CHAPTER 17: COCOA AND CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS Flashcards
1
Q
One of the most popular food flavors in the Western world.
A
Chocolate, second only to vanilla.
2
Q
Unlike vanilla, which is essentially a flavoring, chocolate has been used over the centuries as what?
A
Food, medicine, aphrodisiac, and money.
3
Q
Chocolate was part of the ancient religious rituals in what culture?
A
Mayan
4
Q
The source of cocoa and chocolate.
A
Cacao tree
5
Q
Is the cacao tree a finicky plant?
A
Yes, that grows in relatively few regions of the world.
6
Q
What affects the size of annual harvest?
A
Climate conditions–rainfall in particular–affect the size, as do the spread of fungus infections.
7
Q
Where have fungus infections been a problem?
A
Brazil and other parts of South America in recent years.
8
Q
Where is political instability a threat to the size of the harvest?
A
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in western Africa.
9
Q
Where is the largest cocoa bean supplier in the world?
A
Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in western Africa.
10
Q
Cocoas and chocolates vary substantially in what?
A
Cost and quality.
11
Q
The first step for selecting cocoa and chocolate is what? What about the other two steps?
A
Understanding the makeup and functionality of each. Then develop an educated palate by tasting and evaluating a wide range of products. Finally, include the other important criteria–price–in the selection process.
12
Q
What are cacao (or cocoa) beans?
A
The seeds or kernels from the fruit pods of the cacao tree.
13
Q
Are cocoa beans similar to other nuts and seeds?
A
Yes, just as almonds and sunflower seeds are encased in a protective shell, so, too, are cocoa nibs.
14
Q
What are cocoa nibs?
A
The edible part of the cocoa bean that is processed into coca and chocolate.
15
Q
What is theobroma cacao?
A
Cacao trees botanical name.
16
Q
Where do cacao trees grow?
A
Near the equator on small cocoa plantations or in tropical rain forests.
17
Q
Most commercial cacao trees grow in ______, but other major growing regions include ______ and ______ America and the islands of ______ and ______ in _____ ______. A minimum number of trees are cultivated in other locales, such as _______.
A
Africa, South, Central, Indonesia, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Hawaii
18
Q
Cocoa pods grow off of the _____ and ____ of cacao trees.
A
limbs, trunks
19
Q
Because the trees are fragile, how must cocoa beans be harvested?
A
By hand. Skilled workers cut down the pods with machetes, selecting only fully ripe ones for best flavor.
20
Q
Each pod holds how many cocoa beans?
A
About 20 to 40 surrounded by a thin layer of white fruit pulp.
21
Q
What happens to cocoa beans after being removed from the shell?
A
They are removed–white fruit pulp intact–and are piled, covered, and allowed to ferment.
22
Q
What is the first step in the conversion of raw bean to flavorful chocolate?
A
Fermentation, which requires two days to one week, depending on the type of bean.
23
Q
Fermentation involves a complex series of what?
A
Reactions that occur as microorganisms ferment sugars in the pulp, and the enzymes break down various components in the bean.
24
Q
Fermentation ______ the bean’s color and changes its _______. It increases the beans _______, decreases its _______ and _______, and generates _____ precursors that are important tho the flavor development later during the roasting and conching.
A
darkens, flavor, acidity, astringency, bitterness, flavor
25
When does fruit pulp drain from the beans?
When it warms and liquefies.
26
What happens after fruit pulp drains from the beans?
Beans are dried, or cured, often directly in the sun, but sometimes over an open fire or with hot air.
27
During drying, what happens to beans?
Beans lose nearly half their weight and some acidity to evaporation.
28
If dried improperly or incompletely, what happens to beans?
They pick up off flavors, including smoky or moldy flavors.
29
Once dried, what happens to beans?
Beans are packed in burlap bags and shipped around the world to the processing plants where they are cleaned, roasted, removed from their shells, and further processed.
30
Almonds, cocoa nibs, and sunflower seed kernels are all good sources of what?
Dietary fiber and minerals (ash).
31
As with other sources of tropical fats, such as coconuts and palm kernels, cocoa nibs contain what?
Fat that is naturally saturated and is solid at room temperature.
32
Although saturated, does cocoa butter appear to raise blood cholesterol levels the way most saturated fats do?
No
33
Besides containing fat high in saturated fatty acids, cocoa butter also contains small amounts of what?
Lecithin and other natural emulsifiers.
34
Everything in cocoa beans that is solid but is not cocoa butter is collectively referred to as what?
Cocoa solids nonfat.
35
Cocoa solids nonfat include what?
Large amount of proteins and carbohydrates.
36
The carbohydrates in cocoa beans consist of what?
Starch, dietary fiber (cellulose and pentosan gums), and dextrins.
37
What are dextrins?
Starch fragments that are produced when starches are broken down by heat, as when cocoa beans are roasted.
38
Like starch, do dextrins absorb water?
Yes, but to a lesser degree.
39
When is too much cocoa solids nonfat a problem? Use Hershey's syrup.
Has the best flavor when it contains a high amount of cocoa solids nonfat. The problem is, when there is a high amount of cocoa solids nonfat, there is a high amount of starch and gums that thicken the syrup. Over time, the syrup sets up and will not dispense properly from the package.
40
How do you solve the problem of too many cocoa solids nonfat?
The enzyme amylase is sometimes added to chocolate syrup, to break down the starch so the syrup won't thicken.
41
Because many chocolate products contain sugar and other ingredients, they are often labeled with the declaration of what?
A minimum amount of cocoa solids, sometimes simply called percent cocoa or cacao. The European Union requires this by law of all its member countries. Cocoa solids, in this case, are not the same as cocoa solids nonfat. Instead, it represents the combined total of all cocoa ingredients, including ground cocoa nib and added cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In other words, it represents the combined total of cocoa solids nonfat and cocoa butter.
42
Do label declarations state how much of the cocoa solids are nonfat and how much are from added cocoa butter?
No
43
Does a higher level of cocoa solids nonfat provide a stronger or weaker chocolate flavor?
Stronger
44
A higher level of cocoa butter means what when a product is melted?
It will be thinner, which is important when chocolate is used as a coating.
45
Cocoa solids nonfat also include small amounts of what?
Acids, color, and flavor, vitamins and minerals, and polyphenolic compounds.
46
Besides providing health benefits, polyphenolic compounds contribute what?
To color and flavor of cocoa beans.
47
Do cocoa solids nonfat contain caffeine and theobromine? What is theobromine?
Yes, which is a mild caffein-like stimulant. Like caffeine, it has a bitter taste, characteristic of chocolate.
48
While there are many types of cocoa beans, many fall into these three main categories.
Forastero, criollo, trinitario.
49
The majority (90% or more) of cocoa beans are which type?
Forasteros, considered basic or bulk beans; they are the work horses of the cocoa industry.
50
Where did forasteros originate?
South American rain forests, but today are grown throughout the cocoa-growing world, especially in western Africa.
51
Are forasteros easy to grow? Explain.
Yes, because they withstand changes to the climate and are resistant to fungus and disease.
52
Describe the flavor and color of forastero beans.
