Flavoring tempered chocolate?

[ChocoNM]

I've got an idea for a chocolate I want to make, but to do it I'll need to flavor tempered chocolate. I want to add espresso to the tempered choclate, but I know I can't add liquid coffee or it will seize. Would instant espresso powder work? Or do I need to get some "espresso flavoring", and if so, what kind? I'm not using any artificial flavorings in my products at this point, so that may be a factor in product selection as well. (Not sure exactly the difference between "natural" and "artificial" flavorings, as both are processed food products...)

TIA,

Steve

[Marmalade]

You need to add a fat-soluble flavoring (usually oil-based, NOT water based).

[mkayahara]

Why not melt the chocolate, steep some coffee beans in it, strain it off, then temper the chocolate? As an added bonus, you'll end up with chocolate-covered coffee beans!

[gap]

Why not melt the chocolate, steep some coffee beans in it, strain it off, then temper the chocolate? As an added bonus, you'll end up with chocolate-covered coffee beans!

I have done just that and it works very well. Keep the chocolate melted while it is steeping at about 40C. I left the coffee beans in the melted chocolate for about 4 hours, then strained, tempered the chocolate and used as normal.

[TheTInCook]

Instant coffee has an interesting crunch. Found that out when I didn't fully dissolve it for a butter cream. It could make a cool inclusion in chocolate.

[ChocoNM]

Thanks for all the tips. Any guidelines on how much coffee per pound of chocolate? I'm thinking maybe a 1:8 ratio of coffee to chocolate - 2oz coffee to 1 lb chocolate.

[pastrygirl]

coffee beans treated like cacao to make coffee bars:

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/a-new-kind-of-coffee-bar/

[VilleN]

I'd toast the coffee beans before steeping them in molten chocolate. You can keep the chocolate molten in 40-60C at for at least a week without doing any bad to the chocolate itself.