|
|
|
 |
|
Depending upon the results you
want in a chocolate recipe, ie: color, texture and taste, different
combinations of baking soda and baking powder are used.
Read more about it. |
|
Chocolate
is always
weighed
when used in a recipe. However, the weight may appear on the wrapper.
A chocolate square from the grocery store comes in 1-ounce measurements, but
read the package instructions to make sure. |
|
 PURE
CHOCOLATE:
There
are two types of chocolate, sweetened and unsweetened.
The important thing is to buy "real" chocolate, which
means it contains cocoa butter. If it does not list cocoa butter as an
ingredient then don’t buy it. It is not the real stuff.
Store chocolate in a cool dry place. Make sure that it is wrapped
well as it can absorb flavors.
Here are three major components of a quality chocolate
bar: from the
washingtonpost.com
• Chocolate liquor, cacao,
also known as cacao mass, cacao paste or cacao liquor: By any
of these names, this is the "raw material" -- ground-up, whole cacao beans.
Chocolate personified. It is often referred to as a paste or liquor because
the friction of grinding melts the dense fat, and what comes out of the
grinding machine is a glistening, brown paste.
• Cacao butter, or cocoa
butter: the fat from the cacao bean. "Butter" is a more appealing word than
"fat," but don't let it fool you into thinking it comes from a cow. Not even
a brown cow.
• Cocoa, or cocoa
solids/cacao solids: The brown, solid parts of the cacao beans, ground to a
powder.
|
PURE
BAKING CHOCOLATE
COMES IN DIFFERENT WAYS:
Pure
chocolate that comes as a solid, block is used for
candy-making,
molding and enrobing,
etc, and for some baking. It includes many types determined by its
chocolate liquor content and added sugar.
Other
types, used for baking recipes such as brownies, cakes and cookies,
and are found in the grocery store. They come in 1-ounce squares
usually in the bittersweet, semi-sweet and unsweetened varieties. It
is made with a certain percent of chocolate liquor, the minimum
established by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), blended with
sugar and flavorings.
Although
baking chocolate has an intense flavor, it also may have a lower
cocoa-butter content and a less smooth texture than pure chocolate,
which goes unnoticed when combined with other ingredients.
What do the percentages mean?
The amount of cacao, also known as
chocolate liquor, or
the
amount of solids plus cocoa butter used in a
chocolate bar is expressed as a percentage to the other ingredients
by weight based upon the manufacturer's recipe.
They often use the terms "X% of
cocoa solids" or "X% of cocoa. Chocolate
liquor is what makes chocolate taste chocolaty.
Cocoa butter is a natural fat that is
present in cocoa beans. It is obtained by pressing the unsweetened
chocolate, or “chocolate liquor.” “Cacao” is also used when referring
to the bean, which yields the cacao components - chocolate liquor,
cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
-----------
The following standards apply to all chocolates
from ghirardelli.com
In the United States, a set of federal regulations, called the
Standards of Identity, govern the composition and nomenclature of
chocolate, and the types are legally defined to fit into certain
categories, such as unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and
sweetened. The categories encompass a range of chocolate with
different levels of cacao content.
Unsweetened Chocolate (100% Cacao Content)
Unsweetened Chocolate is also called
chocolate liquor. It is made from finely ground roasted cocoa nibs.
Can be natural or Dutch (alkalized).
Bittersweet Chocolates (35-99% Cacao Content)
This category has many names including Bittersweet, Semi-Sweet, Dark,
Extra Dark or Extra Bittersweet Chocolate.
Many types and brands of chocolate will
fit into this category ranging from 35% cacao content to 99% cacao
content. It must also contain at least 35% unsweetened chocolate and
less than 12% milk solids.
semisweet: (52 to 62
%
Cacao Content):
Semisweet chocolate is entry level for those who are new to darker,
more pronounced chocolate flavor. Callebaut's 56 percent is my kitchen
workhorse. With its accessible flavor and creamy consistency, it is a
dream to work with. It melts easily, combines well with other flavors,
and is fantastic for dipping. Other chocolates to use are: Cluizel,
Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, El Rey, and Lindt, all available at
supermarkets.
