Lets Talk Chocolate

Choosing chocolate for baking

Whether a chocolate is called unsweetened, bittersweet, or semisweet depends mostly on the percentage of chocolate liquor the chocolate contains. (Chocolate liquor is the paste made from ground cocoa nibs, which are extracted from roasted cocoa beans. The liquor contains cocoa butter and cocoa solids.)

Here's a rundown of the various types of chocolate.

Semisweet and bittersweet chocolate

Traditionally, these can be used interchangeably with semisweet giving a slightly sweeter result. Bittersweet generally contains less sugar then semisweet, but the distinction between the two types becomes hazy between brands. For examples a bittersweet chocolate offered by a supermarket brand likely has more sugar than a semisweet chocolate made by a premium chocolate maker.

Unsweetened chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate contains no sugar and so is about 99% chocolate liquor. It's extremely bitter and cannot be used interchangeably with semisweet or bittersweet chocolate.

Milk chocolate

Although popular to eat out of hand, milk chocolate is used less widely in baking then semi- or bittersweet chocolate. In the U.S., milk chocolate must contains a minimum of 10% chocolate liquor and 12% milk solids. In Europe, milk chocolate must contain 30% chocolate liquor and 18% dry milk solids as well as 26% total fat.

Gianduia (gianduja)

This silky-smooth hazelnut flavored chocolate comes in milk and dark chocolate versions. The team is also used to describe the flavor pairing of chocolate and hazelnut.

Chocolate chips

Specially formulated morsels that retain their shape and creamy texture without burning when baked, chips are ideal as mix-ins for cookies and quick breads. since they contains significantly less cocoa butter they behave differently that bar chocolate when melted, so it's best not to substitute chips when bitter- or semisweet chocolate is called for. But if a recipe calls for chips, you can often substitute coarsely chopped semi- or bittersweet chocolate.

White chocolate

Technically, this isn't really chocolate at all since it contains no cocoa solids, only cocoa butter mixed with sugar, milk solids, and flavorings.

Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is chocolate without milk solids added. Dark chocolate is often distinguished by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. The cocoa content of commercial dark chocolate bars can range from 30% (sweet dark) to 70%, 75%, or even above 80% for extremely dark bars. Common terms used to distinguish the cocoa content of dark chocolate bars include bittersweet, semi-sweet, and sweet dark chocolate.

How to store chocolate

Chocolate will keep for a year at room temperature, if kept below 70ºF wrap it in a few layers of plastic wrap to keep it as airtight as possible and put in a dark cupboard, away from strong-smelling foods. (chocolate, like butter, will absorb strong aromas) If your cupboard is too hot, you can store chocolate in the refrigerator or freezer, but a moist environment isn't the best. If you do chill your chocolate, bring it to room temperature while still in wrapped to prevent condensation from forming, as any water on the chocolate can interfere with its ability to melt smoothly.

How to melt chocolate

Chop first - Chopping chocolate  helps it melt more quickly and evenly. Because white and milk chocolate are delicate and scorch easily, it's best to chop them finely to melt them with minimal heat. Dark chocolate is more forgiving, so chop into coarse, almond size pieces.

Skip the double boiler, use a skillet instead -  Most direction for melting chocolate suggest using double boiler but for me it is easier and safer to use skillet than  double boiler. Just add water into skillet and bring it to boil in medium heat then, bring bowl of chopped chocolate right into skillet.

Stir the chocolate - Occasionally stir the chocolate as well as any other ingredients you're directed to melt along with it, like butter until melted and smooth. remove the bowl from the skillet, wipe the bottom of the bowl and let the melted chocolate cool slightly (unless otherwise directed) before using it.