Cook's Note: Tempering, which requires more patience and care than skill, can be done in a variety of ways, but the end result must always be the same: a smooth, pure chocolate that will retain its satiny texture and shiny color once it has set. It can be done 3 different ways. 1) the demanding traditional, time-consuming (and messy) French way, called tabliering whereby two-thirds of the full amount of melted chocolate is poured out onto a cool surface and worked with a spatula until it reaches 81 degrees F and then worked back into the remaining melted chocolate until the whole mass is of a uniform temperature; 2) simply by working with the chocolate over a hot water bath; 3) in a microwave oven. Since the chocolate must reach and maintain an exact temperature in each case, you need a perfectly calibrated thermometer. I rely on a digital laser thermometer, which is a good investment if you want to make tempering an easy job.