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Fred
 
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Default semi-sweet chocolate - any differences?


"JimL" > wrote in message
om...
> So I have a brownie recipe, only my 213th to try (scientific purposes,
> of course).
>
> It calls for six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, "chopped." I asume
> that means the hard squares, in the box, and try to chop them up,
> spill them all over the place, or else in my electric mini chopper and
> burn out the motor again.
>
> Then I think: "Here's a bag of Nestle's (or even Godiva, etc., etc.)
> chocolate chips (or morsels), already in small size. I can measure
> out 6 ounces out of a 12 ounce bag." And the price is a big
> difference.
>
> So my question: Is there a difference, if both are "semi-sweet,"
> between the hard squares and the chips in a bag?


If the chocolate is of the same brand and same percentage of cacao (semi
sweet is around 62% cacao), the chocolate should be the same and the chips
would be more convenient to melt. Melting a bar isn't a big deal, though.
It just takes a little longer than chopped bars or chips. You should
weigh the 6 oz. the same, regardless of the form. 6 oz. of chips weighs the
same as a 6 oz. bar.

More important is the quality of the chocolate than whether it comes in
chips, bars, discs or whatever form. Generally the chocolate that comes
from Venezuela and other latin countries is noticeably better than the
chocolate that comes from Africa. It's worth the extra money. i.e. if you
can find Sharffen Berger or El Rey or a similar quality chocolate, it will
improve your brownies when compared to using Hershey, Baker, Ghirardelli and
the like which are African chocolate.

Fred
The Good Gourmet
http://www.thegoodgourmet.com