Melting chocolate for holiday baking doesn't have to take up a large chunk of your time, especially when you're schedule is already chocked full of events. Preparing your chocolate in the microwave takes a little over or under a minute, depending on what type you have in your kitchen. Using this method gives you more freedom to oversee other areas of your baking then you would typically have when melting with a double boiler or water bath.

One of the best pieces of information to remember when you melt chocolate using this method is to check it often because unlike with a double boiler or water bath, you can't see what's going on. All you need to melt your chocolate is the microwave, bowl and spoon, which will keep your cleanup to a minimum because you don't need to use as many pots and pans.

Break apart the number of chocolate bars you need to complete your recipe. Cut the chocolate into smaller pieces using a knife to speed up the melting process even more. Place them into a microwave safe bowl and locate the heat control setting.

Set the heat control on your microwave to low if you have this feature before you begin melting the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in intervals from 20 to 30 seconds, depending on how your microwave runs.

Remove the chocolate from the microwave and give it a good stir. Repeat the process of melting the chocolate for 20 to 30 seconds, stirring after each block of time, until it fully melts. The process of stirring the chocolate helps you melt it evenly from the inside-out.