Dark and have a full chocolate flavor, with plenty of middle and base notes. While they provide a chocolate earthiness, they lack the subtle top notes of criollo beans.
53
Which beans are considered "fine and flavor" beans?
Light-colored criollo beans.
54
What does "fine and flavor" refer to?
The complex fruity aromatic top notes of these beans.
55
Criollos are typically low in what two things?
Bitterness and astringency.
56
Why are criollo beans expensive?
The trees are susceptible to disease and are therefore difficult to grow.
57
What beans were prized by the ancient Myans?
Criollos
58
How much of the world cocoa supple is from criollo?
Less than 2%, and the size of the crop is shrinking as criollo tress are replaced with hardier varieties.
59
What areas are known for their "fine and flavor" beans?
Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Indonesia.
60
Why do we crave chocolate?
Chocolate contains a mix of substances--theobromine, magnesium, tyrosine, phenylethylamine, anandamide, and N-acylethanolamine--that affect brain chemistry. However, many everyday foods contain these substances, often at higher levels. Yet, it is possible that chocolate contains a special combination of them. Or, it might simply be that the pleasurable sensory characteristics of chocolate--its taste, smell, and mouthfeel--are what we crave.
61
Single-origin chocolate are also called what?
Grand crus, in tradition of wines.
62
What are varietal chocolates?
Like varietal wines, are made from one type of bean.
63
What are single-origin chocolates?
Made from beans grown entirely in a specific region or plantation.
64
Many specialty chocolate manufacturers sell varietal and single origin chocolates at _______ prices.
premium
65
Is tasting single-origin chocolates a way of broadening your knowledge of chocolate?
Yes, although some of them are an acquired taste.
66
Look for chocolates made from the following varietal and single-origin flavor beans.
Chuao, Maracaibo, and Porcelana criollos from Venezuela; Arriba, a criollo from Thrinidad; Nacional, from Ecuador, a fine and flavor bean related to forastero; Careener Superior and Rio Caribe, two trinitario beans from Venezuela, and many more.
67
Trinitario beans are believed to be what?
A cross between forastero and the criollo, and they have characteristics of each.
68
Like criollos, trinitarios are considered what?
Fine and flavor beans, although their flavor is less fruity and more earthy.
69
Like forasteros, trinitario beans are what?
Hardy
70
When were trinitarios first hybridized?
On the island of Trinidad in 1700s, when trinitario tress were imported to replace criollos destroyed by a major blight.
71
How much of the world cocoa bean crop is trinitario?
Less than 5%.
72
Most cocoa and chocolate products are produced from a blend of what?
Beans, with forasteros providing the base notes and the finish, and a small amount of flavor beans providing aromatic, often fruity, top notes.
73
Cocoa beans are grown in the tropics, but where are they processed?
Where they are consumed, throughout Europe, North America, and other regions of the world.
74
Cocoa and chocolate products can be categorized as what?
Cocoa products, chocolate products, and confectionary coatings.
75
Are cocoa products sweetened or unsweetened?
Unsweetened
76
What is included in cocoa products?
Cocoa nibs, chocolate (cocoa) liquor, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter.
77
Are chocolate products sweetened or unsweetened?
Sweetened
78
Are chocolate products highly processed and more refined than cocoa products? Are they expensive?
Yes, and while their prices vary, expect to pay a premium.
79
Chocolate products include what?
Couvertures, bittersweet dark chocolate, sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate.
80
What are confectionary coatings?
Low-cost products made from cocoa, vegetable fats other than cocoa butter, and sugar.
81
Both chocolate products and confectionary coatings can be purchased as ________--often ____ pounds (4.5 or 5 kilograms)--or _____, also called coins or chips.
blocks, 10-11, drops
82
Why are drops convenient to melt and use?
They're small.
83
Although cocoa and chocolate products must meet minimum standards set by law, does it eliminate the large variation in makeup and quality that exist between brands?
These standards clarify differences among products, but they do not eliminate the large variation in makeup and quality that exists between brands. Standards vary from one country to the next.
84
The definition of milk chocolate changes from ______ _______, to _______, to the _____ _______.
United States, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
85
Is Switzerland an EU member?
No, it sets its own regulations.
86
How was chocolate used by the Mayans of Central America?
For several thousand years, it was used as a drink at religious ceremonies, earning its reputation as food of the gods. It was also ground with maize and other seeds and grains, seasoned, and consumed as food. In its most refined form, these beverages were poured from one vessel to another at great heights, creating quantities of foam. One reason beans were roasted was to intensify this foam.
87
When Christopher Columbus first met Mayan traders in _____, he sensed that cocoa beans were held in high esteem, but he didn't fully comprehend their significance.
1502
88
Hernando Cortes, the Spanish conquistador, invaded Mexico in ______. What were they aware of by then?
1519; the importance of cocoa beans to the New World, at least in its role as money.
89
More than a means of money, cacahuatl was symbolic to the Aztecs of what?
Blood and the human heart. It was there most valued beverage, savored almost exclusively by the nobility, warriors, and elite merchants.
90
Spanish accounts report Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs, sipping from what?
Chocolate at a banquet feast from fifty golden goblets.
91
How was chocolate consumed by the Aztecs?
Cold, colored with red annatto, and flavored with dry chili; it was rejected by Spanish invaders.
92
How did chocolate make its way to the Spanish court?
Some say by Cortes himself.
93
How did the Spanish use chocolate?
They heated it, sweetened it with cane sugar, and flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. Part medicine, part invigorating beverage, chocolate spread throughout western Europe, even as the Spanish kept its process a secret for years.
94
As the 1600s progressed, what became a trendy, healthful drink throughout Europe (for those who could afford it)?
Hot chocolate.
95
At one time, did the chocolate industry consist of skilled craftsmen running small operations?
Yes
96
Today, what transforms the bulk of the world's cocoa beans into cocoa and chocolate products?
Large manufacturers.
97
What are two ways manufacturers maintain consistency?
By blending beans from around the world. Another way is through are scale computer-controlled manufacturing processes.
98
At the same time most of the chocolate industry has consolidated to a few large scale manufacturers, artisan chocolate producers have begun what?
Producing small quantities of specialty products. They also tend to use more traditional methods of processing the beans, and they are likely to create specialty chocolates made from varietal or single-origin beans.
99
The first step in converting cocoa beans--single-origin or otherwise--into cocoa and chocolate products is what?
To clean and roast the bean.
100
Regulations on cocoa in US and Canada.
10% minimum, 22% maximum
101
Regulations for high-fat cocoa in United States.
22% minimum
102
Regulations for EU cocoa.
20% minimum (calculated on a dry weight basis)
103
Regulations on fat-free cocoa for US and Canada.
0.5% maximum
104
Regulations on low-fat cocoa in US and Canada.
10% max
105
Regulations on fat-reduced cocoa in EU.
8-20% (calculated on a dry weight basis)
106
Chocolate never would've risen in quality and popularity in quite the same way without what?
Technology
107
What made chocolate affordable and appealing to the common man?
The steam engine, a product of the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of the cocoa press in 1828.
