About Chocolate

List of the most commonly used ingredients when baking sweet dishes using chocolate.
source: Chocolate Galore by Caroline Barty


Butter

Try and use the butter that the recipe specifies. The flavour of salted butter can really spoilt a dessert or confectionery as can cheap margarine.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is chocolate liquor that has had most of the cocoa butter removed and is dried into a very fine powder. Whatever you do don't confuse cocoa powder with drinking chocolate. Cocoa powder is unsweetened and should have no other additives. Dutch cocoa powder is the best as it is processed to reduce the acids that occur naturally in chocolate.

Plain Chocolate

Most recipes will specify which plain cchocolate to use, usually between 50 and 70% cocoa solids. Taste different brands to find your favourite as they can vary greatly.

Milk Chocolate

There is huge difference between good and bad milk chocolate. Try and buy one of the expensive brands and you really will notice the difference, both in flavour and texture.

White Chocolate

As mentioned, white chocolate is not actually chocolate at all as it contains no cocoa solids. Cheap white chocolate can be tricky to melt and can seize very easily if it comes into contact with a liquid or even a utensil with a different temperature.

Couverture Chocolate

Couverture Chocolate is what professional chocolatiers use for their work. It has a high cocoa butter content that when melted, produces a runny chocolate that covers in an even, glossy finish.