Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Good Evening!

I hope you all enjoyed my 4 summer sizzler recipes, I know I enjoyed writing, baking and eating them (perks of the job).

So tonight I thought I'd share with you THE BEST chocolate advice blog known to man-kind, like I literally rely on this, its like my baking bible.

Some recipes can be a bit confusing when it comes to chocolate, I mean how good is 'good quality' chocolate? Which is the best to bake with and which is best to avoid?
Well hopefully the following hints and tips from this Craftsy blog will help you choose the very best to bake your yummy cakes with...

Click HERE to read this awesome blog!

However, if you're all about saving time, here are some quick bullet point tips to picking the perfect chocolate for your bakes.

Baking Chocolate
-Also known as: unsweetened chocolate, bitter chocolate
-This chocolate contains no sugar (surprising, I know), so its basically chocolate at one of its purest forms.
-Always use the unsweetened kind in your recipe unless it states specifically.
-Baking chocolate's primary use is as an ingredient in recipes, such as brownies, fudge icing, or cakes.

Dark Chocolate
-A chocolate liquor, with cocoa butter, sugar, emulsifiers, and flavourings all added to it. It still has a high percentage of cocoa, ranging from 65% to 99% (the higher the percentage, the more bitter tasting it is).
-Dark chocolate can be eaten straight out of the packet, or used in recipes. It's often a good choice for making a ganache and in other icings and glazes, It can be used in brownies and cookies too. Its so versatile!
-It is suitable for vegans, as it does not contain dairy!

Milk Chocolate
-Milk chocolate contains dairy.
-It's commonly made by adding powdered milk.
-At around 55% sugar and 20% cocoa butter, milk chocolate is mild and sweet.
-Milk chocolate is easiest to handle in no-bake recipes such as sauces, as a topping for already-baked treats, or fillings or icings.

White Chocolate
-Sugar, milk, and cocoa butter, but without the cocoa solids.
-White chocolate is great as a coating on bakes or as a component of icings. It can even be used in ganache.

Cocoa Powder
-It's made from ground cocoa solids from which cocoa butter has been removed.
-Cocoa powder can provide flavouring in baked goods. Be sure to use the type of cocoa called for in a recipe for best results.

Theres the four main chocolate products you'll ever have to use in a recipe, however the blog does also mention Couverture, Morsels, Candy Bars, and Chocolate Flavoured Coating too so be sure to give it a read!!

Happy baking!

Charley x



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