Did you know that over $400 million worth of chocolates are purchased around the world every Valentine’s Day?
A dessert prepared with chocolate can be a tempting sight at any time of the day, as the chocolate lovers across the globe need no special reason to devour their favorite treat. Even though there is a specific set of rules to make special recipes like chocolate truffles, tarts, cookies, ice creams, mousses, and cakes, it is important to know when to use chocolate chips and baking chocolate.
When you have some basic know-how about the chocolate you intend to use in a dessert, you can be assured that the resulting output will win heaps of praises from your loved ones.
Chocolate Chips vs. Baking Chocolate
It is true that both chocolate chips and baking chocolate are used for baking purposes, but they have distinct functions and characteristics.
Chocolate Chips
Santa Barbara Chocolate Cacao Chips are available in bags of different sizes to cater to your baking needs. Your kids will enjoy eating chocolate chips right from the pack when you are baking. These chips can hold their shape even when you are adding it to any dough or batter.
This is why choco chips are not used for the recipes that require you to melt and fold it, such as brownies, fudge frosting or cake. The FDA has defined the Cacao chocolate chips as the chocolate liquor to indicate that it is very pure and is free from alcohol and other fillers. If not stored properly, chocolate chips will turn sticky, grainy and become thick, making it unusable.
Baking Chocolate
You can buy baking chocolates in various forms, such as square slabs, huge chips or bars. It is commonly known as bitter chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and couverture chocolate. It can be incorporated into recipes by chopping it into small pieces and melting it. Make sure that you weigh the baking chocolate before you add it to the desserts to prepare desserts with perfect consistency.
Baking chocolate becomes very shiny and smooth after you melt it, making it easier to stir with other ingredients. These days, you can find several varieties of chocolate, such as bittersweet cooking chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate bars. The bittersweet variant has more cacao when compared to the semisweet variety. However, it is wise to use the unsweetened version to bake recipes.
Choosing The Right Chocolate
It is always best to buy the cooking chocolate from a reputed seller to stay assured of its quality. Before placing an order, always check the website of the chocolate seller to learn about the quality of the chocolates they sell. Buy chocolates that are manufactured from the cocoa fruits that are shade grown to make flavor rich desserts.
Choose only those chocolate brands that have tags like FairTrade chocolate and GMO-Free to enjoy the real taste of pure cocoa solids. Go for the bitter chocolates made from high-quality AA grade cocoa beans, as it has a smooth texture and excellent melting traits that helps in releasing the flavors completely.
Last Updated on by Himani Rawat