Yes, you can add cocoa butter to dark chocolate. In fact, it's a common practice, especially when tempering chocolate or adjusting its viscosity.
Adding cocoa butter can improve the fluidity of melted chocolate, making it easier to work with for applications like coating candies or creating thin, even layers. It can also help prevent chocolate from seizing.
Here's how you can incorporate cocoa butter into dark chocolate, based on tempering principles:
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Melt the Chocolate: Carefully melt the dark chocolate to around 115°F (46°C), using a double boiler (bain-marie) or a chocolate melter. Avoid overheating, as this can damage the chocolate.
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Cool the Chocolate: Allow the chocolate to cool to about 95°F (35°C). This is crucial for proper tempering.
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Add Cocoa Butter: Add a small amount of cocoa butter (around 1% by weight) to the cooled chocolate. Microplaning the cocoa butter can help it melt more quickly and evenly.
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Stir and Maintain Temperature: Gently stir the chocolate until the cocoa butter is fully incorporated. Maintain the temperature of the chocolate within the optimal range for dark chocolate (around 88-90°F or 31-32°C) while working with it.
Adding cocoa butter provides more fat for the chocolate and can help prevent blooming. Blooming is when white streaks form because the fat has separated.
