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Alex Rast
 
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Default semi-sweet chocolate - any differences?

at Thu, 29 Jan 2004 05:41:43 GMT in
> ,
(Brian Macke) wrote :

>On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 23:04:52 +0000, Alex Rast wrote:
>
>> I would conclude the consensus seems to be as follows: that chips are
>> NOT the same as squares, but that the differences are subtle and only
>> important if you're interested in the finest possible quality in your
>> finished items.

>
>The OP wanted chocolate for brownies. You can put a nun in the finest
>silks of the world and crown her with an amazing habit.
>
>But she's still a nun.
>


While on the one hand I have my own definite opinions, I was actually
trying to summarize what had been posted in reply. The general tone of what
I saw was as I outlined above.

However, if you are rather claiming that using high-quality chocolate will
have no impact on whether or not brownies are "the finest possible
quality", I beg to differ. I believe you would notice the difference right
away between 2 versions of my brownie recipe (see "Hyper-chocolatey brownie
recipe" on DejaNews) - one made with a "typical" unsweetened chocolate like
Guittard, and another made with Michel Cluizel Noir Infini (which is what I
usually do). If you then made the same recipe with a "consumer" baking
chocolate like Baker's, I believe the difference would be even more stark.

Now, it's very easy, using quality chocolate, to overbake things, and erase
all differences between it and the cheapest chocolate on the market, but as
long as you don't ruin it by overbaking, (or carelessly melting,
imprecisely mixing, etc.) it'll taste better. However, this requires
obsessive monitoring, and care every step of the way. Basically, unless
you're dedicated to making your chocolate baking project the subject of
your total focus the entire time you're doing it, the risk is large it's
not going to be any better if you use quality chocolate. Hence my term
"finest possible quality". I literally meant the best possible, in other
words a level even above what quality professional bakers produce for sale.
--
Alex Rast

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