best Types Of Chocolate

If you always like to accompany your cup of coffee with a chocolate cookie or other chocolate-based treat,

or if you usually order a hot chocolate drink, you might not consider yourself a chocoholic, but you certainly make it to the fans’ category.

But even of chocolate is not your first choice when it comes to desert, you should probably by familiar with at least its main categories, just in case you are asked if you prefer couverture over white chocolate for your ice-cream glace.

– Dark Chocolate can contain anything from 30% to 75% cocoa solids. It has a slightly sweet flavor and a dark color and it is the chocolate type most used in cooking.

For everyday cooking and the majority of the recipes for dark chocolate, choose one with around 50% cocoa solids. However, dark chocolate with a higher cocoa solid content will give a richer, more intense, flavor.

This chocolate is often called luxury or continental chocolate and has a cocoa solid content of between 70-75%. Occasionally, cooking experts support that it is essential to use a better chocolate, but the recipe should specify when that is the case.

– Milk Chocolate, as its name suggests, contains milk and has lovely creamy, mild, and sweet flavor. It is mostly used as an eating chocolate, rather than in cooking.

However it does have its place in chocolate cookery, especially for decorations, and when a milder, creamy flavor is required. It is more sensitive to heat than dark chocolate so care must be taken when melting it.

– White Chocolate contains lower cocoa butter content and cocoa solids. It can be quite temperamental when used in cooking.

Always choose a luxury white cooking chocolate to avoid problems and take great care not to overheat when melting it.

White chocolate is useful also for color contrast in decoration, creating a dramatic effect when it is placed over darker backgrounds.

– Couverture is the preferred chocolate for professional use, as it retains a high gloss after melting and cooling. Nevertheless, it requires tempering and is only available from specialist suppliers.

In case it can be found to special cooking supply stores, it usually is more expensive than regular milk chocolate.

– Chocolate Glace is a chocolate-flavored cake covering which is an inferior product not generally used by true chocolate lovers. However, it has a high fat content, making it easier to handle when making some decorations such as curls or caraque.

In case you do not want to compromise flavor too much, but have difficulty making the decorations with pure chocolate, try adding a few squares of chocolate-flavored cake covering to a good quality chocolate.

– Chocolate Chips are available in dark, milk, and white chocolate varieties, and are used primarily for baking and as decoration materials.

– Coco Powder is the powder left after the cocoa butter has been pressed from the roasted and ground beans. It is unsweetened and bitter in flavor. It gives good, strong chocolate flavor when used in cooking.

Delicious Shapes: Chocolate Molds

A chocolate mold is a cavity, usually made of plastic, used for forming chocolates in desired shapes.

A chocolate mold can usually withstand up to 160 degrees F of heat so should be used with low-heat melting chocolate. Some molds are made from rubber or silicone, while other chocolate molds are made from metal.

Most chocolate molds produce one sided chocolates which are flat on one side and formed on the other. Some manufacturers provide three dimensional molds that create a fully shaped chocolate.

This is usually achieved when two molds are used then joined together in a semi-hardened state. A newer solution to achieving round shaped chocolates is to use a magnetic chocolate mold.

This allows the melted chocolate to be placed inside the sphere with the magnets holding the mold together until it hardens in the desired shape.

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate can all be used in a chocolate mold. Using small pieces of chocolate is the preferred way of melting the chocolate.

Larger pieces of chocolate will require higher heat to achieve the melting stage. At higher heats the chocolate may burn or melt the chocolate mold.

To avoid this, using small-shaped circles of chocolate called pastilles requires a lower heat, as the pieces are relatively small and uniform in size. This allows for an even melting time and makes it easier to pour into the chocolate mold.

A chocolate mold can be used for different types of chocolate. Most stores that sell chocolate molds will indicate what chocolate is the best for each different mold option.

Some molds can withstand higher heats and can be used for harder chocolate, which requires more heat to melt it. Colors and flavors can be added to the chocolate in the melted stage to enhance the finished products.

White chocolate will help to achieve the most pastel look to the chocolate if a subtle color is desired. For dark and deeper colors, darker chocolate can be used to reach the richer hues.

A suggested way to measure the required amount of chocolate needed for filling a chocolate mold is to measure the cavities or places in the mold for the chocolate with water.

Pouring the water into the shapes, then into a measuring cup will indicate how much chocolate is needed as water measures almost the same as chocolate.

When cleaning a chocolate mold, soap should not be used as it can alter the taste of the next batch of chocolate, since the soap can penetrate into the plastic mold.

Hot water should be used to remove any excess chocolate from the mold. If the chocolate comes out cleanly form the chocolate mold, leaving the mold with the remaining cocoa butter will aid in the removal of the following batches of chocolates made in the mold.

All in all, a chocolate mold is a very versatile piece of equipment and can provide chocolates made into many desired shapes for different themes or occasions.

Chocolate Is Great

It seems that everyone likes chocolate, it has an effect that everyone likes, and a taste the no one ever forgets. There is a chocolate lover in all of us.

Everyone has their own favorite flavor of chocolate. For some, their favorite flavor is very sweet. Others desire a more dark and bitter taste.