bittersweet: (63 to 72%
Cacao Content): Darker and more
pronounced in flavor than a semisweet, bittersweets are the favorites
of many chefs. However, their higher cacao content can make them
trickier to work with. For top-notch chocolate flavor in a bittersweet
I enjoy: Valrhona, Callebaut, Scharffen Berger, Lindt, E. Guittard,
Cluizel, and El Rey. Sweet
Chocolate (15-34% Cacao Content)
Sweet Chocolate contains at least 15%
unsweetened chocolate and less than 12% milk solids. Sweet Chocolate
is more commonly called Dark Chocolate, although it has a lower cacao
content than Bittersweet Chocolate. Milk
Chocolate - (36 to
46%
Cacao Content)
Milk Chocolate contains at least 10%
unsweetened chocolate, 12% milk solids, and 3.39% milk fat.The premium
milk chocolates from Cluizel, El Rey, Valrhona, Callebaut, E. Guittard,
and Lindt are all excellent. White
Chocolate -
(Must contain at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and 3.5%
milk fat. Just make sure you choose one with no added vegetable fat.)
Previously there were no legal standards
to define White Chocolate. Since it does not contain cacao solids,
white chocolate is technically not a chocolate. The Standards of
Identity recently created a legal definition to provide consumers with
more information. El Rey, Valrhona, Lindt, and Callebaut make
excellent white-chocolate bars.
-----------
How to understand the percentages on chocolate
labels
A bittersweet chocolate bar with 70% or more cacao means that it
contains 70% percent cacao by weight, slightly less than 30%
sugar by weight and less than 1% of vanilla (hopefully pure) or
vanillin (an artificial flavor) and an emulsifier (soy
lecithin), by weight, to enhance the
chocolate's flavor and smoothness and creaminess. Milk chocolate also
contains milk. Lesser quality chocolates also
include other fats (like palm kernel oil) and flavorings.
In
the high percentage chocolates - some additional cocoa butter is added
because it improves the way the chocolate flows and melts.
The cacao percentage determines the
chocolate's intensity, which is usually described as bitter, but it
can be floral, citrus, smoky,
earthy, or a combination of flavors, etc., depending on the origin of
the beans, how they were grown, and how they were processed. The smoothness and creaminess
of the chocolate depends on
the amount of cocoa butter in the bar.
For example, a 70% cacao bittersweet
has more cacao and less sugar than a 62% cacao semisweet chocolate.
The semisweet is sweeter than the bittersweet. A 99% cacao unsweetened
chocolate has no sugar at all.
The percentages
do not tell he quality of the chocolate bar you have selected.
The quality of chocolate is also affected by many other factors:
The percentages do not tell you
the proportion of coca butter to cocoa solids in the chocolate bar, so
two 70% coca bars may be different.
Cocoa butter is valued for its richness and its contribution to a
smooth texture. So, as long as you are comparing two high quality bars
to one another, the one with the higher fat content (and usually the
more expensive cost) has the higher coca butter content, as long as no
other fat has been added.
The percentages do not tell you
the manufacturer's experience in chocolate making, the quality of the
beans selected, the manufacturing processes such as roasting,
grinding, blending and conching, the recipe used and the quality of
the other ingredients used.
What do the chocolate percentages mean
for baking recipes?
For baking chocolate, the percentage allows
you to control the sweetness and chocolate intensity in a recipe. A
flourless chocolate cake, whose ingredients are simply bittersweet
chocolate. eggs, butter, sugar and cream, made with a 70 percent
chocolate will taste profoundly more intense with a clear chocolate
flavor than one made with a 40 or 50 percent chocolate, not labeled as
such, typically found in the grocery store. As well, the recipe may
perform differently because most recipes, at least the older ones,
weren't written with 70 percent chocolates in mind.
In ''A Year in
Chocolate,'' chocolate expert Alice Medrich writes that cakes made
with high percentage bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolates may be a
little thicker and cook a little faster than cakes made with ordinary
supermarket chocolate, so check for doneness earlier if you're baking
with a high percentage chocolate. Sugar adds moisture to cakes, and
helps tenderize them. A cake with less sugar can dry out in the oven.
