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Expert guide > Complete guide to chocolate
Complete guide to chocolate
Chocolate. Just the word is enough to make your mouth water. But when it comes to cooking with chocolate, there are a few potential traps you need to avoid.
There are three main varieties of chocolate - dark, milk and white. To
make dark chocolate, cocoa beans are dried, fermented, roasted and ground
to produce cocoa mass (comprising cocoa butter and cocoa solids).
The cocoa mass is mixed with sugar, extra cocoa butter, and emulsifiers and flavouring. Milk chocolate has milk solids added during the process, while white chocolate isn't technically chocolate
at all as it's made without cocoa solids.
Whichever type or variety you prefer, use this step-by-step guide whenever you're cooking with chocolate - it has all the secrets you need for success.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHOCOLATE
Couverture chocolate: Made with at least 32 per cent cocoa butter, this chocolate has a smooth texture, melts easily and has a shiny finish. It needs to be tempered (see p 126 for how to temper) before being used for dipping, coating or piping. Find it in the baking aisle of Woolworths. This is the best quality chocolate for cooking. Use it to add a sublime, rich chocolate flavour to your desserts.
Choc bits: These have a high fat content and are formulated
to hold their shape and withstand the heat of the oven during the baking process. They're sold in
the baking aisle of Woolworths. Use whole when you want to add a choc-chip effect to cake, slice or biscuit mixtures
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Compound chocolate: This is made with vegetable fat or oil rather than cocoa butter, making it easier to melt. It can also be set at room temperature without tempering. It's sold in blocks or as melts in the baking aisle of Woolworths. This sets very easily,
so it's great for coating truffles or piping
onto cakes.
Eating chocolate: Eating chocolate varies in quality, flavour and texture according to quantities of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. You can use it in cooking, but it needs to be tempered (see p 126) before using for coating or piping. Find it in the confectionery aisle of Woolworths. Enjoy it on its own or use in recipes, such as brownies or mud cakes, that call for a rich chocolate flavour.
Cooking chocolate: This usually has the same ingredients as eating chocolate, but the formula has been altered slightly, such as with added fat, to make it more suitable for cooking. It's sold in the baking aisle of Woolworths. Use it in general chocolate cooking and baking, such as cake and slice mixtures.
Cocoa powder: A dry and highly concentrated powder, this is made from cocoa mass that has had most of its butterfat removed, so it's low-fat compared to other types. Find it in the baking, and tea and coffee aisles. This has an intense flavour. Use it in drinks, cakes and desserts or to make low-fat treats.
There are three main varieties of chocolate - dark, milk and white. To
make dark chocolate, cocoa beans are dried, fermented, roasted and ground
to produce cocoa mass (comprising cocoa butter and cocoa solids).
The cocoa mass is mixed with sugar, extra cocoa butter, and emulsifiers and flavouring. Milk chocolate has milk solids added during the process, while white chocolate isn't technically chocolate
at all as it's made without cocoa solids.
Whichever type or variety you prefer, use this step-by-step guide whenever you're cooking with chocolate - it has all the secrets you need for success.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHOCOLATE
Couverture chocolate: Made with at least 32 per cent cocoa butter, this chocolate has a smooth texture, melts easily and has a shiny finish. It needs to be tempered (see p 126 for how to temper) before being used for dipping, coating or piping. Find it in the baking aisle of Woolworths. This is the best quality chocolate for cooking. Use it to add a sublime, rich chocolate flavour to your desserts.
Choc bits: These have a high fat content and are formulated
to hold their shape and withstand the heat of the oven during the baking process. They're sold in
the baking aisle of Woolworths. Use whole when you want to add a choc-chip effect to cake, slice or biscuit mixtures
read on below advertisement
Compound chocolate: This is made with vegetable fat or oil rather than cocoa butter, making it easier to melt. It can also be set at room temperature without tempering. It's sold in blocks or as melts in the baking aisle of Woolworths. This sets very easily,
so it's great for coating truffles or piping
onto cakes.
Eating chocolate: Eating chocolate varies in quality, flavour and texture according to quantities of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. You can use it in cooking, but it needs to be tempered (see p 126) before using for coating or piping. Find it in the confectionery aisle of Woolworths. Enjoy it on its own or use in recipes, such as brownies or mud cakes, that call for a rich chocolate flavour.
Cooking chocolate: This usually has the same ingredients as eating chocolate, but the formula has been altered slightly, such as with added fat, to make it more suitable for cooking. It's sold in the baking aisle of Woolworths. Use it in general chocolate cooking and baking, such as cake and slice mixtures.
Cocoa powder: A dry and highly concentrated powder, this is made from cocoa mass that has had most of its butterfat removed, so it's low-fat compared to other types. Find it in the baking, and tea and coffee aisles. This has an intense flavour. Use it in drinks, cakes and desserts or to make low-fat treats.
Recipes Michelle Southan Photography Steve Brown Styling Michelle Noerianto
