The process of tempering chocolate is all about forming the cocoa butter into a regular crystalline structure.  This gives properly tempered chocolate its signature glossiness and brittle snap.  I found these instructions on the tempering process and adapted them for sous vide. Here are the steps I took:

1. I crushed 5.00oz of Scharffen Berger Unsweetened 99% Cacao Baking Chocolate and sealed it in a 12” square vacuum bag.  The sealed chocolate was spread out in an even layer, about 1/4” thick.  [BTW, unsweetened (even the good stuff) chocolate tastes like shit.  I chose it because it was in the pantry.]
2. I set my Sous Vide Professional (generously on loan from Polyscience) to 115F in a 4-gallon basin with about one gallon of water.
3. I added the bagged chocolate and it began to melt instantly.  I felt the bag for lumps, and within 3 minutes, all of the chocolate was melted and presumably at exactly 115F. 
4. I lowered the set temperature on the sous vide machine to 84F and added a few large ice cubes and short bursts of cold water until the temperature reached 84F.  This process took about 7 minutes.  I held the temperature at 84F for 2 minutes.
5. Finally, I raised the set temperature to 88F.  The bath took 1-2 minutes to heat to 88F and overshot the desired temperature by .5F (for a moment, the temperature of the water bath was 88.5F).  I held the chocolate at 88F for 2 minutes.

[I learned later, after reading this article, that it may not have been necessary to raise-lower-raise the temperature, and that bringing the chocolate directly to 85-87F should have done the trick.]

I removed the bag and wiped it dry.  Then, I cut off one of the corners leaving a small opening, perhaps 1/16th of an inch, so I could pipe out the liquid chocolate.  I had a few Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Jo Jos (fake mint Oreos) lying around, so I covered them with the chocolate.  While it was still molten, the chocolate looked great (see below).

I the chocolate cool for 30 minutes before getting impatient and popping my tray of cookies into the freezer.  I let them freeze for about 10 minutes before removing them to take pictures (the surface temperate of the chocolate was 56F when I removed the cookies from the freezer).  Strangely, during the cooling process, a bizarre pattern formed on the surface of the chocolate.  It didn’t look properly tempered, as most of the chocolate was relatively dull and didn’t have much snap.  However, the chocolate was covered with an intricate pattern of darker, shinier dots and lines that reminded me of Damascus steel. 

Without knowing much about the molecular process of tempering (besides the very helpful information found here), my guess is that the dark areas represent places in the chocolate where beta crystals began to form.  The lighter, duller areas may be places where, for whatever, reason, the crystallization never quite took off. 

In every other method I’ve seen for tempering chocolate, the chocolate is stirred or circulated.  I couldn’t tell if the motion of the chocolate was purely to promote an even temperature, or if was critical for forming the crystalline structure of properly-tempered chocolate.  Since I was using a precisely temperature-controlled bath to heat my chocolate, I didn’t have to worry about circulating it to even out the temperature.  However, perhaps circulation really is key to an even temper. 

If there are any tempering experts out there, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this mysterious pattern!

It doesn’t matter how old you are – there’s still a little kid inside you who just loves roasting marshmallows over a campfire.  However, if a campfire is a impractical for your next dinner party, try this simple trick: use your fondue set for tableside s’mores.  [Caution: locate your nearest fire extinguisher before attempting, and don’t serve alongside that bottle of 90 proof Brandy.]

To make your s’mores a bit classier, try using premium chocolate (sorry Hershey’s, it’s not me, it’s you).  I prefer Seattle-based Theo Chocolate’s Coconut Curry and Fig, Fennel & Almond, though there are hundreds of exotic flavors out there that will easily earn you your Open Flame Artisan Pastry Making merit badge.

When I attended the Seattle Chocolate Festival last year, my eyes were opened to a whole world of savory chocolates.  I tried basil, lavender, cayenne… even tequilla-flavored chocolate.  This rosemary fudge is surprisingly quick and simple to make, and is a wonderful twist on a bake sale favorite.

Makes: about 2 lbs.
Total kitchen time: 30 minutes

Shopping list:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 tea bags, a tea infuser, or cheesecloth
• 12 Oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 Oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. gray salt, sea salt, or black salt (don’t substitute table salt)

1. Strip the rosemary needles off of the twig and pulverize them in a mortar and pestle to release their inner oils.  If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, put the rosemary in a plastic bag and rough it up with a rolling pin.
2. Divide the rosemary between the two tea bags.  Pour the condensed milk into a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the tea bags and submerge, being careful not to let the rosemary spill out.  Bring the condensed milk to a simmer (you’ll see wisps of steam) then remove from the heat and let the rosemary steep in the milk for 15 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, line the inside of a shallow 8”x8” baking dish with parchment or aluminum foil.  Try to get the foil as smooth as possible, so it doesn’t leave wrinkles in the finished fudge.
4. Remove the tea bags from the saucepan, pressing them against the side of the pan with the back of a spoon to release as much flavor as possible back into the condensed milk.
5. Add the chocolates and baking soda to a large glass or metal bowl and stir until the baking soda is evenly distributed.  Add the condensed milk and place the bowl on top of a pot of boiling water to form a double boiler.  Gently stir until the chocolate is almost fully melted.  Remove the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate mixture is smooth.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the salt evenly across the surface of the chocolate.  Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.  To serve, remove the block of fudge from the baking dish and cut into 1” pieces.

You can also try this recipe with sage, basil, or anything else that sounds good to you.