For those who
prefer their confections sweet, Medrich suggests adding a little extra
sugar to the recipe or using slightly less chocolate when bittersweet
or semi-sweet chocolate is specified. But, note that these types of
additions and subtractions to a recipe can cause a recipes to fail or
cause numerous baking experiments until you get the recipe right
again. What I would do, if the recipe does not specify a specific
chocolate percent, is to use a 50% chocolate brand, usually found in
grocery stores. |
|
|
Unsweetened
= bitter chocolate = baking chocolate = pure chocolate = chocolate liquor --
not to be confused with bittersweet baking chocolate |
Unsweetened chocolate is almost pure cacao by composition and is
the only true baking chocolate. It contains more than 50 percent cocoa
butter, the remaining amount being what is termed cocoa solids. Unsweetened
chocolate is not palatable on its own (acidic), but it is the heart and soul
of all chocolate confections because it lets you control the sweetness of
the recipe. Unsweetened chocolate is present in some form in all other
chocolate. Mix with semisweet to make your own bittersweet (a little sweeter
than unsweetened.) Some cooks prefer to use it over sweetened chocolate
because it gives them better control of the sweetness and flavor of the
product. |
Sweetened: bittersweet,
semisweet and sweet. Sweetened
includes any chocolate with a certain amount of added sugar and goes
from very sweet, semisweet to very bittersweet.
|
The least sugar
to the most: Bittersweet, semisweet and sweet. |
|
| Find a chocolate you
like and stick with it. |
You can use either
bittersweet, semisweet, or sweetened baking chocolate in your recipes, but
use the type specified. The difference will be taste, not texture or
consistency.
|
I like to use dark bittersweet
chocolate, such as Valrhona for
tempering and
enrobing and Callebaut for
ganache.
(Callebaut is a bit thicker
than Valrhona).
For baking recipes, I like
bittersweet Baker's or Hershey's chocolate squares, available from the
grocery store. Sometimes I buy
Callebaut Bittersweet and it is excellent. For
semisweet, I use are Guittard,
Ghiradelli and Lindt. Ghiradelli can be bought in bars at your grocery
store in the baking section. |
 Bittersweet
Chocolate
is a sweetened chocolate that's heavy on the
cocoa solids and light on the sugar, giving it a rich, intense
chocolate flavor. (Do not confuse it with unsweetened
chocolate, which has no sugar at all.) Many
pastry chefs prefer bittersweet to semi-sweet or sweet chocolate, but
the three can be used interchangeably in most recipes.
The best bittersweet
chocolates contain at least 50% cocoa solids. (Usually the higher the
percentage of cocoa solids listed on the package, the more bitter the
chocolate. ) 70% cocoa solids chocolate is pretty bitter, and few
will like it, but it's used for baking and other ingredients will
round out the flavor.
Semisweet =
semi-sweet Classic dark chocolate, the long-running
favorite of home bakers. Its well-rounded sweetness pleases everyone.
Semisweet is also made by many manufacturers, American and European,
and is thus readily available in most stores, occasionally in a
variety of grades. It has smooth texture when eaten, is slightly nutty
and distinctively sweet. It is melted or chunked, in any recipe
calling for chocolate.
Sweet Chocolate = sweet dark
chocolate = sweet baking chocolate This is
similar to semi-sweet chocolate, only it has a bit more sugar.
It can be used interchangeably with bittersweet and semi-sweet
chocolate in most recipes. Baker's Chocolate calls its sweet chocolate
German chocolate.
German: Is a brand name for a
chocolate that is sweeter than semisweet. Developed by the Baker's
Chocolate Company by a man named German. It is dark and sweeter than
semisweet. It is good for icings and cakes. It usually comes in a bar
resembling a chocolate bar. If you can't find German chocolate, you
should be able to find a dark sweet chocolate, such as Hershey's or
Baker's in your local grocery store that can substitute. |
|
|
Dark
Chocolate = plain chocolate = continental chocolate = luxury chocolate |
This refers to
sweetened chocolate other than milk or
white chocolate. It includes bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet chocolates,
all of which can be used interchangeably in most recipes. |
|
Milk Chocolate |
In 1875, Swiss Daniel Peter perfected the manufacture of milk
chocolate.
It's made from real chocolate and whole milk,
thus it tastes creamy, sweet and smooth with a less pronounced chocolate
flavor.
Milk chocolate must contain 10%
chocolate liquor, 3.7% milk fats, and 12% milk solids by law (FDA). It
scorches easily because of its milk content, so
melt it gently.
This is a nutritional comparison of 1-˝
ounces of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and carob. Overall, there is
little difference regarding the nutrient content of the three.
(from www.unm.edu)
|
Nutritionals |
|
|
|
|
Calories |
230
|
220
|
230
|
|
Fat (g) |
14
|
13
|
13
|
|
Sat Fat (g) |
9
|
8
|
12
|
|
Cholesterol (mg) |
0
|
10
|
0
|
|
Sodium (mg) |
0
|
35
|
45
|
|
Caffeine (mg) |
31
|
11
|
0
|
|
Trans Fats |
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
White |
 Q:
What's the main difference between dark and white chocolate?