108
Who developed a means of refining the flavor and mouthfeel of chocolate through conching?
Ralph Lindt, a Swiss manufacturer, in the 1800s.
109
Who created the first milk chocolate? How?
Another Swiss, Daniel Peter, by incorporating Henri Nestle's newly invented condensed milk into chocolate.
110
An important step in transforming the bean to cocoa and chocolate.
Roasting
111
How long does roasting take? What temps?
Several minutes to an hour or more, at temperatures that range from about 200-400ºF (95º-200ºC).
112
Roasting conditions depend on what?
Size and variety of bean, and on the end result desired.
113
Why are criollo beans often roasted for shorter times than forasteros?
So valuable top notes aren't lost to evaporation.
114
What does roasting do?
Loosens the shell for easy removal, reduces the amount of moisture and destroys microorganisms and other undesirable pests, darkens the color, and changes the flavor.
115
Why does the flavor change when roasting?
The flavor changes as heat evaporates acids and other volatile flavor molecules. Heat also initiates complex chemical reactions, including Maillard reactions, which involve the breakdown of sugars and other carbohydrates in the presence of proteins. As roasting continues, Maillard reactions produce deep, earthy middle and base notes and darkly colored compounds.
116
What is the traditional way of roasting beans? What about newer methods?
Dry-roast whole beans, newer roasting methods involve pretreating beans with the steam or infrared heat.
117
What does pretreatment do for beans?
Allows shells to be removed before roasting.
118
What happens once shells are removed?
Nibs are broken into particles of uniform size. Alternatively, the nibs are reduced into a paste, which is roasted as a thin film.
119
As with coffee, people have personal preferences for the degree of ______ that they prefer in their chocolate.
roast
120
Can small bits of roasted nibs be purchased?
Yes, as a speciality ingredient.
121
Just as cocoa beans can be thought of as nuts, cocoa nibs can be thought of as what?
Chopped nuts.
122
Do nibs contain everything that is found in the cocoa bean?
Yes, including a large amount of cocoa butter and an almost equal amount of cocoa solids nonfat.
123
Because they are unsweetened, cocoa nibs have a strong ______ chocolate taste.
bitter
124
How is chocolate liquor produced?
By finely grinding chocolate nibs through a series of rollers.
125
The liquor refers to what?
The liquid state of chocolate when it is warm; it does not indicate the presence of alcohol.
126
If chocolate nibs are thought of as chopped nuts, chocolate liquor can be thought of as what?
Nut butter (nuts ground to a smooth paste).
127
How is cocoa liquor unlike almond butter or peanut butter? What happens to it when cooled?
Chocolate/cocoa liquor hardens into solid blocks when cooled, because cocoa butter is solid at room temperature.
128
What is cocoa liquor called when sold as solid blocks?
Unsweetened chocolate, cocoa mass (cacaomasse), bitter chocolate, or baking chocolate.
129
Like nibs, unsweetened chocolate is high in what?
Cocoa butter.
130
By law, unsweetened chocolate must contain a minimum of ___% cocoa butter (and, in the US, a maximum of ___%).
50, 60
131
Why is unsweetened chocolate expensive? Is it worth it?
Because it is high in valuable cocoa butter. It's worth it because cocoa butter contributes to the full flavor of unsweetened chocolate.
132
Ingredient of choice for the richest chocolate flavor in baked good.
Unsweetened chocolate
133
Besides containing cocoa butter and very small amounts of moisture, unsweetened chocolate contains what?
Cocoa solids nonfat. Since it is made from pure nib, this is generally all that is in unsweetened chocolate.
134
By law, unsweetened chocolate can contain what?
Small amounts of added milk fat, ground nuts, flavorings, and alkali.
135
Do cocoa solids nonfat contain acid?
Yes
136
What is available in unsweetened chocolate to react with baking soda?
Acid
137
How is natural cocoa powder made?
When chocolate liquor is squeezed and pressed under high pressure, heat builds and melts cocoa butter, some of which drains from the chocolate. The remaining presoak is finely ground and sold as cocoa powder.
138
Does the natural color of cocoa powder range?
Yes, from light yellowish-brown--tan--to dark yellowish-brown, depending on the source of bean and amount of roasting.
139
Why is cocoa powder less expensive than unsweetened chocolate?
Because valuable cocoa butter is removed and sold separately.
140
As with chocolate liquor, natural cocoa powder is _______, having a pH between __ and __.
acidic, 5, 6
141
Do the acids in natural cocoa powder react with baking soda?
Yes
142
Does cocoa powder contain added sugar?
No
143
Are there sweetened cocoa powders on the market? What are they called? Are they good for baking?
Yes, they are called hot cocoa mixes and not used in baking?
144
At the start of the 1700s, was hot chocolate too expensive for the common man?
Yes
145
Who was the first to mechanize and mass produce the grinding of cocoa beans?
Joseph Fry, and English physician who counseled his patients on the medical qualities of chocolate.
146
Before Joseph Fry, how was chocolate ground?
Manually ground as it had been for thousands of years, between a stone rolling pin and a stone surface (mano and metate).
147
Mass production reduced the price of chocolate and improved its ______.
fineness
148
Even after Joseph Fry, what was the problem with hot chocolate?
It would still form an unattractive slick of melted cocoa butter on the surface.
149
How was the unattractive slick of melted cocoa butter fixed?
When C.J. Van Houten from Netherlands developed a process in 1828 for pressing excess cocoa butter from chocolate, cocoa powder was produced and the problem was solved.
150
For a few years after cocoa powder was invented, nobody knew what to do with the leftover cocoa butter. How was this addressed? What was this the catalyst for?
Finally, in the mid 1800s, Fry and Sons combined cocoa butter and sugar with chocolate, creating the first popular chocolate candy bar. Because there was now a market for cocoa butter, the price of cocoa dropped, making hot cocoa available to the masses.
151
What is one way to classify cocoa butter?
By the amount of cocoa butter it contains.
152
Regular medium fat cocoa powder, is often simply called what? Where is it used?
Cocoa, which is used in North America for baking.
153
Cocoa has a minimum of how much cocoa butter by law?
10% and it generally ranges around 10-12%. In fact, manufacturers often designate regular cocoa as 10/12 cocoa.
154
Low-fat cocoa in North America has how much cocoa butter?
Less than 10%
155
Some cocoas--labeled fat-free--contain ____% cocoa butter or less.
0.5%
156
Why are fat-free cocoas expensive?
Because removing so much cocoa butter requires a special process (supercritical gas extraction, for one).
157
Four categories to classify cocoa powder in North America.
Cocoa, low-fat cocoa, fat-free, High fat or breakfast cocoa.
158
How much cocoa butter is in high fat cocoa?
Minimum 22% cocoa butter.
159
Manufacturers often designate high fat coca as what?
22/24 cocoa, because of its typical fat content.
160
Can 10/12 or 22/24 be used in baking?
Yes, and while they can be substituted for one-another, higher-fat cocoas provide a richer flavor.
161
Cocoa powder from the EU similar to which North American cocoa in makeup? What is the EU often designated?
22/24, it is also often designated 20/22 cocoa because of the amount of cocoa butter it typically contains.
