the chocolate with an immersion blender or a whisk to break up any lumps. Typically, the chocolate will begin to harden, or crystallize, around the edge of the bowl. As it hardens, stir these crystals into the melted chocolate to temper it. A glass bowl retains heat better and keeps the chocolate tempered longer. Another method of tempering chocolate is called "seeding." Small pieces of unmelted chocolate are added to the melted chocolate. The number of pieces depends on the temperature of the melted chocolate, but is typically 1/4 of the total mass. For this method, it's best to mix the chocolate with an immersion blender or whisk. Another classic tempering method involves pouring two-thirds of the melted chocolate onto a marble or other cool surface. The chocolate is then spread and mixed with a spatula until its temperature drops to 27°C (80°F). At this point, the chocolate thickens and begins to set. This tempered chocolate is then added to the bowl with the remaining melted chocolate and mixed thoroughly until the temperature is uniform throughout. If the temperature is still too high, temper some of the chocolate again on a marble board. This method is more labor-intensive, messier, and requires more space. To check if the chocolate has been tempered, apply a small amount to a piece of paper or the tip of a knife. If the chocolate is properly tempered, it will be shiny and set evenly.
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