A: In white chocolate, there is only
cocoa butter (fat), sugar, milk solids, and flavor. In dark chocolate,
there are cocoa solids, as well. Because of the lack of cocoa solids,
white chocolate is harder to work with because it burns more easily and
is also milder in flavor than dark. |
Isn't really chocolate because it does not
contain any cocoa solids. It is in essence just flavored cocoa butter. The
more cocoa butter, the better the chocolate. The ingredients listed on a
package of white chocolate should be sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin
(an emulsifier) and vanilla extract. There are no standards to labeling.
Remember, palm kernel oil (or any other vegetable fat, for that matter) need
not apply. It scorches easily, so
melt it gently. Bars tend to taste better than chips. |
|
COCOA
POWDER: cocoa = unsweetened or natural
cocoa powder. (if the box says "cocoa powder", it's the same kind).
Dutch-process or Alkalized is a different type. |
|
It may surprise you to find
that 1 ounce of cocoa powder contains only 3 grams of fat, while the
same amount of unsweetened chocolate has 15 grams.
 You
can use cocoa powder in place of baking chocolate by melting one
tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil with three tablespoons of
cocoa for each ounce of baking chocolate required. |
Q:
Is there a rule of thumb used as to how to convert a white cake recipe
to a chocolate one?
A: Normally in a recipe, you can
substitute some cocoa for the flour in a white cake recipe to convert it
to a chocolate version. Per recipe, about 1/4 to 1/3 of the flour can be
replaced with cocoa powder and no more. (A little goes a long way and
too much dries your baked good).
You’ll
also need to because as
a general rule, alkalized cocoa absorbs more water than non-alkalized
cocoa. You'll also need to
adjust the leaveners. |
Cocoa powder is made by pressing some of the
cocoa butter out of roasted cacao beans. The remaining cocoa solids are
processed to make fine unsweetened cocoa powder.
There are two types of cocoa powder:
alkalized, also known as
Dutch-process, commonly used in baking recipes and nonalkalized, also called
natural. Look at the nutritional label to see if the ingredients include
"alkali", and if they do, you've found a Dutch-process cocoa. Natural cocoa
is rarely labeled with the word natural on the package, but will simply say
cocoa. Cocoa powder is sold plain or mixed with other ingredients such as
milk powder and sugar, forming an hot cocoa mix.
Cocoa mixes should not be substituted for cocoa powder in recipes.
|
The
more alkali the manufacturer adds in the cocoa's Dutching process, the
darker the powder becomes. Note that dark cocoas often have less
chocolate flavor than lighter cocoas. |
Dutch process cocoa is washed with an
alkaline substance such as potassium carbonate that reduces harshness and
acidity. (The process was invented by Van Houten in The Netherlands in the
early 1800s). The result is a smooth, rich and milder flavor than natural
cocoa powder.
|
Each type of cocoa powder has a different pH
factor, which reacts differently with the
leaveners and other acids in
the recipe, resulting in a certain color, taste and texture. The pH
scale goes from 0 to 14. A pH of 0 means a very high acid activity. See
some examples on how baking powder
and baking soda are used in chocolate recipes. |
Dutching also darkens and reddens the cocoa's
color and smoothes the baked good's flavor, making it ideal for baking
recipes. Dutching also changes the natural acidity of the cocoa bean,
raising the cocoa powder's pH level
from 5 to 8. This becomes important when creating recipes or when
substituting one cocoa type for another.
|
Chocolate
cake color is very sensitive to variations in
batter pH, which is the result of
interactions of various ingredients and variations in pH of these
ingredients.
 In
general, the color of cocoa will vary from cinnamon brown at pH 5.0 to a
chocolate brown at pH 7.0 and a mahogany at pH 7.5. This change is a
result of indicators in the cocoa which change from yellow in acid to
red in alkaline medium.
Factors that affect pH
include cocoa and chocolate ingredients, eggs, flour, and leavening
ingredients. Normally, the proper pH can be obtained in chocolate cakes
by adjusting the baking soda level. |
"Natural" cocoa, however, has not been chemically treated.
Untreated, natural powder allows the inherent fruitiness and full flavor of
the cacao bean itself to emerge. The light brown color
of natural powder is the true, unadulterated color of the roasted cacao
bean.
| Sifted confectioners'
sugar or cocoa powder
lightly dusted
over the tops of cakes makes a nice finishing touch. |
If you substitute regular cocoa for
Dutch-process or vice versa, you may need
to adjust the leavening system to achieve the correct pH balance. That's
because besides leavening, baking powder and/or baking soda contribute to
texture, color and taste.