162
Is cocoa considered fat-reduced in the European Union the same as North American low-fat cocoa?
Not necessarily
163
Why can't cocoa be substituted directly for unsweetened chocolate in baked goods?
Because it is higher in nonfat solids and lower in fat.
164
What would you need to do in order to substitute cocoa for unsweetened chocolate?
Less cocoa is needed compared with the amount of unsweetened chocolate, and fat--usually shortening--must be added along with cocoa.
165
To calculate the amount of 20/22 or 22/24 cocoa powder to use in place of unsweetened chocolate. Use shortening as well.
Multiply the amount of chocolate by 5/8 or 0.63. To calculate the amount of shortening added, multiply the amount of chocolate by 3/8 or 0.37.
1lbs unsweetened chocolate = 10oz 20/22 cocoa powder + 6oz shortening
1 kilogram unsweetened chocolate = 630 grams 20/22 cocoa powder + 370 grams shortening.
166
Why do bakers and pastry chefs often reduce the amount of shortening by one-half?
Shortening has twice the shortening power of cocoa butter.
167
To calculate the amount of 10/12 cocoa powder to use in place of unsweetened chocolate. Use shortening as well.
The substitution is 9oz cocoa for 7oz shortening (or 3.5oz, if reduced by half) for each pound of unsweetened chocolate, or 560 grams cocoa and 440 grams shortening (or 220 grams, if reduced by half) for each kilogram. The multiplying factors are 9/16, or 0.56, and 7/16, or 0.44.
168
How can you apply cocoa powder to baked goods? What is said to release more flavor?
Sift it with dry ingredients, cream it with shortening and sugar, or dissolve it with hot liquid. Some chefs find dissolving cocoa in hot liquid before use releases flavor.
169
Are results identical when cocoa is used in place of chocolate?
No, but it is acceptable and will be lower in cost.
170
Is Dutch process cocoa or natural cocoa more popular in the bakeshop?
Dutch processed cocoa.
171
As with natural cocoas, dutched cocoas are typically sold as what?
10/12, 20/22, or 22/24 cocoas. Low-fat and fat-free versions are also available.
172
How has dutched cocoa been treated?
With a mild alkali to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa and increase pH to 7 or above.
173
What alkali is commonly used on dutched cocoa powder?
Potassium carbonate
174
If cocoa has been dutched, its ingredient label will read what?
cocoa processed with alkali.
175
Dutch cocoa may also be called what?
Alkalized, dutched, or European-style.
176
Natural cocoa is sometimes called what?
Nonalkalized or regular cocoa.
177
What does the dutching process do to the color of cocoa?
Darkens it, making it look richer and often redder than natural cocoa.
178
How do dutched cocoa colors vary?
From light reddish brown to dark brown or reddish brown. The final color depends on the amount of dutching the cocoa has undergone.
179
Is unsweetened chocolate also available dutched? Explain.
Because the alkaline treatment is applied to the nibs before they are ground and pressed, unsweetened chocolate is also available dutched.
180
Besides color, what else does dutching affect? Explain.
Flavor of cocoa. Dutched cocoa has a smoother, mellower flavor than natural cocoa. It is less sharply astringent and acidic, and dissolves more easily in water.
181
Can dutched and natural cocoas be substituted for each other?
Yes, despite the differences between them.
182
How do you know which cocoa powder to use?
Personal preference. North American consumers tend to use more natural cocoa while European consumers tend to use dutched.
183
What do most pastry chefs prefer, natural or dutched? Why?
Dutched because of its richer color and smoother flavor.
184
How do you adjust the slightly acidic natural cocoas or alkaline dutched?
Add more baking soda or acid accordingly.
185
Does natural cocoa powder disperse easily in water?
No
186
In 1828, the same year that he developed a method for producing cocoa powder, CJ Van Houten discovered what?
That by treating cocoa with an alkali, cocoa powder dispersed easily.
187
Where does dutched cocoa get its name?
CJ Van Houten was Dutch, so it was called dutched cocoa.
188
Why did dutched cocoa spread in popularity throughout Europe?
Because it dispersed easily and because the alkali treatment gave it a darker, richer color and mellower flavor.
189
What is carob powder?
Carob powder, or flour, is sometimes used in place of cocoa powder in confections, baked goods, and beverages. Although it looks like cocoa powder, carob powder is not a cocoa product. It is made of locust bean (carob) pods that are roasted, then ground. Recall from chapter 9 that another food ingredient, locust bean (carob) gum, is extracted from the bean in the same pod.
190
Carob powder is considered by some to be what?
A health alternative to cocoa powder because it is low in fat and does not contain caffeine like stimulants. However, some carob products, such as carob chips, can be high in fat. Carob has also been used as a low-cost cocoa substitute when prices of cocoa products were high.
191
When purchased for bakeshops, cocoa butter is ____-_____, that is, it is a _____ color and ______ in flavor.
highly-refind, pale, mild
192
Why would pastry chefs want this bland product (cocoa butter), instead of richly-colored and flavorful cocoa butter, straight from cocoa liquor? Or, why is color and flavor removed from cocoa butter?
Because pastry chefs often pay premium prices for carefully selected and processed chocolate, they do not want their product altered, even if it's by another cocoa product. So it is often used to sweeten chocolate products, to alter their consistency. Its second main use is as a protective water barrier on pastry. Once again, neutral flavor is desirable in this application.
193
Why is cocoa butter often added?
To sweeten chocolate products, to alter their consistency, and to act as a moisture barrier.
194
What is cocoa butter?
The fat naturally present in cocoa beans that is sold as pale yellow bars or flakes.
195
What is cocoa butter like when originally pressed from chocolate liquor during the production of cocoa powder? What is done to it after pressing?
It has a deep tan color and a distinctively chocolate flavor. It is filtered to remove cocoa particles and partly or wholly deodorized to remove most, if not all, of its chocolate flavor.
196
Cocoa butter is an expensive fat, valued in the confectionary and cosmetic industries for its unique and pleasant _______ characteristics.
melting
197
What is cocoa butter's main use in the confectionary industry?
Thinning melted chocolate and coveters to the proper consistency for coating and dipping.
198
Why does cocoa butter resist oxidative rancidity?
Because it is highly saturated. However, it will eventually develop a rancid, off flavor.
199
Are bittersweet dark chocolate and bitter, unsweetened chocolate the same thing?
No
200
Bittersweet dark chocolate is also called what?
Bittersweet, dark, or semisweet chocolate, chocolate fondant, or simply chocolate.
201
Like all chocolate products, bittersweet dark chocolate contains what?
Sugar in addition to chocolate liquor.
202
One example of bittersweet chocolate commonly found in the bakeshop.
Chocolate chips.
203
Besides containing a mix of chocolate liquor and sugar, bittersweet dark chocolate may contain what?
Small amounts of dairy, natural and artificial flavorings, emulsifiers, nuts, and cocoa butter.
204
In a traditional chocolate factory, what is done to this mixture?
It is ground or refined in a melangeur, then ground finer through a series of rollers. After chocolate is ground it is conched, to improve mouthful and flavor. The result is a smooth, homogenized mix of fine chocolate, milk, and sugar particles evenly suspended in cocoa butter.
