Copyright © 2011 Sarah Phillips Sarah Phillips, Inc. All rights reserved.
There is specialty, pure chocolate, generally found in gourmet shops and baking chocolate, found in the grocery store. It can MELTED to liquid form, or further TEMPERED to use for CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONS. Baking chocolate is perfect to use in RECIPES, as are Chocolate chips or chunks. Chocolate is pressed into cocoa powder and used for baking.
For best results, be sure to use the type of chocolate and cocoa powder that the recipe calls for, as different varieties will react differently to heat and moisture, plus the taste and texture can change. You can SUBSTITUTE one for another, but within certain parameters.
Many recipes for chocolate desserts and cakes were developed with chocolate that contains 60% or less cacao, and unsweetened cocoa powder, whether Dutch-Process(alkalized) or natural. If you substitute with chocolate exceeding 60% cacao in recipes, you may need to make adjustments.
Make sure you STORE chocolate properly so it lasts a long time.
| VARIETY | DESCRIPTION | FLAVOR | USE |
| CHOCOLATE LIQUOR | Made by grinding the center of the cocoa bean (nib) to a liquid form. Contains about half cocoa butter and half cocoa solids when bean is pulverized. | Bitter | Baking ingredient |
| COCOA SOLIDS | Responsible for the dark, strong flavor | Strong | Chocolate ingredient |
| COCOA BUTTER | The vegetable fat from the cacao been extracted from chocolate liquor | Creamy | Baking ingredient |
| BAKING, BITTER | Non-alcoholic unsweetened chocolate liquor in solid form | Bitter | Baking ingredient |
| COCOA POWDER (NATURAL) | Powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed | Ranges from mild to strong, unsweetened | Baking, reduced fat and calorie recipes, ice cream flavoring |
| COCOA POWDER (DUTCH PROCESSED) | Cocoa powder treated with mild alkalizing agent such as baking soda | Stronger flavor and darker color than cocoa powder | To create deep color in baked goods, ice cream, beverages |
| DARK, SEMI-SWEET, BITTER-SWEET CHOCOLATE | The darkest of eating chocolates, high chocolate liquor content with added sweeteners | Strong chocolate flavor with minimal dairy flavor | Chocolate chips, baking, coatings |
| MILK CHOCOLATE | Contains cocoa butter, milk, sweeteners & flavorings that are added to chocolate liquor | Creamy, mellow chocolate with strong milk taste | Candy bars, baking, coatings |
| CHOCOLATE (CONFECTIONERY) FLAVORED COATING | Used as coating for candies. Contains sugar, milk powder, hardened vegetable oil & flavorings. It does not contain cocoa butter | Similar to other natural chocolate but may have a waxy taste | Less expensive alternative to natural chocolates |
| WHITE CHOCOLATE: is not considered chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids. | Blend of cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, flavorings, such as vanilla and contains no chocolate solids | Sweet, dairy taste with hint of chocolate from the cocoa butter | Candy bars, baking, coatings |
| CAROB: The carob bean is from an eastern Mediterranean evergreen tree of the pea family. It is not chocolate. | Made from the carob bean, it is sometimes used by those who are allergic to chocolate | Available as either toasted or untoasted powder (toasting helps bring out the flavor) | Carob powder, raw pods and carob chips |