However I advise against substituting one
cocoa powder type for another; it's not as simple as it looks and many times
it does not work. But, sometimes you can be lucky and it does!!
There are differing amounts of fat (cocoa
butter) found in cocoa powder. Cocoa butter helps give greater body and
richer flavor to recipes.
|
 | Low-fat cocoa has the
most fat removed and is what we buy in the supermarket. It typically
has less than 10% cocoa butter remaining. (Pastryonline.com
has what they call a low-fat cocoa with 10 - 12% cocoa butter fat.)
|
|
|
| Medium-fat cocoa has
anywhere from 10 to 22% cocoa butter in it. |
|
|
|
|
| Specialty and European cocoa powders
contain approximately 12 to 24% and ice cream/dessert manufacturers
can use cocoa powder with up to 33% cocoa butter content in their
products. (Bensdorp Cocoa from
Dean & Deluca
stores). |
|
Cocoa Comparison
Chart: Both Dutch process and natural
cocoa powders have different attributes. Besides the grocery store, both
types are available at
Penzeys.com with a high-butterfat content. (More fat =
more flavor!). Be careful when buying cocoa powder in bulk. It can be
repackaged with misleading labels. Go by the color of the cocoa powder for
type!
Read an interesting discussion about
cocoa powder types and how you can be mislead
when buying cocoa powder in BULK
GENERAL INFORMATION & SUBSTITUTIONS:
Substitution for 3 tablespoons (18 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa:
3 tablespoons (18 grams) natural cocoa
powder plus pinch (1/8 teaspoon) baking soda
Substitution for 3 tablespoons (18 grams) natural cocoa:
3 tablespoons (18 grams)
Dutch-processed cocoa plus 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1/8 teaspoon
lemon juice or vinegar
| |
Alkalized (Dutch Process)
Cocoa Powder =
Dutched cocoa = European process cocoa
is treated with an
alkali, such as baking soda |
Natural or Nonalkalized
Cocoa Powder |
|
Cocoa Brands |
Many European cocoa powders are Dutch processed. Hershey's
version is in a silver box and called "European-Style".
Others are Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain,
Bensdorp |
Popular brands are
Hershey's, Baker's, Ghirardelli, and
Scharffen
Berger.
|
|
Appearance |
Deep brown or red. |
Light brown, sometimes with a yellow cast. |
|
Flavor |
Milder chocolate flavor. Less bitter. More
well rounded. |
Natural cocoa is strong, dark and
bittersweet. It can also be astringent and bitter, with fruity notes. |
|
pH and Leaveners |
6.0 for a lightly alkalized cocoa, up to
8.0 for a highly alkalized product. Neutral and does not react with
baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder,
unless their are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities
used. |
Typically about 5.5 pH.
Acidic and usually paired with baking soda. When natural cocoa (an
acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it
creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed
in the oven. |
|
Effects on Baking
Performance |
Absorbs more water than Natural cocoa
powder. Mixes more freely with liquid – typically more than natural
cocoa. |
Absorbs less moisture than Dutch process
cocoa powder. It also absorbs moisture less quickly than Dutch
process, making it harder to mix. |
|
Substitutions:
Here are basic rules for adjusting the
leavening
when substituting with Dutch-process or Natural cocoa powder, however
it depends upon the recipe and the results you want to achieve.
However, due to the
differences in cocoa powders, do not substitute Dutch-processed for
unsweetened cocoa powder in recipes. |
If a recipe calls for Natural Cocoa Powder
and you use Dutch Process instead, in general, adjust the recipe by reducing
the baking soda.
