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Unsweetened or Bitter Chocolate is Chocolate without any type of sweetener added. It is often used in baking and other projects in which the cook wants to personally adjust the level of sweetness. Bitter Chocolate is also the base for all over Chocolate products, since it is Chocolate in its pure and unadulterated form. As most people who have tried to nibble on a piece of Baking Chocolate know, Bitter Chocolate is indeed bitter, and highly unpalatable.

Chocolate Making starts with harvesting the pods of the Cacao plant, Theobroma cacao, native to South and Central America. The pods are split apart to yield the cacao nibs, which are in turn fermented and then ground into a paste called cocoa liquor. The cocoa liquor is processed to yield a wide assortment of Chocolate products.

When processed properly, cocoa liquor yields approximately half cocoa butter and half solids. This is what is turned into Bitter Chocolate. Many nations have laws which dictate the composition of Bitter Chocolate, along with other Chocolate products, so that consumers know what they are buying when they read a label. The cocoa liquor can also be treated in other ways, which include the separation of cocoa butter and cocoa solids for use in products such as cocoa and White Chocolate.

To make Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate, Chocolate producers add a small amount of a sweetener to Bitter Chocolate to temper the intensely bitter flavor. The addition of larger amounts of sugar results in sweetened Chocolate. The Unsweetened cocoa liquor can also be blended with milk to make Milk Chocolate , and other seasonings such as Vanilla or chili powder can be added for specific desired flavors.

By using Bitter Chocolate as the basis of Chocolate Candies and other desserts, cooks can control the level of sweetness in the final product. Bitter Chocolate may also be of a higher quality, since the Chocolate producer cannot hide shortcomings behind milk and additives. It is also highly shelf stable, and can keep for several years if tightly wrapped and stored in a cool dry place.

Several things can impact the flavor of Bitter Chocolate. Different types of cacao beans have different flavors, and the handling and processing of the beans can alter the Flavor as well. Mishandling may cause any sort of Chocolate to become rancid or soured, which is why it is important to buy Bitter Chocolate from a reputable source.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

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Chocolate Chips are small, round, processed dollops of Chocolate that are uniform in size and used for baking. Baking Chocolate chip cookies is the most well-known use for Chocolate Chips. However, Chocolate Chips may also be baked in muffins or cakes and can also be sprinkled on top of a warm cake to form a sort of instant chunky frosting. The main types of Chocolate Chips include bittersweet, semisweet, milk and white.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips are dark in color and contain more cocoa than the other varieties of Chocolate Chips. They have some sugar added but are not very sweet. Bittersweet chocolate chips are the perfect choice when a rich, intense Chocolate Flavor is desired.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips are the most common type available today. They contain Cocoa Butter and a mix of Unsweetened Chocolate and sugar. Semi-Sweet chocolate chips are much sweeter than the bittersweet variety, but not overly sweet. The semisweet variety of Chocolate Chips is versatile and can be used in many recipes.

Milk Chocolate chips are quite sweet and creamy in texture. They are lighter in color than Semi-Sweet chocolate chip due to the milk solids. White Chocolate chips also contain milk solids and are extremely sweet. White chocolate is technically not Chocolate at all since no Cacao beans are used in it. White chocolate chips are often used for color and flavor contrast in deserts using other types of Chocolate Chips or Chocolate.

Chocolate Chips are uniformly round in their size and have a peak on top. Mini Chocolate Chips have the same look but are smaller in size. They are good for smaller cupcakes or mini desserts. Chocolate chunks are larger rectangular pieces of Chocolateschocolate chip and not chip-shaped. They make a chunkier alternative in favorite desserts such as chocolate chip cookies.

Unlike Chocolate baking squares and other Chocolate that melts easily, Chocolate Chips are made to hold their shape when baked. Chocolate Chips have hardly any cocoa butter and that is why they do keep their shape. Chocolate Chips are not usually good for melting as they may be lumpy and some types may even have a gritty texture after melting. All types of Chocolate Chips should be stored in a cool, dry area.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

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Easy Chocolate Cake

Baking Chocolate is Chocolate which is intended for use in baking. It is unpalatable in plain form, but when combined with other ingredients to make things like cakes, cookies, and brownies, it imparts a very intense Chocolate Flavor. Many markets carry Baking Chocolate in their baking supply sections, with the Baker's Chocolate brand being especially well-known and widely used. It is also possible to order specialty Baking Chocolate directly from Chocolate producers.

The production of Chocolate is a long and involved process. It starts with the harvesting and fermentation of the Cacao beans. The beans are slowly ground, causing the Cocoa Butter in the beans to Melt while the chocolate solids are broken down. The result is a thick mass which is known as Chocolate Liquor. Chocolate liquor can be blended with cocoa butter, milk, sugar, and other ingredients to make a wide assortment of Chocolate products. In the case of Baking Chocolate, the chocolate liquor is packaged as-is, with no additions, making Baking Chocolate a very pure form of Chocolate.

In addition to basic Baking Chocolate, it is also possible to find bittersweet and Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, Baking Chocolate which has been blended with sugar. Many bakers prefer to use unsweetened, because the flavor is stronger, and because some recipes call specifically for unsweetened Baking Chocolate. Semisweet varieties in an unsweetened recipe may throw the balance of sweetness off, causing a fundamental alteration in the recipe.

The advantage to using Unsweetened Chocolate is that the baker has total control over the level of sweetness in the finished product. Baker's chocolate also has a concentrated chocolate flavor, since it has not been blended or adulterated, with a more pure taste. Parents often find that Baking Chocolate carries another advantage: young residents of the household will not nibble away at it, because it tastes extremely bitter when eaten plain.

A number of specialty chocolatiers make gourmet Baking Chocolate, often with a very high price tag. The value of this Chocolate Varieties considerably, and bakers who are considering the purchase of fancy Baking Chocolate may want to do a taste test before they commit. The key determining factor in terms of quality is the source of the beans and the way in which the beans are handled. Cocoa beans have a range of flavors which can be easily identified in chocolate liquor form. If you like Dark Chocolate and Bittersweet Chocolate products produced by the company, you will probably enjoy their Baking Chocolate, but if you find an off taste or flavor in their chocolate, it is likely to be even stronger in the Baking Chocolate, gourmet or not.

Related : Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe