Candy Making How To Select Chocolate Recipes

Steps:

• 1. A sharp serrated knife is one way to chop chocolate.
• 2. Before you melt your chocolate, you will want it in small, uniform pieces. Some brands of chocolate can be purchased in wafer sizes or bite-sized bars that don't require chopping. However, if you buy large bars of chocolate or bulk chocolate, you will need to chop it before melting, so that it will melt evenly and not overheat.
• 3. There are specialty tools called chocolate chippers that can be purchased and used to break up chocolate, but a chef's knife or a serrated knife works just as well. Choose a sharp, heavy chef's knife (a large straight-bladed knife, usually 8-10 inches) and press down firmly and evenly on the chocolate, beginning with the corners and angling the knife slightly outward. Whittle the chocolate gradually, working from the corners, until the chocolate is chopped into almond-sized pieces.
• 4. A long serrated knife also works for chopping chocolate, and it requires less force to be effective. Again, begin at a corner of the chocolate and use a smooth sawing motion back and forth, pressing only as hard as necessary. Once you have made several cuts on a particular corner, rotate the chocolate and begin on a new corner until all of the chocolate is chopped into uniform pieces.
• 5. MELTING CHOCOLATE WITH LIQUID What if your recipe calls for melting chocolate along with water or some other type of liquid? That´s fine, as long as the liquid is mixed with the chocolate from the beginning of the melting process, it won´t get grainy on you. Be careful though, because adding even a drop in mid-melting will cause this problem.
• 6. OVEN MELTED CHOCOLATE Alternatively, you can melt chocolate in a dry oven. Place grated chocolate in a metal bowl and place it in an oven set at 110°F (if your oven doesn´t go that low, use the lowest temperature and keep the door ajar). Your chocolate will melt in about an hour.
• 7. DIPPING CHOCOLATE To create a chocolate coating of manageable consistency for candies and other treats, add shortening, peanut or vegetable oil in a ratio of 1 tablespoon fat to 6 - 8 ounces of solid chocolate and melt them together.
• 8. A Note About Melting Chocolate To prevent scorching, chocolate should be melted with care. It can be melted in a saucepan over direct heat at a very low setting, in a double boiler or in a microwave oven.
• 9. Pick the perfect type for baking, melting, or nibbling.
• 10. Types of Chocolate : we all know that rich, melt-in-the-mouth quality of good chocolate. That taste sensation comes from chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter. Chocolate can vary in quality, of course. Lower-quality chocolate includes other fats, which raise the product's melting point, and offer a less distinct flavor.
• 11. Baking Chocolate : best for cooking and baking. Also called bitter or unsweetened chocolate, this type is hardened cocoa solids and cocoa butter with no added sugar. Since its taste is astringent, it's used primarily as a baking ingredient. Unsweetened chocolate contains 50 to 58 percent cocoa butter by weight.
• 12. Bittersweet Chocolate--best for baking, cooking, and eating. : Bittersweet chocolate is the darkest of all eating chocolates. It must contain at least 35 percent chocolate liquor. Bittersweet chocolate has a more pronounced chocolate taste because of its higher concentration of chocolate liquor and less sugar. Some premium bittersweet chocolate can have a cocoa butter and cocoa solid content of 70 percent or higher. It can be used in cooking and baking, as well as eaten for a treat.
• 13. Semisweet and Sweet Chocolate--best for baking, cooking, and eating : Semisweet and sweet chocolate are similar to bittersweet but have a higher percentage of sugar and thus a sweeter taste. Their required chocolate liquor content is lower, averaging between 15 to 35 percent. Both kinds can also be used for cooking, as well as eaten as candy. Semisweet chocolate can usually be interchanged with bittersweet chocolate.
• 14. Milk Chocolate--best for eating : Milk chocolate creates the sweet, creamy taste found in candy bars. Milk chocolate contains at least 12 percent dry milk solids and 10 percent chocolate liquor along with sugar and added cocoa butter. Milk chocolate is generally not used in baking or cooking, as its delicate flavor is easily overwhelmed by other ingredients. It's the favorite chocolate of most Americans, preferred over dark or semisweet varieties by two to one.
• 15. White Chocolate--best for baking, cooking, and eating : This variety is not "true" chocolate, since it contains no chocolate solids. However, it contains cocoa butter, the vegetable fat that gives chocolate its snap and luscious mouthfeel. When the cocoa butter is replaced with other, less expensive fats, it's no longer white chocolate: it's referred to as Almond Bark or confectioners' coating.
• 16. Couverture : best for baking and confections. A glossy form of chocolate used by professional pastry chefs and chocolatiers, this chocolate contains a minimum of 32 percent cocoa butter, which allows it to flow more easily when it's melted and tempered. You'll find this type of higher-grade chocolate in professional pastry and cake supply shops, as well as high-end groceries and online. Both dark and milk chocolate couvertures are available.
• 17. Cocoa Powder--best for baking and beverages : When most of the cocoa butter is removed from chocolate liquor, a dense cake forms. This is then ground into powder containing 10 to 22 percent cocoa butter. "Dutched" or Dutch Process cocoa is cocoa powder treated with an alkalizing agent such as baking soda to make it darker, less bitter, and more soluble in liquids.
• 18. Cocoa Nibs--best for baking : Cocoa nibs are roasted and broken up cocoa beans, which have a very delicate chocolate flavor. They add crunch to cookies and are a delicious addition to shortbreads and other butter cookies.

Steps:

• The quality of chocolate you use will be the primary determining factor of how your finished chocolate candies taste. Chocolates are not all created equal, and in general, there is a strong correlation between quality and price. This is not to say that you should always buy the most expensive chocolate, but be aware that high-quality chocolates with large amounts of cocoa butter and cocoa solids will cost more than their inferior counterparts.
• Selecting chocolate should primarily be a sensory experience. Before you taste the chocolate, look at it closely. You want chocolate that has a glossy surface and is free from blemishes. If the surface is scarred, cloudy, or gray, this may be a sign that the chocolate is old or has been subject to extremes in temperature or handling. Next, break the chocolate in pieces. You want a chocolate with a clean, hard "snap" to it. If it bends or crumbles, either the quality is low or the chocolate is old.
• Good chocolate will smell strongly of chocolate. Rub your fingers over the surface to warm the chocolate, and then smell the bar. If it doesn't smell like chocolate, or if it smells primarily of vanilla or other added ingredients, it probably won't taste very much like chocolate either. Chocolate easily picks up odors from its environment, so be aware if your chocolate smells like coffee, tea, or other aromatic foodstuffs.
• Finally, taste the chocolate. Pay attention to the way it melts in your mouth: does it feel waxy? Unpleasantly chewy or dense? Does it leave a slightly slippery feeling? Does it feel sandy, or smooth? In general, a smooth, velvety mouthfeel is preferred. Also notice what flavors you can find in the chocolate. Common descriptions of chocolate notes include floral, citrus, berry, coffee, and wine undertones. Notice if the flavor bursts out all at once, or if it gradually builds in intensity and lingers after the chocolate has left. Above all, trust your own tastebuds. Chocolate preference is very personal, and you know what tastes good to you, so select chocolate that you will enjoy eating.
• In candymaking, chocolate is second only to sugar in importance and frequency of use. Chocolate is unique in that it can be both a fundamental ingredient and a finished candy by itself. Knowing how to handle chocolate, including proper techniques for storing, cutting, melting, and tempering this mercurial substance, can greatly increase your chances of making successful chocolate candies.
• How Do I Handle Chocolate? Chocolate is an amazing substance that can be manipulated in remarkable ways, but it must be treated carefully. It is very sensitive to changes in temperature, and care should be taken in its handling and melting to ensure the best texture and taste in the finished product. There are two main rules to handling chocolate: do not let it come into contact with water while melting, and do not put it over direct heat. Water droplets that fall into a pan of melting chocolate will cause it to "seize," or turn into a hard, chunky lump. Similarly, overheating chocolate will ruin the taste and texture of the final product, which is why chocolate should always be melted over indirect heat or in small intervals in a microwave. The following articles will explain how to select and handle chocolate for optimum results.
• What is Tempering, and How Do I Do It? Many chocolate candy recipes call for the chocolate to be "tempered" before use. Tempering refers to a process of heating and cooling the chocolate to specific temperatures so that the cocoa butter in the chocolate forms even crystals. Tempering is not a mysterious or difficult process, but it can take a little practice before it becomes second nature. Tempered chocolate has a shiny appearance, a hard, crisp snap when broken, and stays stable at room temperature. Chocolate that is out of temper might look streaky or gray on the surface, and have a crumbly or densely chewy texture. Chocolate does not always need to be tempered; for instance, tempering is unnecessary when chocolate will be combined with other ingredients for baking or when being melted for ganache. However, if you are going to be dipping centers in chocolate, or making solid chocolate candies, you will want to temper your chocolate to produce a stable, beautiful, appetizing candy.
• Why Chocolate Turns Gray or Discolored Sometimes There's nothing quite like opening a much-anticipated box of chocolates only to find discolored, slightly gray candy. When chocolate turns gray like that, one of two things could be the culprit: Sugar Bloom or Fat Bloom.
• Sugar Bloom Sugar bloom is normally caused by surface moisture. The moisture causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve. Once the moisture evaporates, sugar crystals remain on the surface. If this process is repeated, the surface can become sticky and even more discolored. Although sugar bloom is most often the result of overly humid storage, it can happen when the chocolate has been stored at a relatively cool temperature and is then moved too quickly into much warmer surroundings. When this happens, the chocolate sweats, producing surface moisture.
• Fat Bloom Fat bloom is similar to sugar bloom, except that it is fat or cocoa butter that is separating from the chocolate and depositing itself on the outside of the candy. As with sugar bloom, the most common causes of fat bloom are quick temperature changes and overly-warm storage. Although it might look a little less appetizing than a lustrous, rich chocolatey-brown piece of candy, chocolate that has suffered bloom is still okay to eat. You may find the texture of sugar-bloomed chocolate to be a bit grainy on the outside, but it should still taste good. To prevent this from happening to your chocolate, simply use proper storage methods.
• How to Store Chocolate Whether it is white chocolate, baking chocolate, milk chocolate or some kind of chocolate confection, proper storage is key. Since it can easily absorb flavors from food or other products situated nearby, chocolate should be tightly wrapped and stored away from pungent odors. The ideal temperature for storage is somewhere between 65 - 68 degrees F (18 - 20 degrees C), with no more than 50 percent to 55 percent relative humidity. If stored properly, you can expect milk chocolate and white chocolate to be good for up to six months. Other types of chocolate can have an even longer shelf life.