Can someoncle clear something up for me re unsweetened baking chocolate?

A

audball

Well-known member
When a recipe calls for unsweetened chocolate, I've been using the Ghiradelli semi-sweet baking bars. I actually looked today at the ingredients and it has sugar and unsweetened chocolate. Then I looked at those broken slabs of chocolate (also Ghiradelli) that you can purchase from TJ's and that has the same ingredients but I usually use that for recipes that call for sweetened chocolate. Now I'm confused. The Valrohna bars that TJ carries is that unsweetened or sweetened or even their pound plus? I hope I'm making sense.

 
audball, why are you using semisweet instead of unsweetened? This would alter the results in your

recipes, not only sweetness-wise, but texture-wise.

Here's some good info from Scharffen Berger:
To substitute unsweetened chocolate with bittersweet or semisweet, you need to make adjustments to both the sugar and the fat levels in the recipe. This does not work for all recipes, but it will for many.
For each ounce of unsweetened chocolate in the recipe, use 2-1/2 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, decrease the sugar in the recipe by 2-1/2 to 3 tablespoons, and decrease the butter by 1/2 tablespoon. Use this formula as a guide rather than a hard and fast rule.

http://www.scharffenberger.com/howto.asp

 
Meryl, what kind of unsweetened chocolate do you use?

since you seem to be the chocolate goddess smileys/smile.gif and do you ever use unsweetened cocoa in place of that? I think I'm beginning to understand now; basically, what I've been using for sweetened and unsweetened have been the same. Thanks for answering my silly question.

 
I use lots of different brands, from Callebaut to Ghirardelli to Scharrfen Berger to even Bakers...

(typo: should read Scharffen Berger),
and I must say, I don't notice a great difference in the results. BUT... when it comes to semi-sweet and bittersweet, I'm pickier - For example, I never use Bakers, because I find the taste vile, but I also never use the higher end El Rey, because I find their stuff vile also - as always, it's a matter of personal taste. I make it a point to never bake with a chocolate I don't like out of hand, with unsweetened as the exception. No way, will I taste unsweetened out of hand! (although I did it once - blech).

Also, with semi-sweet and bittersweet, there will be different results, due to both the varying tastes and the varying cocoa percentages. For example, one bittersweet bar may be 80% cacao and another may be 60%. This would affect the texture of the finished product somewhat, not to mention the taste.

I've never used cocoa instead of unsweetened, but you can do so by substituting 1 oz unsweetened chocolate with 3 Tbsp cocoa plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter. Although, the results will probably be a bit different.

A great book I highly recommend is "Bittersweet" by Alice Medrich. Not only are the recipes great, but she gives you an in depth breakdown of how to substitute one chocolate for another. Also how to sub with cocoa.

"Chocolate Goddess?" Well, thanks, I'm very flattered, but I think that title goes to Alice Medrich! Too bad she doesn't post here. smileys/smile.gif

 
Where does dutch cocoa fit into this picture?

Here in my corner of the world we have milk chocolate, 70% chocolate, 80 % chocolate and cocoa powder.

I have never seen semi sweet or bitter chocolate here.....

What can I use instead?

(Come to think about it, we need a chocolate chart in the Kitchen Tips file....)

 
I have never seen the unsweetened versions of those brands other than Baker's

in the grocery stores and specialty stores. Do you usually purchase on-line?

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top