shiny, smooth and have a good “snap” when it is set. Chocolate that has not been tempered or that has been improperly tempered will look flat or discolored. It will lack the sharp “snap” of tempered chocolate and will typically not be as smooth as it melts.

Tempering can be done in several ways by hand, and there are also machines available for this. If tempering by hand, it is very helpful to have a good digital thermometer handy to get the temperatures correct. Experienced chocolate makers can often do this by feel alone, but a thermometer will help keep you on the right track as you work with your chocolate. Tempering by hand can be done by pouring melted chocolate onto a cool marble surface and worked with spatulas until it has cooled down sufficiently. More melted chocolate is added back and