Which Chocolates Can Be Baked?

by Cool_Moma
(?)

Cool_Moma dropped a line to Chocolate Questions to say...

Hi, I wanted to know whether all types of chocolate can be baked?? Some chocolate brands have clearly written on their packaging that it is for baking, but I wanted to know which chocolates cannot be baked.

You can bake with any chocolate but baking chocolate is the best choice.


I mean can we bake eating milk chocolate? Or can we substitute it for semi-sweet chocolate and reduce the sugar content in those recipes?

Yes, you can bake with milk chocolate candy bars.
For best results use them only in recipes that call for milk chocolate.

Never substitute milk chocolate for semi-sweet chocolate. They are too different to
use interchangeably.

It's usually best to use milk chocolate in recipes that bake quickly. Due to it's high sugar content and milk solids it's easily ruined by high heat.

If you need to melt it, use low heat and stir
frequently.



Are baking chocolate and dark chocolate the same thing? No. Technically, baking chocolate is 100 percent solidified chocolate liquor (liquid chocolate). It has no sugar in it.

Dark chocolate is eating chocolate. It's also made from chocolate liquor but it has other ingredients like sugar, vanilla, added cocoa butter and or an emulsifier like lecithin. It may even contain milk fat.

Dark chocolate is also called extra dark, very dark, bittersweet, and semi-sweet.

The recipes which say dark chocolate, do they refer to the eating dark chocolate? No. They refer to baking chocolate.

But baking chocolate is available in unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet and even milk chocolate.

The sweetened versions may be a bit hard but can be eaten like candy.


Ahhh I am soooo confused!! The problem is, that where I live, I can't easily find good quality baking chocolate. So my recipes don't taste as good as they did before when I lived elsewhere.


But good quality dark chocolate is easily available here. Can I substitute them in recipes, especially baking ones for semi-sweet chocolate?Yes, good quality dark chocolate bars should work.

Choose bars that list the percentage of cacao (chocolate liquor, added cocoa butter and cocoa powder). To substitute for semi-sweet chocolate the bar needs to contain at least 35 percent cacao.


Sorry for making this a bit toooo long, but would really, really appreciate if you could guide me through!!


Thanks tons in advance, just got hold of your website right now---will surely try some recipes and let you know!!! =)

Don't think you're the only one confused who is confused! Chocolate is a more complicated subject than most people think.

Have you considered ordering the type of baking chocolate you prefer? There's probably a website out there that carries it.

Chocolate can be difficult to work with.
It's just a whole lot easier to make a recipe with the type of chocolate it calls for.

If you prefer to use what's available locally, search for the best/closest substitute you can
buy. Question the people you buy the chocolate from, maybe they can help.

There are so many brands of chocolate available, each having it's own unique recipe. It's very difficult to predict the outcome when you substitute.

Embrace the challenge, experiment. Please let me know how it turns out. Share your new found wisdom with others.

Don't let a few setbacks deter you!

I've created my share of chocolate disasters and lived to tell about it!

Good luck.