Chocolate scorches very easily, so you should Never try to melt it over direct heat. If you have a double boiler, use it, if not, you can improvise one. Put the chocolate into a small saucepan, fill a larger one 1/2 full of water then when the water gets hot, set the small one in the larger one, it should float. Always keep the heat turned low so it won't boil, because if the steam gets into the chocolate it will become hard to handle. Stir it occasionally until it is smooth and all of the lumps are melted. If you have a microwave, you can use it to melt the chocolate. Never use the normal high setting, use the defrost mode instead. Stop it once a minute to stir.

To make chocolate Curls for use as a decorative topping, let a square of unsweetened chocolate stand where it will warm up but not melt. Use a vegetable parer (a peeler) to slice thin shavings from the back of the square. The chocolate curls as you shave it.

If a recipe calls for one form of chocolate, it is usually best to use that kind. If for some reason you can't get the kind that's called for, use this formula to convert the recipe:

2 squares of unsweetened chocolate=
12 oz's of semisweet morsels=
1/2 cup of cocoa + 1/4 cup of hot condensed milk