Tempered Chocolate for Marshmallow Chicks

Chop 1 pound chocolate finely with a serrated knife, and place it in a metal bowl.

For dark and milk chocolate: Bring a medium saucepan with about 2 inches of water to a simmer, and turn off the heat. Set the bowl of chopped chocolate over the saucepan, and melt the chocolate. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate reaches 118 degrees on a chocolate thermometer.

Remove the bowl from the saucepan, and add the remaining 1/2 pound chocolate in one piece to melted chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until the melted chocolate cools to 84 degrees. If necessary, remove unmelted piece of chocolate, and reserve for future baking. Place bowl over pan.

For dark chocolate, stir until thermometer reaches 88 to 90 degrees. For milk chocolate, stir until thermometer reaches 84 to 88 degrees. Use immediately.