Cocoa powder, which to use?

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And it's not cocoa powder, so it can't compete with the flavor of cocoa.

My preference for cocoa powder is Ghirardelli, but that is just a personal choice. I've used Hershey's both regular and extra dark, but I like the flavor of Ghirardelli best.

I'm a big fan of Ghirardelli chocolate products too. Consistently good stuff.
 
This whole cocoa thing confuses me but I found the following in an on-line article about Dutch-Processed Cocoa. I thought it might help.

"Since Dutch process cocoa isn't acidic, it doesn't react with alkaline leaveners like baking soda to produce carbon dioxide. That's why recipes that use Dutch process cocoa are usually leavened by baking powder, which has a neutral pH."

However, how you know which makes are "dutch-processed" and which aren't, your guess is as good as mine.
 
My recipe for Man-Catcher Brownies calls for stirring the cocoa powder into melted butter. They have an incredibly rich flavor. I imagine there are some fat- as well as water-soluble flavors in cocoa powder.
 
My recipe for Man-Catcher Brownies calls for stirring the cocoa powder into melted butter. They have an incredibly rich flavor. I imagine there are some fat- as well as water-soluble flavors in cocoa powder.

Intriguing recipe name. Do you have a copy handy?
 
It seems to me that it's more important to use a fresh product and to bloom the cocoa powder than to split hairs about brands. This step seems to make a huge difference in flavor.

Here's a nice article about cocoa basics... Cocoa Powder FAQ: Dutch-process & natural cocoa powder - David Lebovitz

That is why I love Hershey's chocolate cake recipe. At the end it calls for one cup of boiling water. Add water, stir well and allow to sit for about 30 seconds. Then fill the cake pans. Real deep chocolate flavor and very moist.

The first time I made this cake, my first thought was "Are they crazy?" Not in the least. The writer of that recipe knew something about cocoa that I didn't. That is probably why hot cocoa taste so good. :angel:
 

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