Celebration Chocolate Bars Recipe

This Celebration Chocolate Bars recipe is more than just a delicious treat – it’s a hands-on guide to mastering the essential skill of chocolate tempering. Designed specifically for foodservice professionals, this recipe walks you through the precise technique needed to temper couverture chocolate, ensuring a glossy finish and satisfying snap every time. 

Whether you're a chef, chocolatier, or hospitality operator looking to expand your dessert repertoire, this recipe offers a practical and rewarding way to build your chocolate skills while creating a product that’s perfect for gifting – especially during the festive season. 

Why should you use NESTLÉ Continental Bitter Dark Couverture Chocolate? 

The hero of this recipe is NESTLÉ Continental Bitter Dark Couverture Chocolate. With a 59% cocoa content, this is a premium couverture chocolate known for its rich cocoa flavour and excellent tempering properties. This chocolate is ideal for learning and practicing tempering techniques due to its consistent performance and smooth texture. 

A quick overview of the steps to tempering: 

• Melt the chocolate to 45°C 

• Table two-thirds of the chocolate down to 29°C 

• Return it to the bowl and cool to 32°C for use 

This method ensures your chocolate bars have a professional sheen and crisp snap – hallmarks of well-tempered chocolate. 

Perfect for Christmas and Seasonal Gifting 

Once tempered and moulded, these chocolate bars become elegant and highly customisable. Flavour with native Australian oils or add festive toppings like roasted nuts, dried fruits, or edible gold leaf, and wrap them with seasonal branding to create a memorable Christmas offering. These bars are ideal for catering, corporate gifting, or as a premium addition to your dessert menu. 

Alternative Option: Master White Chocolate Tempering 

For those looking to temper white chocolate, the recipe also includes an alternative using NESTLÉ Arctic Buttons (White Couverture Chocolate). This creamy, sweet couverture is perfect for creating visually striking white chocolate bars. 

To temper white chocolate, follow the recipe steps but adjust to the temperatures below:

• Heat to 40°C 

• Use at 27–28°C 

• Thin with cocoa butter if needed 

While white chocolate tempering can be trickier to master, this variation allows you to diversify your offering and cater to different customer preferences, especially in festive assortments. 

Tips for Success 

• Handle chocolate with cotton gloves to avoid fingerprints  

• Polish moulds with cotton wool for a high-gloss finish 

• Avoid water contact to prevent chocolate from seizing 

• Store in airtight containers to preserve shine and texture