205
What does grinding the chocolate do for textures and fluidity?
The grinding not only reduces particle size so that the chocolate is not gritty, it also releases ft from particles, so that the chocolate flows better when melted.
206
What happens to chocolate after it's conched?
It is tempered, molded, and cooled.
207
What is tempering?
A process of carefully cooling and holding chocolate products at the proper temperature to ensure that cocoa butter crystallizes properly.
208
What is the final step in assuring chocolate has the proper mouthfeel and appearance?
Tempering
209
Is cocoa butter smooth at room temp? Why?
No, it's extremely hard and brittle because it is high in saturated fatty acids.
210
How are the saturated fatty acids in cocoa butter different from shortening and lard?
Cocoa butter has a very sharp melting curve and a low final melting point, giving it a unique and pleasant melt away mouthfeel.
211
At what temp does cocoa butter melt completely?
95ºF (35ºC)
212
What make cocoa butter so unique?
Most foods contain a broad mixture of fatty acids. Each fatty acid has its own distinct melting point, so most food fats melt slowly over a wide temperature range. Cocoa butter, in contrast, consists of relatively few types of fatty acids, which all melt just below body temperature. It us this uniquely homogenous mix of fatty acids that gives cocoa butter its fast-melting pleasant mouthfeel.
213
Bittersweet chocolate is often used in what?
Creams, mousses, ganache fillings and glazes, coatings, icings, sauces, and chocolate chip cookies (as chocolate chips). It is these products that benefit most from the refined flavor and smooth mouthfeel of fine chocolate.
214
Why do results vary when using bittersweet chocolate interchangeably?
Brands vary in color, flavor, and amount of sugar and cocoa solids.
215
Unlike unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder, bittersweet dark chocolate is rarely used in what? Why?
Batters or doughs. The use of bittersweet dark chocolate is an unnecessary expense to baked goods because of the cost of adding conching and refining.
216
The contributions of conching and refining are only clear when what?
Chocolate is eaten as is, or in products such as creams, mousses, ganaches, and so on. Once highly refined and conched,chocolate is added to batters and doughs, their mild flavor can be masked by other ingredients.
217
What is conching? Explain the process.
A process in which ingredients are mixed, kneaded, and gently heated for several hours or days, depending on the type of equipment and on the desired end results. During conching, sugar and cocoa particles are ground smooth and coated with a film of cocoa butter. In a process that is the reverse of seizing, water evaporates from gentle heat, so the chocolate becomes smoother and shinier. Heat also drives off acids and other volatile ingredients, further refining flavor. Finally, heat continues the development of flavor from chemical reactions begun in the roaster. It is as if conching reduces the coarseness of both flavor and texture, and the chocolate changes from a dull, lumpy paste to a smooth, mellow-tasting liquid, ready for molding and cooling.
218
Who designed the first conch?
Rodolphe Lindt, a Swiss chocolate manufacturer, in 1879. It created the smoothest of eating chocolates. So smooth they called it fondant chocolate.
219
How did the conch receive its name?
From its shape, which followed the curve of a conch shell.
220
The original conch had what?
Heavy rollers that plowed back and forth through waves of chocolate. These conches often require 72 hours or more to complete the process and are said to produce the finest flavored chocolates.
221
Today, there are newer designs for conches that more efficiently complete the flavor and particle size refinement processes. Give an example.
Rotary vertical conches are equipped with blades that vigorously scrape chocolate against ribbed walls and keep it in constant motion, while strong air currents blow through.
222
Is there one best process for conching?
No, and manufacturers control time, temperature, and speed of conching to achieve the results that they desire. Tis is one step among many by which manufacturers distinguish their brand of chocolate from others.
223
In North America, bittersweet chocolate must contain how much cocoa solids?
Minimum 35% (in US, the minimum must be chocolate liquor). Meaning it can contain up to 65% sugar.
224
US standards for chocolate: bittersweet
chocolate liquor 35% minimum; dairy solids 12% max
225
US standards for chocolate: milk chocolate
chocolate liquor 10% minimum; dairy solids 12% minimum
226
US standards for chocolate: white
cocoa liquor 0%; dairy solids 14% minimum; 20% minimum cocoa butter; 3.5% minimum milkfat; 5% max whey; 55% max sugar.
227
Canadian standards for chocolate: bittersweet
cocoa solids (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder) 35% minimum; dairy solids 5% max; cocoa butter minimum 18%; cocoa solids nonfat 14% minimum
228
Canadian standards for chocolate: milk chocolate
cocoa solids 25% minimum; dairy solids 12% minimum; cocoa butter 15% minimum; cocoa solids nonfat 2.5% minimum; other standards 5% max
229
Canadian standards for chocolate: white
cocoa solids 0%; dairy solids 14% minimum; cocoa butter 20% minimum.
230
What would brownies look like if they were made with bittersweet chocolate? Why?
They would be lighter in color, sweeter, have a milder chocolate flavor, and be more moist and tender. Bittersweet dark chocolate is lower in cocoa solids than unsweetened chocolate is; bittersweet dark chocolate contains sugar--sometimes up to 65%. Because of the added processing that BDC undergoes, these brownies would also be more expensive.
231
Brownies are typically made with what?
Unsweetened chocolate or cocoa.
232
In a pinch, how much how many grams of bittersweet dark chocolate can be used in place of unsweetened?
1000 grams of BDC compared to 500 unsweetened. Assuming that bittersweet dark chocolate is 50% chocolate liquor. Sugar should also be reduced by 500 grams.
233
Do many bittersweet chocolates exceed these minimum standards?
Yes, some containing 50% cocoa solids or more.
234
Often, manufacturers use the term bittersweet when a chocolate contains more than ____% cocoa solids and semisweet when it contains between ___% and ___%, but there is no law that says it must.
50, 35, 50
235
Are cocoa solids more expensive than sugar?
Yes, so the more cocoa solids in a product, the higher the cost. But prices doesn't always necessarily mean quality.
236
In the EU, the equivalent to bittersweet dark chocolate is more often simply called ______.
chocolate
237
While European chocolate couverture does not meet minimum standards for bittersweet chocolate in North America, European dark couverture chocolate _______ them.
exceeds
238
What is milk chocolate?
A sweetened chocolate product that is typically low in cocoa solids but contains a minimum of 12% milk solids.
239
As with bittersweet dark chocolate, milk chocolate often contains what?
Natural or artificial vanilla flavoring, emulsifiers, and cocoa butter. The rest is sugar.
240
Does milk chocolates undergo refining, conching, tempering, and molding processes similar to those of bittersweet dark chocolate?
Yes
241
Most milk chocolates are _____ and _____ in flavor.
sweet, mellow
242
While they lack chocolate bitterness, milk chocolates do have interesting flavors from what?
Dairy solids
243
American milk chocolate, often has what type of flavor? What about Swiss?
American usually has a sour or ripened milk flavor while Swiss has a mildly cooked milk flavor.
244
British milk chocolate flavor is often what?
Strongly caramelized from the addition of milk crumb.
