There's nothing like a rich, homemade chocolate dessert toindulge mom on Mother's Day. But choosing the right chocolate forrecipes is getting trickier. Gone are the days when the selectionamounted to only a few basic chocolate bars or bags of semisweetchips. More and more high-end chocolatiers and even mass producerssuch as Nestle are coming out with designer chocolates that haveturned baking into a guessing game for a lot of home cooks.
Do you get the bittersweet with 99 percent cacao? The unsweetenedwith 62 percent cacao? The semisweet with 53 percent cacao?
It can get confusing, but finding the right chocolate can makethat ganache for your special Mother's Day dessert taste a lotbetter.
To see how different brands stack up and whether the percentagesmake a difference, we got together with Marigold's Cafe and Bakeryco-owner Elaine Chavanon, who is also the pastry chef andchocolatier, for an informal chocolate tasting. We collected sixchocolate bars from local grocery stores (see accompanying list).Then, for comparison, Chavanon added a chunk of her favoritesemisweet chocolate, which she uses in her bakery: Callebaut, with53 percent cacao.
SCIENCE TO SAVOR
Before going on to the tasting, let's talk about thosepercentages, which indicate how much pure cocoa butter and cacoasolids are in the chocolate (the remaining ingredients making up thefull 100 percent would be sugar and, perhaps, vanilla). The higherthe number, the darker the chocolate will look and the more bitterand intense it will taste.
Chocolate manufacturers have begun distinguishing their chocolateby percentages for a couple of reasons: the health benefits of darkchocolate and the sophistication of consumer taste buds.
From a health standpoint, cacao beans -- or cocoa beans -- havenatural antioxidant compounds called flavanols. Some studies suggestflavanols help prevent vascular disease, which could cause heartattacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia and hypertension. A studyfunded by Hershey in 2005 found that the more cacao in chocolate,the higher the antioxidant levels. So if health is a reason forconsuming chocolate (yeah, right) look for a higher number.
From a flavor standpoint, consumers have been expanding theirpalates and looking for more sophisticated wines, whole-beancoffees, teas and artisan cheeses. Chocolate has joined this uptownlist, and manufacturers want to let consumers know just howexquisite their product is by noting percentages -- although otherfactors, such as processing and the origin of the beans -- play arole in quality, as well.
So, while the number can tell you how much pure chocolate is inthe bar, it won't tell you how good the chocolate will be in themouth. That's where the tasting comes in.
ART OF ANALYSIS
As Chavanon eyeballed each bar of chocolate, it became clear thata chocolate tasting is a lot like a wine tasting: appearances andaroma are as much a part of the equation as taste.
'Look at the differences in the shine of each of the bars,' shesaid. The shinier the surface, the better its processing, and thehigher the quality.
Chavanon was also looking to make sure the chocolate had beenstored properly and had not developed 'bloom,' grayishwhite spotsthat can show up if it's been kept at warm temperatures. The 'bloom'is caused by the cocoa butter rising to the surface.
'You can still use the chocolate, but there may be a littledifference in the flavor,' Chavanon said.
Then she took a whiff of the chocolate.
'The aroma is an indication of how it will taste,' she said. 'Itgets your taste buds ready.'
Next, she broke the bars.
'Hear how they snap,' she said. 'They should make a loud, crisp-sounding snap. And look at the exposed edges. They should be niceand smooth.'
For the tasting, we started with the chocolate that had thelowest percent of cacao.
'Let the chocolate melt slowly in your mouth,' she said. 'Thecocoa butter will flow evenly around your mouth. This is the time tonotice the flavor and texture of the chocolate.'
We continued until we reached the chocolates with the highestpercentages of cacao. These were so bitter we could hardly standthem.
'These are definitely not for eating out of hand,' she said.'It's definitely for cooking where you'd be adding sugar and otherflavors.'
Of all the store-bought chocolates, she liked the ScharffenBerger 62 percent cacao.
'This one's good,' she said. 'More chocolatey -- rich chocolatewithout tasting artificial. You can taste the whole vanilla beans init.'
Still, she won't trade them for her favorite.
'American producers are headed in the right direction,' she said,'but I still stand by Belgian-made Callebaut semisweet.'
If you can't find Callebaut or it's too pricey, experiment withthe other brands.
'The best test for chocolate is how it bakes,' she said. 'Workwith it. The truth is in how it works for you. Make a ganache andsee how silky, shiny and smooth it flows. Then you'll know you havea good baking chocolate.'
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0271 or teresa.farney@gazette.com
A NUMBERS GAME
When a recipe calls for unsweetened chocolate, a cook should lookfor 99 or 100 percent on the label. This score does not representperfection. It means the bar is pure chocolate, without sugar.
High-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate is labeled 60percent to 80 percent chocolate. Federal regulations make nodistinction between bittersweet and semisweet chocolate. In fact,they are interchangeable in many recipes.
THE NEW YORK
TIMES TASTE TEST:
STORE-BOUGHT CHOCOLATES
With the help of Elaine Chavanon, pastry chef and co-owner ofMarigold Cafe & Bakery, we ranked high-end, store-bought chocolateson a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. The chocolates werepurchased at King Soopers and Safeway. The quotes are Chavanon's.
Nestle Chocolatier Dark Chocolate with 53 percent cacao: 2 'Thechocolate is a little gritty and has a waxy finish.'
Ghirardelli's Bittersweet Chocolate with 60 percent cacao: 3 'Ithas a very shiny, nice-looking surface and a good smell. But theflavor tastes artificial on the finish.'
