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Here is an article from the Food Network on how to buy, use and store the best chocolate products for your baking needs.

The percentages listed on a chocolate bar represent the amount of cocoa butter and cacao solids by weight. The rest is largely sugar. Depending on the quality of the bar, there might be other additives present, like vanillin or lecithin, but they generally total less than one percent. Milk chocolate must have a certain percentage (12% minimum) of either powdered or condensed milk added as well.

Chocolate comes in the following levels of sweetness, from least to most added sugar:

* Unsweetened chocolate (which is exactly what it sounds like; it’s also sometimes called baking chocolate).
* Dark
* Bittersweet
* Semisweet
* Milk Chocolate

White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, without any cocoa solids, so it’s technically not chocolate at all.

Cocoa, which is key to the distinctive chocolate taste in baked goods and candies, comes in two styles: Natural (non-alkalized), and Dutch-processed (alkalized). These should not be confused with the instant sweetened versions intended for hot chocolate.

Cocoa powders are primarily used for baking, but make top-notch hot drinks when mixed with sugar to balance their bitter taste. Natural cocoas, like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli, tend to be lighter in color than Dutch-processed varieties like Droste. Which is “better” on the taste front? Some bakers prefer the direct chocolate flavor of natural cocoa, while others vote for the mellowness of Dutch.

However, when using chemical leaveners (baking powder or soda), make sure to use the type of cocoa called for in the recipe. Natural cocoas are acidic enough to activate the baking soda in cakes and cookies; alkaline Dutch cocoas should be used in recipes that rely solely on baking powder for their lift.

Storing:
Keep chocolate wrapped well, in a cool, dry place (not the fridge). Milk chocolate keeps for up to a year; dark for even longer. If the chocolate develops white dots or streaks on the outside, that’s called “bloom.” It means the cocoa butter has become un-emulsified (separated), but it’s still perfectly safe to eat.

This posting is sponsored by the Creative Chocolate Printing Company which provides personalized chocolate gifts and chocolate party favors for any event, occasion and budget. Chocolography™ is a newly patented technology that makes it possible to reproduce any picture, image, or message right on the surface of delicious chocolate.

Chocolate, much like wine or cheese, can vary vastly from brand to brand, and even within brands. The quality of chocolate depends on the origin of cocoa beans, as well as how they are roasted, processed and blended. And, just like wine, there is no definitive right or wrong as far as taste goes; it is a personal preference. With the vast differences among types of chocolate, cocoa percentages and brands, it is helpful to taste chocolates before baking with them to find one whose flavor you enjoy.

The Food Network Web site has an interesting article on Learn how to taste and select chocolate like the pros.

Here are their findings:

Chocolate Varieties: Bittersweet & Semisweet: In general, we find that bittersweet and semisweet can be used interchangeably in recipes without altering the outcome. The flavors of each individual chocolate, however, can be quite different, so taste each one before baking with it. If the chocolate is flat and bland, a chocolate mousse made with it is likely to be bland as well.

Although bittersweet lends an intense chocolate flavor, it often lacks the roundness that works well in chocolate mousse or truffles. It’s a good choice for recipes such as bundt cake or soufflé, where the chocolate flavor needs to stand up to many other ingredients.

We find semisweet to often have rounder, fruitier qualities that work well in mousses, truffles and any recipe where the outcome depends heavily on the inherent flavor of the chocolate.

Chips & Chunks:Chocolate chips or chunks are best used only as add-ins to recipes; they shouldn’t be used for melting or in the place of chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. These chocolates have a different level of cocoa butter content, as they’re designed to hold their shape when baked. As a result, they have a different texture in baked goods from melted baking chocolate.

Unsweetened:Unsweetened chocolate (chocolate in its rawest tasting form) is unpalatable and therefore hard to taste on its own. This is a case where the appearance (dull or shiny) and the aroma may be your best clues as to its quality, intensity and flavor. Unsweetened chocolate is almost always used in recipes like brownies, where the addition of granulated sugar contributes to the texture of the finished baked good.

Brands: The following baking chocolates fared well in our five tasting categories (appearance, aroma, break, melt, taste and aftertaste) and are ranked according to our preferences.
* Lindt Semisweet Chocolate – first choice
* Scharffenberger Semisweet – second choice
* Nestle’s Chocolatier [dark] – tied for third
* Baker’s Semisweet – tied for third

This posting is sponsored by the Creative Chocolate Printing Company which provides personalized chocolate gifts and chocolate party favors for any event, occasion and budget. Chocolography™ is a newly patented technology that makes it possible to reproduce any picture, image, or message right on the surface of delicious chocolate.

The Food Network Website has a great series of helpful tips for cooking with chocolate called Chocolate 101.

While the eight tips are wonderful, it’s the photos of chocolate thatwill get your mouth watering!

This posting is sponsored by the Creative Chocolate Printing Company which provides personalized chocolate gifts and chocolate party favors for any event, occasion and budget. Chocolography™ is a newly patented technology that makes it possible to reproduce any picture, image, or message right on the surface of delicious chocolate.