With the crazy chocolate craze that's hit America recently, sometimes I feel overwhelmed with all the choices choice and more choices we have. I want to make sure my cookies are super high quality all the way but between Ghiradelli, Bakers, Joesph Schmidt, Lindts, Callebaut, Scharffen Berger... well you get the point...how do you decide? Based on a little research and a few baking epxeriments, here's what I've found.
The best is NOT necessarily the most expensive - praise God! and in all cases check check the label! If it lists any fat other than cocoa butter, it's not the good stuff.
What to look for:
Semisweet Baking Chocolate: Ingredients should read (in this order): chocolate (unsweetened), sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, vanilla extract. No other fat other than cocoa butter. I like to use chocolates that contain 72% cocoa solids for the chocolate toffee crunch and orange chocolate coconut truffies.
Unsweetened Baking Chocolate: This is the juice of the cacao plant. It should list one ingredient...CHOCOLATE. Way too bitter for my taste.
White Chocolate: It can't be chocolate if it's white...can it? If the ingredients listed on a package are sugar, cocoa butter, milk, soy lecithin, and vanilla extract then it can. Remember, no other fats! I only use white for the white chocolate cranberry pistachio truffie, although I've had increasingly more and more requests for a white chocolate macadamia nut one as well. It may be coming in the near future!
After that - I guess it just comes down to preference. Happy baking!
3 comments:
I really like your original idea for a cookie. Reminds me of a decadent, tasty, ravioli. :)
Best of luck in your exciting venture.
Thanks! I know I've gotten crazy off the wall requests, like pizza flavored, shepard's pie and ham & cheese cookies. I think people just like the idea of stuffing things :).
When I bake chocolate cupcakes I mainly use Scharffen Berger cocoa. I have tried others, but nothing compares. Before I started baking I always wondered about all the whoopla regarding different chocolate. I get it now. Vherona is also really good. I am sure with truffles it is different. I do like Ghiradelli when I bake for home.
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