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's Semisweet Dark Chocolate with62 percent cacao: 5 'This is the best of the lot for thispercentage.'
Nestle Chocolatier Bittersweet Chocolate with 62 percent cacao:2. 'Same as the other Nestle bar: There's an odd finish. I thinkit's because they use imitation vanilla in it.'
Ghirardelli's Unsweetened Pure Dark Chocolate with 99 percentcacao: 3 'It looks nice, but there's a weird finish to the taste.'
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker's Unsweetened Chocolate with 100percent cacao: 4 'It's too bitter to really taste on its own, but, Ithink it would be good in baked goods because they have wholevanilla beans in the formula. That's an interesting flavor.' Yum!Decadent ganache fills ripe strawberries
Have we got a ganache recipe for you (and your mother): aperfectly simple and delicious gift of huge, hollowedoutstrawberries filled with a chocolate ganache.
Ganache is a rich chocolate icing made of equal parts meltedsemisweet chocolate and whipping cream. Be forewarned: Don't usesemisweet chocolate chips.
'I tried that once at home and the mixture separated and didn'twork,' said Elaine Chavanon. 'The store-bought Scharffen Berger 62percent cacao would probably work.'
Or buy Callebaut chocolate at Whole Foods Market.
For 24 to 36 medium strawberries, melt 6 ounces semisweetchocolate and cool to just above room temperature. Fold into 6ounces heavy whipping cream and whip with electric mixer untilcreamy and smooth. Pipe mixture into strawberries.
If desired, add a tablespoon of rum or cognac to meltedchocolate.
SO-EASY CHOCOLATE SOUFFL
Yield: 4 servings
Sugar for sprinkling ramekins
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat insides and rimsof 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle withsugar and set on baking sheet; set aside.
2. In small microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream.Micro-cook on 100 percent power (high) 1 1/2-2 minutes, or untilsmooth, stirring twice. Divide in half. Cover and cool to roomtemperature.
3. In medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer onmedium speed until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until softpeaks form (tips curl).
4. Gently fold half of cooled chocolate mixture into beaten eggwhites until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared ramekins. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until knife inserted near center of souffles comesout clean. Serve immediately.
5. To serve, open centers of souffls with two spoons and pour inremaining chocolate mixture.
Nutrition data per serving: Calories 294.5 (58.3 percent fromfat); fat 19.1 g (sat 11.9 g, mono 5.9 g, poly 0.7 g); protein 5.1g; carbohydrates 26.2 g; fiber 0.4 g; cholesterol 41.1 mg; sodium65.5 mg; calcium 30.4 mg.
Source: www.bhg.com
HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Yield: 12 servings
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Beatty's Chocolate Frosting
(recipe below)
Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 (10-inch)cake pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
2. Finely chop chocolate. In bowl, combine with hot coffee. Letmixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted andmixture is smooth.
3. Into large bowl, sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder,baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. In another large bowl, with electric mixer, beat eggs untilthickened slightly and lemon-colored (about 3 minutes with standmixer, or 5 minutes with hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil,buttermilk, vanilla and melted-chocolate mixture to eggs, beatinguntil combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speeduntil just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake inmiddle of oven until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes.
5. Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run thin knife aroundedges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove waxpaper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 dayahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic, at room temperature.
6. Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides.Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to roomtemperature before serving.
Nutrition data per serving: Calories 773.5 (50.1 percent fromfat); fat 43 g (sat 18.2 g, mono 17.5 g, poly 5.4 g); protein 10.1g; carbohydrates 93.8 g; fiber 5.48 g; cholesterol 113.8 mg; sodium519.2 mg; calcium 96.7 mg.
Source: Adapted from Gourmet magazine, March 1999
BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Procedure: 1. Chop chocolate and place in heatproof bowl set overpan of simmering water. Stir until just melted. Set aside untilcooled to room temperature.
2. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beatbutter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating 3 minutes.Turn mixer to low, gradually add confectioner's sugar, then beat onmedium speed, scraping down bowl as necessary, until smooth andcreamy.
3. Dissolve coffee powder in 2 teaspoons hottest tap water. Onlow speed, add chocolate and coffee to butter mixture and mix untilblended (don't whip). Spread immediately on cooled cake.
Nutrition data per serving: Calories 252.5 (70.6 percent fromfat); fat 19.8 g (sat 12.2 g, mono 5.9 g, poly 0.8 g); protein 0.9g; carbohydrates 18.7 g; fiber 0.2 g; cholesterol 59.6 mg; sodium2.9 mg; calcium 11.4 mg.
Source: 'Barefoot Contessa at Home,' TV Food Network
QUICK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Yield: 4 servings
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Garnishes such as shaved chocolate curls, raspberries, mintleaves strawberries, raspberry sauce
Procedure: 1. In small saucepan over high heat, bring 1/3 cupcream just to boil. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate in bowl.Whisk until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside tocool, then whisk in vanilla and salt.
2. Beat remaining cream to stiff peaks. Add chocolate mixture andbeat on medium-low speed until mixture forms soft peaks.
3. Spoon mousse into small bowls or stemmed glasses and chilluntil ready to serve. Garnish just before serving.
Nutrition data per serving, without garnishes: Calories 487 (80percent from fat); fat 43.3 g (sat 26.9 g, mono 13 g, poly 1.6 g);protein 3.1 g; carbohydrates 23 g; fiber 0.5 g; cholesterol 123.4mg; sodium 97.8 mg; calcium 69.4 mg.
Source: About.com
