dnsjo
Assistant Cook
Hello everyone. I want to learn to make really good fudge and I am hoping to get advice on the chocolate.
1) Type - I would think that baking chocolate would be better than cocoa powder, as it is less processed. I would also assume unsweetened chocolate makes more sense then semi-sweet, as semi-sweet being almost half sugar only appears to give you an expensive way of adding more sugar and less chocolate. (if it all melts into the mix who cares where the sugar came from?). I would also think that bar chocolate make more sense than chips as it offers less surface area for oxidation during storage, the same rationale for freshly ground coffee beans being preferred over stored coffee grounds for better taste. More convenience with chips, maybe less taste; with fresh chips maybe it doesn’t really matter? Thoughts?
2) When to add the chocolate?
According to this site, chocolate can be damaged above 112°F, depending on the chocolate.
http://chocolat.bz/All about chocolate/Use and handling of chocolate/Use and handling of chocolate page 1.htm
Probably less than 2% of recipes call for the chocolate, along with butter and vanilla, to be added AFTER the sugar slurry has cooled down to 110-120F, but would that make more sense for preserving good chocolate flavor? Is it really helpful to take your chocolate up to 230-plus degrees? I know it’s advised to “bloom” cocoa, but at what temperatures is it really the most beneficial?
3) While I’m at it, what brand of baking chocolate do you prefer?
Thanks and Happy New Year!
1) Type - I would think that baking chocolate would be better than cocoa powder, as it is less processed. I would also assume unsweetened chocolate makes more sense then semi-sweet, as semi-sweet being almost half sugar only appears to give you an expensive way of adding more sugar and less chocolate. (if it all melts into the mix who cares where the sugar came from?). I would also think that bar chocolate make more sense than chips as it offers less surface area for oxidation during storage, the same rationale for freshly ground coffee beans being preferred over stored coffee grounds for better taste. More convenience with chips, maybe less taste; with fresh chips maybe it doesn’t really matter? Thoughts?
2) When to add the chocolate?
According to this site, chocolate can be damaged above 112°F, depending on the chocolate.
http://chocolat.bz/All about chocolate/Use and handling of chocolate/Use and handling of chocolate page 1.htm
Probably less than 2% of recipes call for the chocolate, along with butter and vanilla, to be added AFTER the sugar slurry has cooled down to 110-120F, but would that make more sense for preserving good chocolate flavor? Is it really helpful to take your chocolate up to 230-plus degrees? I know it’s advised to “bloom” cocoa, but at what temperatures is it really the most beneficial?
3) While I’m at it, what brand of baking chocolate do you prefer?
Thanks and Happy New Year!
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