and let it sit under the heat for awhile. Took awhile. Added butter to it and also some heavy cream. Would any of this have caused it to turn gritty? What is a proper way of melting chocolate into a silky texture?
Well I don't use a double boiler but if your flame wont get low enough then you do need a double boiler. I add cream to allow my chocolate to melt to a smooth consistency and if you are using a chocolate bar you can use a bread knife to cut it into smaller pieces. Also make sure you stir constantly and water is not touching the top of your pan you are melting the chocolate in
I have one of those electric skillets that I fill about halfway with water and leave at 200 degrees, and I put a glass bowl in the water with the chocolate, it keeps it melted. If you are wanting to make something like buckeyes, it is really hard to do it in the microwave, because it will melt but it will not stay melted. Before I got the electric skillet I used a medium sized sauce pan filled with water, and a small sauce pan to place inside with the chocolate. You could keep the temp to where the water is boiling lightly, or around a simmer. It works better than the microwave, but not as good as the skillet. If you use a pot on the stove the chocolate will burn to the pan.
Blitz it with a hand blender or similar. May help. Butter or cream shouldn't affect it permanently but burning the chocolate will. Edit - In a true double boiler the bowl containing the chocolate doesn't touch the boiling water, it sits above it so the steam heats the bowl.
