After due warning, the second plague came to Egypt. Aaron stretched his hand out over the waters of Egypt, and frogs swarmed forth. They covered every inch of land, and entered the houses and bedrooms.

Wherever an Egyptian turned, whatever he touched, he found there the slimy bodies of frogs — the croaking of which filled the air.

For these chocolate frogs, I used simple plastic frog moulds from Amazon and filled them with dark chocolate that I tempered. The tempering of chocolate is an extra step that helps it stay shiny and gives it that distinctive snap.

METHOD: How to temper dark chocolate:

Tempering chocolate is essential if you plan on working with chocolate and moulding it. Without tempering, your melted and hardened chocolate will bloom, attract moisture, and not taste as good. Tempered chocolate has a shine and a snap when broken.

I use the “seeding” method, though there are many others — use the one that works best for you. When in doubt, I usually take the longer method. Though there are more steps involved, the slow approach works best for me.

Only temper the amount of chocolate you plan on using, since you’ll need to temper it again once it hardens.

Use immediately: Once it reaches this final temperature, your chocolate is tempered and ready to use. Pour into moulds and let set.

Tempering chocolate is essential if you plan on working with chocolate and molding it, without tempering your melted and hardened chocolate will bloom, allow moisture in and actually not taste as good. Tempered chocolate has a shine and a snap when broken. 

Chop and divide the chocolate: Finely chop your dark chocolate. Divide it into ¾ and ¼ portions. Set aside the smaller ¼ portion.

Melt over simmering water: Place the ¾ portion in a large bowl that fits over a pot with about an inch of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.

Heat slowly to 48℃ (118℉): Melt the chocolate slowly, stirring constantly, until it reaches 48℃ (118℉). Remove the bowl from the pot and wipe off any condensation.

Cool down with the reserved chocolate: Stir in the reserved ¼ chopped chocolate. Continue stirring until the temperature lowers to 27℃ (80℉). Measure frequently, wiping the thermometer between each use.

Reheat to working temperature: Return the bowl to the pot of barely simmering water and reheat to 32℃ (90℉).

Note: Even if you’ve followed all the temperatures exactly, sometimes tempering doesn’t quite work. Don’t let it put you off — and definitely don’t ditch the chocolate. Simply wipe everything down and start again.