Chocolate Types And How To Use Them When Baking

People love to bake with chocolate for various reasons, including its health benefits. In fact, chocolate gives your pastries, cakes, and desserts, that special flavor and irresistible taste. Never underestimate the bitter-sweet feeling it comes with. The only problem is when, how, and what form of chocolate to use.

Chocolate comes in powders, bars, chucks, and chips, among other forms. This makes it a little challenging as to which to choose for specific bakings. Here are some tips on when to use a particular form of chocolate.

Cocoa powder

Unsweetened cocoa powder comes in Dutch process, regular, and dark cocoa powder. You can replace Dutch cocoa powder with the regular when preparing any chocolate-based dessert. However, Dutch cocoa powder cannot replace regular since it can affect the leavening. Although it’s richer in flavor and darker color, Dutch cocoa powder goes through a high alkalinizing process. This can affect the leavening agent and end up affecting rising. On the other hand, dark cocoa gives your baking a darker and more intense chocolate flavor.

Chocolate chips

Chocolate chips turn cookies, quick bread, bars, and other snacks into great bites. They come in different varieties including, dark, white, and milk chocolate chips. Milk chocolate has a lighter color and a sweeter flavor. Compared to semi-sweet, this one has a smoother texture and is creamier due to its milk fat content. Semi-sweet chocolate chips stand in the middle of sweet and bitter. It is made of dark chocolate and sugar. White Chocolate Chips does not contain chocolate. It is made of milk, fat, sugar, and butter.

Baking chocolate

Baking chocolate comes in bar form, and you will have to melt it before using it in your recipe. It contains 50% cocoa powder and varieties like milk chocolate, semi-sweet, and white chocolate. Baking bars can be used in garnishing cakes. You can use this in place of chocolate chips when needed.