Why You Should Always Have Coconut Oil On Hand When Melting Chocolate
Melting chocolate is an essential part of making a few different treats. It can be turned into a sweet ganache to pour over your cakes. You can buy silicone molds to pour the chocolate in, and once it's hardened again, it can create fun decorations for your treats. You can also add other ingredients to the melted confection to turn it into a sweet dip for cookies, fruits, and marshmallows.
When you're melting chocolate, it should not be heated above 133 degrees Fahrenheit or you run the risk of ruining the treat. If you do accidentally burn your chocolate, it might not be a total loss. All you'll need to do to salvage the scorched chocolate is add in a little bit of coconut oil.
When chocolate gets too hot, it can become thick, difficult to work with, and dull in appearance. Fortunately, coconut oil is the remedy to all three of those issues. The oil can thin out the texture of the melted chocolate, allowing for easier pouring and mixing. Plus, mixing some coconut oil into your chocolate could make it a little shinier once it hardens.
The oil will revive your burnt chocolate
To start salvaging your burnt chocolate, remove it from the heat. Using a double boiler to melt down your chocolate is preferred over the microwave since you have more control over the melting process, but chocolate can still burn on the stovetop. As soon as your burnt chocolate is removed from the heat, add in a little bit of coconut oil and mix it quickly.
You'll want to add in only a small amount of the oil at a time — too much could create an unpleasant texture in the chocolate. Stir in a spoonful of coconut oil until it's blended with the chocolate, adding more as needed. The oil will help thin out the chocolate and make it easier to mix and pour.
As for the appearance of the chocolate, coconut oil can remedy that, too. While burnt chocolate can lose some of its sheen and look dull, adding in some oil can revive some of that shine by helping to bring some moisture back to the chocolate.
Coconut oil could limit what the melted chocolate is used for
If you want your chocolate to solidify again after being melted down, like when you're making chocolate-dipped strawberries or chocolate candies, you may want to avoid the coconut oil. The oil has a low melting point of around 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and when mixed with chocolate, the sweets could easily change shape again if they're not stored in the fridge and served cold.
However, this lower melting point could actually be beneficial when it comes to making recipes that require a smoother texture from the melted chocolate. The softer chocolate and coconut oil mix could keep the confection soft and smooth, making it easy to create a dip for fruit slices, to drizzle over baked goods, or to mix into a ganache.
The next time you accidentally burn your chocolate while melting it down, just grab a little bit of coconut oil to mix in. While the oil could slightly limit what you use the chocolate for, it will salvage your sweet treats and prevent you from having to start the melting process all over again.