Welcome to your personal Chocolate Recipes Advice Centre, created to provide helpful information on everything from weights and measures to interpreting cooking jargon.
Your Chocolate Recipes Advice Centre is available whenever you need guidance and inspiration for your sweet recipe creations - ensuring your efforts result in truly sweet sensations!
How to Separate Egg Yolk
Crack egg shell and break in half. Carefully let egg white flow into bowl underneath by transferring egg yolk from one egg shell half to the other half keeping the yolk intact.
How to Soften Butter
Softened butter or room temperature butter is called for in the majority of baked recipes. It should not be gooey or oily but still cool to touch but pliable. Either stand the butter at room temperature out of direct sunlight or to microwave, cut into even size pieces and place in a single layer on microwave-safe plate. Microwave uncovered in 20 second bursts on Medium-low/Defrost (30% power).
Steps on How to Bake Biscuits
- When placing biscuits onto trays don’t line the rows up one behind the other (see picture below). This will restrict the air flow and the biscuits may not cook evenly.
- If cooking one tray at a time, make sure the shelf is positioned in the centre of the oven or just above. When baking two trays, place one just above the centre, with the second tray underneath. Swap the trays half way through baking.
- Allow the biscuits to cool on trays for at least 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. This allows the biscuits to firm a little so they will not break.
- Biscuits are best stored in a tin. Alternately line the base and top of an airtight container with foil, this helps keep the biscuits crisp.
Q. My chocolate goes into a clump when I am trying to melt it. What am I doing wrong?
A. This is what as referred to as ‘seizing’. The two most common reasons why the chocolate could have 'seized' is:
- Moisture has gotten into the chocolate while its melted. This could have happened if a wooden spoon was used to stir while melting, or if a plastic bowl was used to melt chocolate in the microwave or if using the double boiler method - steam has escaped because the bowl does not sit 'snuggly' into the pan.
- Alternately, clumping can be a sign the chocolate has been scorched during melting. Unfortunately chocolate that has seized or scorched can not be saved.
Q. How can I make "coloured" (eg red or blue) chocolate?
A. Adding colour to your chocolate is really very easy however it is important to use oil-based food colouring rather than water-based to minimize the likelihood of the chocolate ‘seizing’. Start with melted NESTLÉ Melts, White or NESTLÉ Milky Bar. Pour a little colour onto a saucer, then using a wooden skewer, dip the skewer into the colour then into the chocolate, adding more colour until the desired colour is reached. Oil-based colours are available from some supermarkets or specialty food stores.
Q. I want to dip strawberries into chocolate. Can I just use the NESTLÉ Melts? Will this be thick enough to stay on the strawberries?
A. Yes NESTLÉ Melts are perfect for dipping strawberries. NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate is another option if you already have this in the pantry. It is important that the surface of the strawberries are not wet from washing, as this will prevent the chocolate sticking to the fruit. If the fruit is at room temperature a better result will also prevail (the chocolate sets more evenly). Chocolate dipped fruit is best done just before serving as humidity can also be chocolate dipped fruits worst nightmare.
Q. How do I make chocolate curls or shavings?
A. For small shavings, use a block of NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate Block. Hold the chocolate just above a piece of baking paper (to catch the chocolate as it drops, if curls drop from a big height they are likely to break). Run a clean, dry vegetable peeler down the length of the chocolate block. Alternately, you can melt NESTLÉ Melts or NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate and spread 5mm thick onto a marble slab or back of a stainless steel baking tray. Allow to just set at room temperature. Use the edge of a palette knife to scrape the surface of the chocolate to form curls. Chocolate curls or shavings are an easy way to add a little something special to all types of desserts!
Q. How do I "pipe" chocolate?
A. You can make a paper piping bag by cutting a 20cm square from a sheet of baking paper. Holding one corner roll to form a cone shape. Tape or staple the baking paper to secure. Spoon the chocolate into the corner of the cone and fold the top over to secure. Snip a small piece off the tip end. Alternately use a small SNAP LOCK® RESEALABLE BAGS (these are a little tougher than plastic or freezer bags which tend to split from the warmth of the chocolate), spoon the chocolate into one corner of the bag, secure and snip a small piece from the corner. Using gentle pressure, squeeze the chocolate from the bag.
Q. How do I cut a slice that has a chocolate topping without the chocolate cracking?
A. The key is in warming the blade of the knife! Firstly, a long-bladed straight edge knife is essential. Fill the sink to the depth of 2cm with hot water. Place knife into hot water, stand 15 seconds or until blade is hot. Wipe dry and working quickly, place warm blade onto the slice, assert gentle pressure (too much pressure will cause the chocolate to crack) and press the knife into the slice, do not cut. Repeat as the knife cools. Alternately if you have a gas stove-top, you can quickly run both sides of the blade of the gas flame to warm the blade.
Q. What is the difference between your NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate and the NESTLÉ Melts?
A. NESTLÉ Melts are compound chocolate, the cocoa butter has been replaced with vegetable fat or oil making them easier to use and less intense in flavour. NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate is good quality cooking chocolate and suitable for everything from mousses, tarts, pies, cakes and biscuits.
Q. What is ganache and how do I make it?
A. Ganache is a rich chocolate mixture made using a combination of cream and cooking chocolate. By varying the amount of cream melted with the chocolate the mixture can be used as a runny glace icing for cakes, thick icing used to spread over top of cakes and slices or filling for moulded chocolates or truffles.
Q. How do I prevent shiny chocolate going dull when it sets?
A. You will need to use good-quality chocolate such as NESTLÉ Cooking Chocolate. The chocolate requires a process called tempering - see instructions on how to temper .
Q. How long can I keep chocolates once I have made them?
A. Chocolates are best stored in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature. If it is hot or humid chocolates may require refrigeration, this can often cause the chocolates to sweat when removed from the fridge, causing moisture droplets on the surface or a slight ‘blooming’ . This will not affect the flavour only the appearance.
Q. Can I melt NESTLÉ CHOC BITS?
A. Yes you can, however this is not their desired function. NESTLÉ CHOC BITS have a slightly higher fat content than cooking chocolate designed to withstand melting when baked, they require constant attention when melting to prevent scorching. NESTLÉ CHOC BITS are best used in cookies, muffins, and for decoration.
Q. What is the difference between NESTLÉ CHOC BITS and NESTLÉ Melts?
A. NESTLÉ CHOC BITS are good-quality chocolate that have been formulated to hold their shape and withstand oven heat when baked. NESTLÉ Melts are compound chocolate formulated for quick easy fuss free melting.