Dark Chocolate?

Kitty_N

I was just wondering why all baking recipes that call for chocolate always insist on dark chocolate.

I really dislike dark chocolate but I'm wary of using milk chocolate since sometimes they specifically say not to use it. Will there be a huge difference?

Also, I found a great milk chocolate in Aldi that claims to be 60%. Would this do as a compromise?

The Sweeper

Whether or not there'll be a difference depends on the recipe.

Dark chocolate is high in cocoa solids = higher the cocoa, the better quality the chocolate usually. 70% cocoa is usually a good level for cooking.

The flavour doesn't come out in the end product as being 'dark chocolate' though - because most baking recipes add sugar and eggs and dairy products, which means the finished product has a rich, chocolate flavour without the bitterness of dark.

I wouldn't use milk chocolate on any recipe you have to 'cook' - its composition is so different I don't think it'd have the same outcome.

Magic Monkey

60% cocoa solids isn't milk chocolate, it would be dark - the upper limit for milk is around 45%. But any dark chocolate around 50-60% is usually palatable for milk chocolate lovers, so try that in baking.

Use milk chocolate in baking over dark chocolate if you wish, just bear in mind while the sugar contents are similar, there is milk powder, about twice the cocoa butter content, and only about 1/4 of the cocoa mass (basically cocoa powder) content compared to dark. Baking wise, this means a less chocolatey tasting (as cocoa butter is tasteless, so you're only getting the taste from the cocoa mass), but more fluid ingredient. So if your recipe calls for 100g dark chocolate with a 11% cocoa butter content for example, and you use a milk chocolate with 22% cocoa butter, just reduce any additional oil/butter in the recipe by 11g.

Kitty_N

Thanks for the advice. I made the raspberry cheesecake brownies from here last night: http://www.kayotickitchen.com/

They are delicious but the centre refused to set so I ended up covering the entire thing with tinfoil and tearing a hole in the middle so that it would brown without burning the outside.

If I was making them again I'd up the cooking time to about an hour and 20minutes and cover it with tinfoil for the first 50 minutes.

kerash

Kitty_N wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I made the raspberry cheesecake brownies from here last night: http://www.kayotickitchen.com/

They are delicious but the centre refused to set so I ended up covering the entire thing with tinfoil and tearing a hole in the middle so that it would brown without burning the outside.

If I was making them again I'd up the cooking time to about an hour and 20minutes and cover it with tinfoil for the first 50 minutes.

I'd guess that because it's cream cheese it wouldn't set completely and it does advise to cool off completely; preferably overnight, maybe try a lower temp for longer and hey a little gooey brownie would be deliciously fine I think! They look nommy btw:)

lallychops

i used a chocolate with a 40% coco solid for a recipie that told me to use 70% it actually turned out nicer i dont reall care if it tells me to use 70% its just not as sweet imo but for some recipies like chocolate pots ud have to use the 70% its all about trial and error . and most of my trials turn out great ;D

MandyM

I hope it's ok to ask this here, it is chocolate related

Where could I buy Valrhona chocolate? So many recipes I come across suggest using Valrhona chocolate, and being curious, I'd like to try it out for myself to see what all the fuss is about

catho_monster

Valrhona = Fallon & Byrne.

MandyM

catho_monster wrote: »

Valrhona = Fallon & Byrne.

I should have known, thanks!

olaola

These are almost identical to the Avoca version. If you don't use full fat cream cheese, sometimes it won't set. But when it cools - they should be fine. And defo use the dark chocolate - it adds to the decadance. HAHM!