Tempering method for chocolate containing milk-fat fractions.

Anhydrous milk fat (AMF) was fractionated by a
two-stage dry fractionation process to produce three fractions~--
high- (HMF), middle-(MMF), and low-melting (LMF). The effect
of replacing 12.2-40% by weight of cocoa butter with these
fractions on the tempering profile of milk chocolate was studied.
Degree of temper was evaluated by differential scanning
calorimetry, and expressed as the ratio of enthalpies of melting
for higher-stability polymorphs to those of lesser stability. The
degree of temper was dependent on the crystallization time and
temperature, and the type and quantity of milk-fat fraction in
the formulation. Chocolates containing AMF or its fractions in
concentrations of up to 20 wt% (total fat basis) were tempered
after a conventional thermocycling tempering process (50~
min, 27.7~ min, 31~ min) to obtain products with good
contraction and mold release properties. For those milk chocolate
formulations that did not temper by the conventional
method and resulted in poor contraction and mold release, a
new tempering protocol was developed. Lower crystallization
temperatures and/or longer holding times were required at concentrations
of AMF, MMF, or LMF above 20%. Chocolate containing
HMF required slightly higher crystallization temperatures
because of high viscosity. Chocolates containing up to
35% HMF and up to 40% of the total weight of fat in the chocolate
of AMF, MMF, and LMF were successfully tempered by adjusting
crystallization time and temperature.