Is it true or false that colored cocoa butter needs to be tempered if it is painted into a mold?

The statement is false. Colored cocoa butter does not need to be tempered when it is painted into a mold. The primary purpose of tempering chocolate is to stabilize the cocoa butter crystals, which helps achieve a glossy finish and prevents the chocolate from developing a bloom on the surface. However, with colored cocoa butter, the alignment of the cocoa butter crystals is less critical since it is often used primarily for decoration rather than as the main body of the chocolate product.

In practice, when colored cocoa butter is applied, it is usually melted and then painted or sprayed onto molds before the chocolate is introduced. Since the cocoa butter acts more like a decorative coating, there is no requirement for it to be tempered in the same way that standard chocolate must be. This allows for more creativity and flexibility in the chocolate-making process without the added step of tempering.

Understanding the difference between the treatment of colored cocoa butter and that of traditional chocolate is key in mastering the techniques of chocolate decoration.