For instance, if your recipe uses Natural cocoa powder and has 1/2
teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and you use
Dutch-process cocoa powder, adjust to 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
and omit the baking soda. It will help round the
cocoa's flavor. But, it does not mean the recipe will work
automatically - you have to test it to see if the adjustment in
leaveners and the new cocoa powder works. Cocoa can easily replace
unsweetened baking chocolate. The standard conversion is to use 3
tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil to
equal one square of baking chocolate. |
If a recipe calls for Dutch Process Cocoa
Powder and you use Natural: add liquid to formula. Adjust leavening by
increasing baking soda levels and/or reduce other acidic
ingredients. For instance, if your recipe uses Dutch process cocoa
powder and you switch to Natural, adjust the 1 1/2 teaspoons baking
powder in the recipe to 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon
baking soda. It will help round the
cocoa's flavor. But, it does not mean the recipe will work
automatically - you have to test it to see if the adjustment in
leaveners and the new cocoa powder works. Cocoa can easily replace
unsweetened baking chocolate. The standard conversion is to use 3
tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil to
equal one square of baking chocolate. |
|
Some of my favorite cocoa
powders: I have done A LOT of experimenting with cocoa
powder over the years in developing several of my commercial bakery
products to find the best one. I used Cocoa Barry Cocoa in my Healthy
Oven Low-fat Baking Mix line. The Chocolate Muffins and the Chocolate
Quick-Cake Mixes were so fudgy and delicious. Plus, after baking, the
muffins and cake's color was a nice and deep reddish-dark brown. I
purchased it wholesale in hundreds of pounds at a time over 10 years
and was pleased with it every time!
Perginnoti Italian Cocoa Powder is another fabulous one. I
purchased it wholesale and used it in my Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies,
from my Simply Sarah's Gourmet Cookie Line that I sold to Grace/s
Marketplace and Bloomingdale's in NY City.
Scharffen
Berger.
They have a wonderful baking chocolate in
their repertoire. |
| I develop
baking recipes and in doing so, I have experimented a lot with both
chocolate and cocoa powder, especially in reduced-fat ones.
Baking chocolate contains cocoa butter (15
grams fat per ounce of unsweetened chocolate) which gives creaminess
and richness to a recipe, while cocoa powder has less (1 ounce has 3
grams of fat), usually resulting in a drier recipe, but with a deeper
chocolate color. In typical reduced-fat recipes, all of the chocolate
squares are usually substituted with cocoa powder resulting in a
recipe that doesn't even resemble a cake or brownie, for example. No
wonder many proclaim that reduced-fat recipes are flavorless and have
a funny texture.
When reducing the fat in recipes, for
the best of both worlds, I have come to prefer the use some baking
chocolate squares in addition to the cocoa powder. This allows me to
create a recipe that looks and tastes close to the original with the
best chocolate flavor and moist texture. (I believe that reduced-fat
recipes should resemble the original, full-fat version or why bother).
I did this in my
Chocolate
Reduced-fat Fudge Cake Recipe. I took the total amount
of baking squares called for in the original recipe (Mom's
Fudge Cake Recipe) and substituted some of them with
cocoa powder, plus adjusted the leaveners, baking soda and/or baking
powder, and other ingredients. |
To get great results when
you bake with cocoa powder:
Note - If the recipe just says to use "cocoa powder", use the Dutch-process
(alkalized) one, being the most commonly used.
|
| Measure cocoa
powder by lightly spooning the ingredient into the appropriate dry
measuring cup and leveling it off with the straight edge of a knife or
spatula. Tapping the measuring cup will result in an
inaccurate measure. |
|
|
| Cocoa powder
can be hard to incorporate into the recipe; it will often clump,
especially natural cocoa. The best way that I have found,
is to sift the flour and cocoa powder together, along with the salt,
leaveners and other dry ingredients. If using cocoa powder alone, for
best results, just sift before using. |
|
|
| The flavor
intensity of cocoa is diminished by exposure to air.
Purchase small containers and keep tightly sealed in a dark, cool
place. Look at the container closely before purchasing to make certain
you are not selecting a breakfast cocoa drink mix. |
|
|
| For best
results, don't substitute nonalkalized with alkalized, and vice versa;
use what the recipe suggests. However, some do switch
between the two with no ill effects, but it's a hit or miss
proposition. Sometimes the
leavers
need to be adjusted in type and amount. |
|
|
| Use alkalized
cocoa to intensify color and flavor.
The alkalization process neutralizes acidic components in the cocoa,
removing some of its astringency and contributing to a more
well-rounded flavor profile. Alkalized cocoa also has deeper color and
more intense flavor, which allows you to use less cocoa to achieve the
rich taste and appearance you want in your chocolate baked goods.
|
|
| Bake
with high-butterfat cocoa.
Cocoa butter helps give greater body and
richer flavor to your cakes and pastries. A high cocoa butter content
of 22% to 24%, will give you the best results in baking recipes.
|
|
| Often you'll
see hot water being used with recipes calling for cocoa powder.
