Chocolate Bars with Fresh Fruit

Temper the milk and bittersweet chocolates separately. Using a chopping board, chop half the chocolate with a serrated knife. You may also use couverture chocolate* in other forms, such as buttons, feves, or pistoles. Finely chop the other half, or process it with the blade attachment of your food processor, and set it aside. Place the more coarsely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, glass or metal.

If you have a double boiler, half fill the bottom part with hot water. Otherwise, half fill a pot or saucepan with hot water. Place the bowl in this, ensuring that it does not touch the bottom of the saucepan. Place the saucepan (or double-boiler) over low heat and check that the water does not boil. Stir constantly. (You may also use the microwave oven, but only set at "defrost" or at 500 W maximum.) As soon as the chocolate begins to melt, stir it regularly using a flexible spatula so that it melts evenly.

Check the temperature with your thermometer. When it reaches 151 F to 156 F (55 C to 58 C) for the bittersweet chocolate and 113 F to 122 F (45 C to 50 C) for the milk chocolate, remove the chocolate from the bain-marie and add the 3-1/2 oz. (100 g) finely chopped chocolate, stirring until the bittersweet chocolate cools to 82 F to 84 F (28 C to 29 C) and the milk chocolate, to 81 to 82 F (27 C to 28 C).

Briefly return the bowl to the bain-marie to raise the temperature again. Remove after a few moments, and continue to stir until bittersweet chocolate reaches 88 F to 90 F (3I C to 32 C) and milk chocolate, 84 F to 86 F (29 C to 30 C). In a mixing bowl, quickly combine the fruit (at room temperature) with the tempered chocolate. Immediately spoon into the molds and give them a little shake to ensure that the surface is flat.

Leave to rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator, turn out of the molds, and enjoy!