If you're not sure which chocolate to choose, you're faced with a multitude of options: Bittersweet or semisweet? Milk or dark? How dark?
In supermarket aisles, there are five main formats of chocolate for baking: bars, blocks, beans, chips and cocoa powder.
Chocolate Bars
For cookies, pastries, cakes, hot chocolate, and more.
Chocolate bars are the most versatile and common form of baking chocolate . They can be easily cut into small pieces for melting or folding into cookie dough. We much prefer the Valrhona brand.
Chocolate Blocks
For large format bakery and pastry for professionals.
Do you bake a lot? Do you use large volumes of chocolate ? Be aware that it is also sold in larger quantity chocolate blocks (over 1kg per block). While the average baker probably doesn't need a lot of dark chocolate , these blocks are perfect for larger projects.
Because they are more difficult to chop than bars, it is recommended to use a serrated knife to remove the chocolate shards from the edges. These shards can be melted or blended to obtain smaller chocolate pieces .
Chocolate Beans
For ganaches, glazes, temperings and icings, anything that requires melted chocolate.
Chocolate beans are small, disc-shaped pieces of chocolate. They don't contain stabilizers, making them preferable to chocolate shavings . They also happen to be a perfect solution for emergencies. They often come in bittersweet, semisweet, milk, or white chocolate varieties .
Chocolate Chips
For cookies, bread, midnight snacks...
Chocolate chips are soft and shiny, yet retain their perfect shape. This is thanks to stabilizers and preservatives. While there's (probably) nothing wrong with eating them, stabilizers compromise the chocolate's flavor and give it a waxy texture. If you're going to buy chips, opt for high-quality brands that are made with minimal ingredients. We recommend the Valrhona brand.
Cocoa powder
For cakes, brownies, milkshakes, toppings, and more.
Cocoa powder should not be sweetened. Otherwise, it's a hot chocolate mix. Its flour-like texture makes it the best choice for cakes and brownies. It can also be used in place of flour to coat baking pans before adding batter.
You have two choices when buying cocoa powder: "Natural," which really just means regular or basic, and "Dutch Process." Unless a recipe specifically calls for Dutch-process cocoa powder, don't use it. Dutch-process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali to reduce the acidity level (the process also gives the powder a striking black color). The lower acidity level means it will react with other ingredients, like eggs, differently than natural cocoa powder . However, if you plan to use the cocoa powder as a topping that won't be baked—like a coating for cocoa truffles —either option will work.
While all varieties of chocolate are compatible with all recipes, we have some preferences for each of them.
Sweet and sour :
Bittersweet chocolate falls in the 70% cacao range and can be used interchangeably with semisweet chocolate. You can use either (and, to be honest, most of us don't have a refined enough palate to taste the difference in a dessert). Our top pick for bittersweet and semisweet chocolate is a recipe where the chocolate is truly the star, like a delicious Grandma's Chocolate Tart or a simple chocolate ganache frosting.Half sugar :
Semisweet chocolate has a cocoa content of around 60% and can be used interchangeably with bittersweet chocolate. It's often found in the form of chips, pastilles, and couverture beans , but we prefer to buy it in bars or blocks. It's a great, versatile option to have on hand, as it blends well with other ingredients.Sugar-free :
Unsweetened chocolate pastilles, bars, or blocks are very dark and bitter, with a crumbly texture. It's best melted with other ingredients like butter and cream, as the chocolate has a chalky consistency , lacking the creamy richness of bittersweet or semisweet. It should be used in recipes that already contain a sweetener, such as brownies, which also contain bittersweet chocolate and a good cup of sugar. Keep in mind that cocoa powder is also unsweetened and can be used as a finishing touch, such as in chocolate truffles .
Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate is sweeter and less bitter than dark chocolate, and contains more milk solids and sugar. Instead of adding milk chocolate to an already sweet batter, consider using this sweeter chocolate for recipes like pancakes and muffins.Dark Chocolate
Pure dark chocolate is for true chocolate lovers . With a cocoa content of around 70% and above, it falls somewhere between bitter and almost too bitter. (That said, to confuse the matter, bittersweet and semisweet are sometimes referred to as "dark.") Highlight the complex flavors of cocoa by letting it be the star of the recipe. While dark chocolate can benefit from a little sweetness, too much dark chocolate will cloud your palate. Mousse , ganache, and frosting are all excellent candidates for dark chocolate.
White Chocolate
There's no cocoa in white chocolate , just cocoa butter and sugar. While it can have a polarizing taste (it's very sweet), it can be really great when combined with nuts and a good amount of white chocolate macadamia cookies. We also like to caramelize white chocolate to give it a nutty, toasty flavor.
How to store chocolates
Whichever you choose, keep in mind that chocolate should be stored in a cool place, such as a cupboard away from the stove and oven. There's no need to store it in the refrigerator or freezer if it's well wrapped. If you're only using part of the chocolate, rewrap it in the original packaging and add a layer of tightly stretched plastic wrap.
Chocolate will "bloom" (show lighter colored spots on the surface) if exposed to moisture, so avoid moisture. If your chocolate blooms, it is still edible. This is simply a cosmetic defect, which has no real impact on the chocolate that will be melted in the recipe.
Have you ever tried the cocoa in Thai chocolate?
Discover the new ruby pink chocolate in this other chocolate blog post.