It has been found that pouring hot water over cocoa releases a more
intense chocolate flavor. You can convert your recipes, by subtracting
a small amount of liquid called for in the recipe, and substituting
with hot water. Use it to make a cocoa paste before adding to your
recipe with your liquid ingredients. |
|
|
|
COMPOUND
COATING:
Also known as Summer Coating or Confectioner's coating =
compound chocolate = chocolate summer coating = decorator's chocolate =
confectioners' chocolate = confectionery coating = chocolate flavored
coating = confectioners’ coating chocolate |
|
This is an inexpensive chocolate that's melted
and used for dipping and molding. It is a blend of cocoa powder, sugar and
vegetable oil, sometimes used instead of expensive covertures.
Since it's made with vegetable oils, such as cottonseed oil, soybean
oil, or palm kernel oil, instead of cocoa butter, it's much easier to work
with than ordinary chocolate. It also melts at a higher temperature, so it
doesn't get all over your hands when you eat it. The downside is that it
doesn't have the rich taste and texture of regular chocolate and it sets up
very fast. It can scorch if you cook it at too high a temperature, or
seize if you add even a drop of
cold liquid to it after it's melted. |
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Merckens Wafers: |
There are
chocolate wafers called Merckens Rainbow Wafers. They are made from a
delicious special compound manufactured by Merckens Chocolate Co. designed
for melting and molding. This candy does not have to be tempered. Simply
melt and you're ready to make candy. Click to
purchase. |
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COUVERTURE
CHOCOLATE: = couverture-grade chocolate = coating chocolate =
commercial coating chocolate. Means covering in French. Mainly used by
professionals. |
|
Couverture means covering in French, and
professionals use this type of chocolate to coat candies and glaze cakes. It
has a higher percentage of cocoa butter (a minimum of 32%, often as much as
35%) than ordinary chocolate, and makes it "melt in
your mouth". It makes for glossier
coatings and a richer flavor. Available in bittersweet, semi-sweet, white,
and milk chocolate. It's expensive, and you may need to go to a specialty
store to find it. It comes in a solid block, which you
will need to chop up into little chunks before you try to melt it. It sets
with a deep color and a definite shine to it. |
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EATING
CHOCOLATE: |
|
Anything sold to be enjoyed as a bar usually
made from combining the chocolate liquor with sugar and flavorings, and
sometimes with palm kernel oil, artificial vanilla and lecithin, a
soy-derived emulsifier. These usually are not suitable for cooking.
Some eating chocolates, especially imported Swiss or Belgian products, have
very high cocoa butter content, and can be used as couverture chocolate. |
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OTHER: |
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Chocolate Chips: |
|
Q:
Why do my chocolate chips sink to the bottom of my cake during baking?
A:
Chocolate chips sink to the bottom because the batter is too thin.
Thicker batters, such as those for
Pound Cakes and some coffee cakes are dense enough to suspend
the chips. Miniature chocolate chips are less likely to sink because
they're smaller than the regular ones. If you can't find them, try
chopping the regular chocolate chips into small pieces. Some bakers toss
the chocolate chips in flour before adding them to the batter; I have
had mixed success with that technique -- it's really the thickness of
the batter that determines whether they'll sink or not. |
One cup of chips = 6 ounces. Chocolate chips
often have less cocoa butter (about 29%) than chocolate bars, which helps
them retain their shape better when they're baked in the oven. Also known as
morsels are made from only four ingredients: chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa
butter and vanilla. Avoid chips that contain vegetable oil instead of cocoa
butter--they have a waxy flavor.
There are specific recipes written that use
just plain melted chocolate chips for making chocolate dipped candy, fruit
or pretzels. They are easy to work with and are ALWAYS foolproof . You can
make your own chips by simply chopping some bittersweet chocolate or any
other type into small pieces, but they won't exactly work in the same
foolproof way that the chips do.
|
Q:
Does anyone know where I can get the Mint Chocolate Chips? My
family and friends love them and I can no longer find the mint chips!
Help!! Loni
A: You should be able to get them in
your local grocery baking section. (Robert,
Ask Sarah, 12-09-03)
WHAT A GREAT IDEA >>
Or, to make your own,
combine a 12-oz package of semi-sweet chips with 1/2 teaspoon of
peppermint extract in a zippered plastic bag. Shake well and let sit in
the closed bag for a week or two, till the chocolate absorbs the mint
flavor. Janet Z, Ask Sarah,
12-09-03 |
Chocolate chips keep best in constant
temperatures. It's best to store them in a cool, dry place. I always store
mine in the freezer, right in its package. Morsels can also get scuffed
sometimes in handling and shipping. These scuffs or scratches have no
bearing on the freshness of the chocolate.
You can make your own chocolate chips by
chopping chocolate into small or
medium size pieces. I have found in baking that milk chocolate doesn't do
very well in baked cookies. It tends to seize and become very hard after
baking. Semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolates do much better. Save the milk
chocolate to melt and spread on the top of already baked cookies. |
|
White Chocolate Chips = white chips |
They contain
less cocoa butter than ordinary white chocolate, so it's harder to melt
them. Substitutes: white chocolate (cut into chunks) OR
chocolate chips OR carob chips |
|
Chocolate Bark: |
Chocolate bark is both a candy or an ingredient. It is a blend of chocolates
that have been melted with vegetable oil and then with nuts, fruit or other
add-ins. You can also make it with Compound Coating or chocolate chips plus
add-ins. As a candy, it is dried in thin sheets, broken into large pieces
resembling tree bark. |
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Carob Powder & Carob Chips:
|
Made from the carob bean, it is sometimes used by
those who are allergic to chocolate. I do not like its taste, but some do.
It's available as raw pods, chips, and either as toasted or untoasted powder
(toasting helps bring out the flavor). Look for it in health food
stores and in some grocery stores.
The carob is an eastern Mediterranean
evergreen tree of the pea family, and the source of carob or locust bean,
which is used as a thickener, and in foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
paints, and textile sizing and finishes. The carob tree is sometimes known
as locust or St. John's bread, from a theory that the "locusts" that John
the Baptist ate in the wilderness were really carob pods. The seeds, which
are extremely uniform in size and weight, are thought to have been the
original standard karat weight used by jewelers and goldsmiths.
Carob has enjoyed increased popularity in
recent years as a low-fat, low-calorie, low-caffeine alternative to
chocolate. It is sometimes used as a substitute by those unfortunates who
are allergic to chocolate, since its flavor is vaguely similar.
Most cookbooks call for carob to be
substituted for cocoa, measure for measure, but since cocoa has a stronger
flavor, I find it is best to use less. To get the right amount, add carob to
taste. Carob has a higher sugar content and a lower fat content than cocoa
powder and some caffeine, so other adjustments need to be made: when
substituting cocoa powder with carob powder, per 1/2 cup, try decreasing the
sugar by 2-3 tablespoons or to taste, and increasing the fat content in the
recipe by 2-3 tablespoons butter or oil, or to taste. You'll have to
experiment because each recipe is different. Since carob burns more easily
than cocoa, the recipe may call for a lower oven temperature than is
necessary.
You can use carob chips in place of chocolate chips in
cookies or trail mix. |
|
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread = chocolate
hazelnut paste = chocolate hazelnut butter = gianduja paste = gianduia
paste |
This Italian
specialty is made with chocolate and hazelnut paste that Europeans use like
peanut butter. Nutella is a popular brand, available from the grocery store. |
|
Cocoa Butter |
Cocoa butter is
the edible vegetable fat that is obtained from cocoa beans. It has a mild
chocolate flavor and aroma. Cocoa butter contains natural antioxidants and
is one of the most stable fats known. It can be stored up to five years,
remains hard at room temperature, but melts below body temperature. Pastry
chefs add this to chocolate to thin it, usually so that they can pour a
thinner coating on a cake. In addition to it's culinary uses, it is used in
cosmetics, sun tan oils, and soap. |
|
Mexican chocolate = Mexican style sweet
chocolate |
1 tablet = 3.1
ounces. This grainy chocolate is flavored with sugar, almonds, and cinnamon,
and used to make hot chocolate and mole sauce. You can buy boxes containing
large tablets of this in the Mexican foods aisle of larger supermarkets.
Ibarra is a well-respected brand. Substitutes:
1 ounce = 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon OR
(in mole sauces) cocoa powder (Substitute one tablespoon cocoa powder for
every ounce of Mexican chocolate called for in the recipe.) |
|
Hot Cocoa Mix =
hot chocolate mix = instant cocoa mix |
You need only
add boiling water to this powdered mix and stir to make hot chocolate. To
make your own: Combine 2 cups powdered milk, 1 1/2 cups powdered
sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer. To make hot
chocolate, mix one part cocoa mix with three parts boiling water.
Substitutes: Mexican chocolate |
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Organic |
The problem with
most chocolates is that the beans are blended from many estates. So one type
of chocolate may be organic, but the rest aren't. This makes it difficult to
control, so you need to find a single estate chocolate.
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