Some people crave white chocolate. It doesn’t matter what your chocolate taste are, there is a chocolate out there perfect for you.

The aroma of chocolate tantalizes taste buds, and the creamy melt-in-your mouth of sweet chocolate can make a chocolate lover’s day.

Chocolate is a wonderful thing to give to someone you love, there are chocolate gifts for someone. On special days, anniversaries and Valentine’s day, you can show that special someone how special they really are with a chocolate shaped hearts or roses.

Birthdays can be celebrated with an extravagant chocolate cake. Anniversaries can be celebrated with more romantic chocolate gifts. Chocolate gifts are a perfect way to tell some one how much you care.

Some businesses choose to promote themselves by giving away chocolate gifts. Today, some chocolate bars can be made that are imprinted with your business card and you can give your associates a very sweet treat.

Chocolate is even molded and packaged as a CD, or other shapes that you can create for your prospective clients. That too is a very memorable chocolate gift.

Chocolate gifts are given in all shapes and sizes. The imagination is the limit and the possibilities are endless in the ways you can shape chocolate and tell someone they are special.

From Valentine’s Day hearts and roses to Easter rabbits and chickens to Christmas trees and gifts, every occasion can be celebrated with chocolate.

Chocolate gifts are used to celebrate weddings with molder chocolate rings. Baby showers can be celebrated with chocolate pacifiers. Pretzels are coated with chocolate. Caramels are surrounded by it. Chocolate comes in every shape and size.

The great thing about chocolate is the variety. If you’re looking for gift baskets you can find chocolate gift baskets with white, milk or dark chocolate.

No matter what your preference is, you will certainly spot it online. It’s time to ditch the insecurities that go along with all those bogus gifts you spend loads of time picking out, but aren’t even certain if the receiver will like them.

You need chocolate gift baskets. These tasty, yet fun gifts work for virtually anyone. If you’re not sure where to browse for fine chocolate gift baskets, pop open Google and punch in a few key words.

You will be swimming through vast selections of chocolate gift baskets in no time at all. But, you have to be careful, or you will end up wanting them all for yourself.

Because of the huge diversity and choice you can decide not only what shape you want your chocolate gift to be, but also what flavor, and sometimes even color.

Chocolate candies are produced world wide. Imported chocolates may be one way to please a chocolate gourmet. Also, chocolate may be flavored with nuts, fruits, or other flavorings.

Today, some even say that chocolate has some medical benefits. While this is really great news for chocolate lovers,

I guess we will all keep eating chocolate with or without the health benefits involved… eat chocolate and enjoy!.

Making Chocolate Candy that Lasts

Temperament of Chocolate Candy

The success of your chocolate candy lies on the ability to temper the chocolate. Even in other chocolate delicacies,

the importance of tempering the chocolate mixture will never be understated. Chocolate, to begin with, must have a premium quality to it.

You can have fun experimenting on different core chocolate materials that you can use for your chocolate candy.

Sometimes, you will find in the market some melted chocolates that are ready for making chocolate candy. You can make use of this or do chocolate the hard way and start from the cocoa beans.

The good thing about melted chocolates is that you can focus on the making of chocolate candy itself. The making of chocolate from cocoa beans can be very difficult and tedious, and you may be robbed of your energy the moment you decide to do both.

By the time that you reach the chocolate candy making aspect, you may have no more gusto or enthusiasm to complete it.

But when buying melted chocolate, make sure that it is not made of a processed candy bar. The courveture quality of chocolate is something you must look for since it makes for an ideal chocolate core for chocolate candy.

Other Ingredients and Steps

An electric frying pan is needed with ample space for your mixture. Have a temperature of about 60 degrees for mixing the chocolate and creating your candy.

But don’t melt the chocolates in your frying pan. It is still better to place them in the oven for melting. Introduce the chocolate by increments and not by instantly putting a large heap.

This way, the stirring part will be easier and you will not run the risk of losing control as you create your chocolate candy.

Avoid moisture in the chocolate at all costs because it will affect the taste of your chocolate candy. After you have fixed your chocolate core, you can then dip it into the other components that create the chocolate candy.

The Steps

Coat both sides of your material with chocolate. Make sure that your flip the center for balance of chocolate distribution.

You can also use your fingers to have a swirly mark on your chocolate candy, but this must be mastered with constant practice before you can smoothly pull it off. Keep mixing the chocolate in such a way that it does not get too stiff.

Chocolate candy usually results in a less shiny quality. If you find the chocolate candy too shiny, you may have overdone or underdone something from the previous steps.

What Next?

You can now store your chocolate in the fridge. With the use of wax paper or other similar material, you can make your chocolate candies appear

more professionally made than when you leave them bare in the tray. The good thing about chocolate is that it lasts for a very long time.

The leftovers from your chocolate making may also be turned into other delicacies. Just use your imagination and you will be able to find

delight in making other forms of chocolate delicacies. You can also save the leftovers for your next chocolate candy making sessions but gaining the right texture and temperature may prove to be a bit more challenging.

Either way, there are no wasteful moments when it comes making chocolate candy and other chocolate delicacies for that matter.