245
What is milk crumb?
A dry, crumbly powder made by heating condensed milk with sugar. with or without the addition of chocolate liquor. The caramelized flavors come from Maillard reactions that occur when milk and sugar are heated together.
246
Can milk chocolate be used in formulas that call for bittersweet dark chocolate?
Not generally, because it's too low in cocoa solids and too mild in flavor to really work well.
247
Milk chocolates primary use in the bakeshop.
Often in the form of couverture, is for dipping and coating, and for chocolate garnishes and decorations.
248
White chocolate is made from what?
Sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, and natural or artificial vanilla flavoring; emulsifiers are optional.
249
White chocolate is essentially milk chocolate without what?
Cocoa solids nonfat.
250
For years, there was no permanent legal definition for white chocolate in the US. When did this change?
2002, when the FDA created a standard of identity for white chocolate. It is the same stand as the EU.
251
Chocolate mousse is typically made with what type of chocolate?
Bittersweet dark chocolate.
252
What would happen to mousse if it was made with milk chocolate instead of bittersweet dark?
It would be lighter in color or look more like butterscotch mousse than chocolate, because milk chocolates are low in cocoa solids nonfat. This also means it would most likely be softer and less firm. In fact, some milk chocolate mousses fail to set up. Finally, it would be sweeter, maybe too sweet and too weak in flavor. The flavor is often more buttery, creamy, caramel, or vanilla than chocolate. These flavors come through more strongly in aerated products than does chocolate.
253
How do you increases your chances of making a successful milk chocolate mouse?
Use one with a strong flavor and that is relatively high in cocoa solids and low in sugar; use a combination of bittersweet chocolates; or use a formula designed specifically for milk chocolate.
254
Flavor of white chocolate is predominantly what?
Vanilla
255
Why does white chocolate have essentially no chocolate flavor?
Because the cocoa butter is deodorized before use.
256
Why can white chocolate non be directly substituted for bittersweet or milk chocolate in most formulas?
It is totally lacking in cocoa solids nonfat.
257
Does white chocolate set up faster than other chocolates?
Yes
258
What is white chocolate typically used in?
Creams, mousses, ganache fillings, and glazes, coatings, cheesecake, icings, various confectionary, and cookies (as white chocolate chunks).
259
Couverture is French for what?
Coating
260
What is couverture chocolate?
Chocolate with a minimum of 31% cocoa butter (in the case of milk chocolate couverture, the minimum 31% includes milk fat). Think of couvertures as high quality chocolate products, with higher levels of cocoa butter adding to their cost.
261
Couvertures are primarily used for what?
Chocolate garnishes and decorations, or for dipping and coating cakes, cookies, and pralines.
262
Can couvertures be used interchangeably with regular chocolate products?
Yes, in creams, mousses, ganache, and icings.
263
Are couvertures typically added to batters and doughs?
Couvertures are not typically added to batters and doughs for the same reason that chocolate is not.
264
Advantages of couverture over regular chocolate.
The added cocoa butter coats the sugar and cocoa particles, allowing them to flow past each other more easily.
265
Why is having a good flow from couverture important? What is the contrast?
With particles flowing easily past each other, couvertures are thin, so they coat products easily. In contrast, when semisweet chocolate chips are melted, the chocolate is thick. The sugar and cocoa particles tend to interact, thickening the chocolate.
266
Why is the thickness of regular melted chocolate a necessity?
For the manufacturer to properly deposit chocolate into drops, but it means that the melted chips designated for chocolate chip cookies are too thick to use for coating and dipping (unless cocoa butter or another fat is added).
267
Besides flow, what else does cocoa butter in couverture add?
An attractive glossy finish, as long as the couverture is properly tempered.
268
Because cocoa butter is extremely solid at room temperature, high-quality couvertures exhibit what?
A characteristic snap that is absent from products with lower amounts of cocoa butter. Higher amounts of cocoa butter also mean a smoother , more melt-away mouthfeel.
269
What is ganache?
A simple mixture of heavy cream and melted chocolate.
270
How do you make ganache?
To make ganache, bring fresh cream just to a boil, pour over chopped chocolate, and stir until the chocolate melts completely.
271
Uses for ganache.
As an icing or glaze for cakes, as a filling for pralines, or, when whipped, as chocolate mousse.
272
How do you get a firm consistency with ganache?
Adding more chocolate than cream.
273
What else can be added to ganache for further variety?
Milk, juice, coffee, egg yolks, butter.
274
Why does ganache consistency vary between brands of chocolate?
Different amounts of chocolate liquor.
275
Scientifically, ganache is what?
An emulsion of milk fat droplets and cocoa butter crystals suspended in liquid, stabilized by natural emulsifiers and proteins in milk and in chocolate.
276
What can cause the ganache emulsion to breakdown?
Too much bittersweet chocolate sometimes causes the emulsion to break and fat to separate from the liquid. When this happens, whisk ganache slowly into a small amount of heavy cream, to reemulsify.
277
Do emulsifiers interact and coat couverture chocolate?
Yes, just as they interact and coat fat and flour particles in baked goods, so, too, do they coat and interact with particles in chocolates and couvertures. In particular, emulsifiers coat and interact with sugar particles. Through these interactions, emulsifiers allow particles in liquefied chocolates and couvertures to easily slide past one another. This thins the consistency of chocolate, so that it flows smoothly and evenly.
278
Small amounts of what emulsifier are naturally present in chocolate liquor?
Lecithin, and additional amounts are commonly added to chocolate products.
279
Is lecithin approved for use in chocolates and couvertures in North America and Europe?
Yes
280
Why is lecithin often used instead of cocoa butter for thinning chocolate?
Because it is less expensive and about ten times more efficient than cocoa butter at thinning chocolate.
281
How much lecithin is needed when adding it to couvertures?
Usually 0.1 - 0.3%.
282
Is the chocolate flavor of couverture diluted when adding lecithin?
No, but it can be when high amounts of cocoa butter are added instead.
283
Does each country's law define couvertures?
European law defines couvertures; Canadian and U.S. laws do not. This does not mean that North American chocolate products never meet the standards of couverture; it simply means that they are not labeled as such.
284
If it is important to know the amount of cocoa butter in a North American product, who should you ask?
The manufacturer.
285
Confectionary coatings go by many names. What are they?
Compound coating, summer coatings, or simply, coatings. Sometimes confectionary coatings are called chocolate coatings, but this is not legally correct.
286
In North America, the word for chocolate is reserved for what?
Products that contain cocoa butter as the only fat (small amounts of milk fat are allowed).
287
Confectionary coatings contain vegetable fats, such as what?
Partially hydrogenated soybean, palm kernel, or coconut oil, making them less expensive than chocolate products.
288
Why are the oils in confectionary coatings specially processed (fractionated)?
The oils are specially processed--fractionated--so that they have melting properties similar to cocoa butter.
289
While some are quite good in quality, coating fat is still what?
Coating fat is still imitation cocoa butter, just as margarine is still imitation butter, so they are not identical.
290
Four things cocoa butter provides in chocolate products.
