Tempering is simply melting chocolate in a way that controls the temperature, so that the fat crystals are stabilized as the chocolate cools. After cooling, tempered chocolate will be thin, glossy and crisp. Tempered chocolate will add a polished look to your candies – literally and in the figurative sense in that they will be like the ones professional chocolatiers make!    Begin with a high cocoa butter chocolate, typically labeled as couverture, for best results and make sure the chocolate you are using is in good temper itself. It should be shiny, free of any streaks or mottling and it should snap when you break it. A chocolate thermometer (one that measures one-degree increments from 40°F to 130°F/4°C to 55°C) is required for best results.   Also, FYI, it is easier to work with the amount of chocolate that we call for in the recipe rather than a smaller amount. The amount listed below allows you to truly dip your truffles down into the tempered chocolate. It also means there will be some chocolate leftover. Just pour it out onto a piece of foil, let it harden, then chop it up to use later in recipes that call for melted chocolate, or use as chunks for cookies.   The instructions below are for a full tempering process. There are shortcuts, but they often provide results that lack the finesse of classically tempered chocolate.