Thins viscosity of melted chocolate, provides sheen, provides firmness with snap, provides a smooth, melt-away mouthfeel.
291
EU regulations for couverture chocolate: couverture chocolate.
31% minimum coca butter
| > 2.5% cocoa solids nonfat
292
EU regulations for couverture chocolate: dark couverture chocolate.
31% minimum coca butter
| > 16% cocoa solids nonfat
293
EU regulations for couverture chocolate: couverture milk chocolate.
31% minimum coca butter (includes milk fat)
> 2.5% cocoa solids nonfat
> 14% milk solids, and
294
Besides being low in cost, some confectionary coatings are easier to work with than couvertures. Why?
Because they do not require tempering. The fats in these particular confectionary coatings have a higher melting point than cocoa butter.
295
Certain confectionary coatings have a higher what than cocoa butter? Why is this a problem?
Melting point, which gives the coating an unappealing waxiness. However, high-melting coatings resist melting in warm weather.
296
Confectionary coatings often sacrifice what for low cost and ease of use?
Flavor and mouthfeel. As with any ingredient, product quality varies from one brand to the next. If one is unsatisfactory, try another.
297
Confectionary coatings are available as what versions?
Dark, milk, and white. They are also available in a rainbow of colors.
298
Unsweetened chocolate and chocolate are usually _______ before use.
melted
299
Why must unsweetened chocolate and chocolate products be melted carefully?
Because they contain a mix of proteins and carbohydrates that are easily overheated.
300
What happens when chocolate overheats?
When chocolate overheats, it becomes thick, lumpy, and dull.
301
What should you do if chocolate overheats?
Throw it away and start again.
302
Why is it especially easy to overheat milk and white chocolates?
Because they contain dairy products that burn and scorch easily.
303
Can chocolate be melted in a double boiler or microwave?
Yes, but it should never be left unattended. In either case, be sure to stir often so hot spots do not develop and overheat chocolate.
304
Why should you keep water and steam away from melted chocolate? What happens?
Water causes chocolate to seize up and thicken, as hygroscopic sugar particles absorb water and become sticky. Sticky particles cannot flow easily past each other, greatly increasing viscosity and thickness. Once thickened in this manner, chocolate products are no longer useful for dipping and coating.
305
Cocoa butter, like all fat, is what?
polymorphic
306
What does polymorphic mean?
It forms crystals with different shapes and forms. Each crystal form also has different properties.
307
In the case of cocoa butter, how many crystal forms are known?
6
308
The three most common known crystal forms for cocoa butter are what?
Listed in order if increasing melting point, density, and stability: alpha (a), beta prime (B'), and beta (B).
309
The beta form is sometimes called what? Why is it so desirable?
Form V, and is the most desirable of the three because it provides chocolate with a snap, gloss, and a smooth mouthfeel.
310
What are the benefits of beta crystals having the highest melting point of the three?
This makes them the most stable and the least likely to melt and bloom during storage.
311
Why do beta crystals have these features?
Because the triglycerides are more tightly packed than they are in other crystal forms.
312
When melted chocolate is allowed to cool without proper tempering, what forms?
Unstable alpha crystals.
313
What do alpha crystals result in?
Chocolate that is soft, dull, and does not snap when broken.
314
Why is it difficult to remove untempered chocolate placed in molds (alpha crystals are the cause)?
Because alpha crystals do not pack as tightly as beta crystals, it will be difficult to remove untempered chocolate from molds; the chocolate does not contract.
315
While untempered chocolate will look somewhat acceptable when first hardened, what happens during storage?
Unstable alpha crystals transform to more stable beta crystals during storage. Yet, the beta crystals formed uncontrolled during storage are large and coarse. Eventually, these crystals migrate to the chocolate's surface, where they appear as fat-bloom. With this change, chocolates become gritty, sometimes crumbly, in texture.
316
What is fat-bloom?
Unattractive but harmless gray-white streaks or spots.
317
Because texture affects flavor perception, bloomed chocolate does not have the right right?
Flavor
318
How do you ensure that large numbers of small, stable beta crystals form?
Temper chocolate.
319
Tempering involves what?
Gently heating chocolate (115º-120ºF; 46-49ºC) to dissolve undesirable undesirable low melting crystals; cooling and agitating it at a temperature (78º-80ºF; 26º-27ºC) that encourages the formation of beta seed crystals; then warming it slightly (86º-90ºF; 30º-32ºC), before cooling gently to room temperature to set.
320
As the chocolate cools, the presence of beta crystals from tempering encourages what?
Formation of more beta crystals.
321
Why must chocolate be cooled and allowed to set slowly?
Because beta crystals take time to form properly. In other words, tempered chocolate should not be placed in a cooler or freezer to speed the process.
322
What ingredients can affect the crystallizing behavior of cocoa butter?
Milk fat, emulsifiers, and other ingredients, which is why milk chocolates must be tempered at lower temperatures than bittersweet chocolates.
323
Does each chocolate have its own ideal tempering pattern?
Yes and it is best to ask manufacturers for specific tempering guidelines.
324
What are two methods of tempering chocolate?
One is to place chopped chocolate in a bowl set over hot water, and to melt, cool, and rewarm the chocolate in bulk. Another method is to add shaved bits of tempered chocolate to melted chocolate, to seed and cool it simultaneously.
325
No matter the method used to temper, the goal is what?
To form a large number of small, stable beta crystals for the most appealing appearance, texture, and flavor release.
326
Cocoa and chocolate products have colors that range from what to what?
Light tan to dark mahogany, even black.
327
There are many reasons why cocoa and chocolate products vary in color. Name 8.
First three are controlled by cocoa growers, next four are controlled by manufacturers. The last, the amount of baking soda and final pH of a baked good, are controlled by the pastry chef.
- bean variety and country of origin
- bean maturity and ripeness
- Handling of beans - fermentation, drying, and storage.
- roasting conditions
- conching conditions
- amount of fat
- amount of ditching and final pH of cocoa or chocolate
- amount of baking soda and final pH of finished product (in baked goods)
328
Primary reason for using cocoa and chocolate products in the bakeshop.
Flavor
329
Many French, Belgians, and Germans prefer ____ chocolate.
dark
330
Most of the world prefers ____ chocolate by a wide margin.
milk
331
Extreme dark chocolates are very dark and bitter because they are high in what?
Cocoa solids.
332
Cocoa and chocolate products vary in flavor for the same reasons they vary in what? Do the two coincide?
Color, but the two do not necessarily coincide. That is, dark-colored chocolate does not necessarily have the strongest chocolate flavor. Recall that flavor-rich criollo bean are light in color, and that detaching darkens color while it mellows flavor.
333
The perception of chocolate flavor changes with context. What does this mean?
That is, milk chocolate that seems well balanced on its own might taste weak when paired with other flavors. On the other hand, a bittersweet that seems strong and bitter when tasted alone could provide the right balance of flavor to a finished product.
334
Is fat content one of the 8 major factors affecting color of cocoas and chocolates?
Yes
335
The more cocoa butter in cocoa, the ____ and _____ it appears. This makes 22/24 cocoa a good choice for dusting truffles and plated desserts.
darker, richer
336
Does 22/24 cocoa provide a darker, richer color in baked goods? Explain.
No, the rich look is an illusion. The more fat in cocoa, the fewer coloring agents it actually contains (the coloring agents are in the nonfat portion of cocoa). The rich look of high-fat cocoa is from the perception of light as it reflects off fat-coated cocoa particles. Once mixed into batters and doughs, cocoa powder takes on a different look.
337
If there is any difference in appearance between a cake baked with 22/24 cocoa and 10/12 cocoa, what is it?
The lower-fat cocoa will provide a darker color (of course, other differences between cocoa could affect color).
338
Describe the American classic: devil's food cake.
Mild tasting, yet it has a rich, dark, reddish brown color.
339
Is devil's food cake typically made with cocoa or chocolate?
Cocoa, and the cocoa of choice in natural cocoa.
340
What makes devil's food cake dark and rich looking? Explain.
Baking soda. Small amounts of baking soda react with acids in natural cocoa. This provides natural carbon dioxide for leavening, but the baking soda also increases the pH of the batter. This slightly higher pH darkens the cocoa and provides it with a smoother cocoa flavor. It is as if the cocoa were ditched right in the batter.
341
Besides adding a chemically taste, what will adding too much baking soda do to devil's food cake?
Too much baking soda also over tenderizes cell walls. When this happens, the cell walls break, forming a coarse crumb and a cake that flattens unattractively.
342
Cocoa and chocolate products with a higher amount of cocoa butter typically provide what? Why?
A richer, fuller chocolate flavor because cocoa butter (when undeodorized) itself has flavor. That is why unsweetened chocolate--not cocoa powder--is preferred for the richest, most decadent chocolate desserts.
343
One way to increase the chocolate flavor in a chocolate product.
Add a small amount of vanilla.
344
Naturall cocoas tend to have pronounced ____, _____, ____ flavors. Ditched cocoas have _____, _____ flavors.
sharp, fruity, acidic
smoother, fuller
345
Adding baking soda to baked goods is almost like what?
Dutching cocoa or chocolate right in the baked good.
346
Are cocoa solids nonfat an effective drying agent? Explain.
Yes. In fact, cocoa powder absorbs more liquid than an equal weight of flour. It is proteins and carbohydrates--starches, dextrins, and gums--in cocoa solids nonfat that absorb liquids (water and oil) from cake batters, icings, fillings, mousses, and ganache.
347
When extra cocoa is added to cake batter, _____ flour is needed for the right batter consistency.
less
348
Do cocoa solids nonfat provide structure? Explain.
Yes, the starches, in particular, provide structure when they gelatinize. Just as cake with extra cocoa requires less flour for the right batter consistency, it also requires less flour for structure.
349
oes chocolate mousse made with bittersweet chocolate have more structure than one made with milk chocolate? Explain.
Yes, bittersweet chocolate has more cocoa solids nonfat that provide more structure.
350
Does white chocolate have any cocoa solids nonfat?
No
351
Are cocoa and chocolate products--even unsweetened chocolate, which is over 50% fat--considered tenderizers? Explain.
No, their structure builders are so powerful that they more than compensate for the mild tenderizing effect of cocoa butter.
352
Cocoa butter is considered to have about _____ the shortening or tenderizing power of all-purpose shortening. Why?
half; partly because it is so solid at room temperature. In fact, cocoa butter itself provides firmness and structure through the formation of solid fat crystals.
353
What is ORAC?
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. A sophisticated test that measures the antioxidant activity of food products in the laboratory.
354
Do products with high antioxidant numbers in the lab have high antioxidant activity in the human body?
Not necessarily. Clinical studies are needed to relate ORAC units to actual health benefits in humans.
355
The high level of ORAC units in chocolate products is _______.
impressive
356
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: dark chocolate
13,120
357
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: milk chocolate
6,740
358
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: prunes
5,770
359
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: blueberries
2,400
360
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: strawberries
1,540
361
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: raspberries
1,220
362
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: onions
450
363
Number of ORAC units per 100 grams: corn
400
364
The pleasing mouthfeel of cocoa butter is due to what?
Unique melting characteristics and lack of grittiness.
365
Can a chocolate be ground to fine? Explain.
Yes, more is not better in this case. Grinding too fine can create a waxy mouthfeel.
366
Are there regional preferences for mouthfeel in chocolate?
Yes, just as there are for flavor.
367
Do Europeans tend to favor smoother chocolates than Americans?
Yes
368
While cocoa powder contains cocoa butter (___-___%) and a small amount of moisture (__%), it consists mostly of ___ ____ _____ (about ___%). It is especially rich in ____ _____ as well as protein.
10-12; 3; coca solids nonfat; 85; dietary fiber
369
Is cocoa also an important source of vitamins, minerals, and polyphenolic compounds?
Yes
370
Do the polyphenols and antioxidant activity in cocoa and chocolate products rival many fruits and vegetables?
Yes
371
Chocolate products are a favorite food of _____.
rodents
372
How should all chocolate be stored.
Well-wrapped and stored in covered containers.
373
What chocolates have the shortest shelf life? Why?
Milk and white chocolates because their milk solids undergo Maillard browning even at room temperatures. Eventually, colors change and flavors develop. And while cocoa butter is relatively stable to oxidative rancidity, milk fat is not. The milk fat in milk and white chocolates also contributes to off-flavor development in these products as it undergoes oxidative rancidity.
374
Stored properly, milk and white chocolates have a shelf life of how long?
6 months to 1 year.
375
Other cocoa and chocolate products (other than milk and white), including cocoa butter, have a shelf life of how long?
Longer than a year, but that is only true if they are stored properly.
376
Ideally, cocoa and chocolate products should be stored and well wrapped at what temp? Why?
A cool, consistent 55º-65ºF (13º-18ºC). Otherwise, fat bloom forms on the chocolate surfaces.
377
Should you discard chocolate that has fat bloom?
No, its baking qualities remain unaffected, and fat bloom disappears when chocolate is tempered before use, as long as it is not severe.
378
When does sugar bloom occur?
When chocolate picks up moisture.
379
Describe sugar bloom.
Sugar crystals melt in the moisture, only to recrystallize on the surface as larger crystals.
380
How does sugar bloom affect chocolate?
It affects both texture and appearance.
381
Does sugar bloom remain even after chocolate is tempered?
yes
382
How can you prevent sugar bloom?
Store chocolate where the humidity is below 50%; use gloves when handling chocolate, to avoid transfer of moisture from hands; and do not warm cold chocolate unless it is very tightly wrapped. This is critical with chocolate that has been refrigerated. As refrigerated chocolate warms to room temperature, water droplets easily condense onto its surface, solubilizing sugar crystals and forming bloom.
383
Is cocoa powder hygroscopic?
Yes, and, if it picks up excess moisture, it clumps, develops off flavors, and could be a source of food for microorganisms. Store cocoa in a tightly sealed container and away from hot, steamy areas.
384
All chocolate products, but especially which chocolate, should be well wrapped and kept away from strong odors?
White chocolate.
385
Cocoa butter, like all fats, readily picks up ______.
odors
