Chocolate Question

[Kim Shook]

Quick question. I have a cupcake recipe that calls for using melted semi-sweet chocolate as a dip for a mound of creamy filling that is piled on top of the cupcake (think of those dipped cones at Dairy Queen). Can I use a bar of good dark chocolate instead of the semi sweet? What % is semi sweet anyway? How 'dark' is it? Thanks!

[Desiderio]

I use a 58% dark chocolate that its sold under semisweet.I dont know the specific % to call a chocolate semisweet or bittersweet ( the other one I use its a extra dark bittersweet 72%),most of the chocolate I have seen under semisweet its under 60% cocoa, but it might not be the parameter to classify semisweet and bittersweet .

[Shalmanese]

Just use about 80% bittersweet, 20% powdered sugar to approximate semi-sweet.

[SweetSide]

Quick question.  I have a cupcake recipe that calls for using melted semi-sweet chocolate as a dip for a mound of creamy filling that is piled on top of the cupcake (think of those dipped cones at Dairy Queen).  Can I use a bar of good dark chocolate instead of the semi sweet?  What % is semi sweet anyway?  How 'dark' is it?  Thanks!

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I know that cupcake! First ones gone at any place I take them -- and mine are BIG! No problem using a good dark bar.

I read some place that there is no official distinction between semisweet and bittersweet but that generally under 60% is semisweet. Let taste be your guide, especially since that "mound of creamy filling" is VERY sweet.

[Beanie]

Quick question.  I have a cupcake recipe that calls for using melted semi-sweet chocolate as a dip for a mound of creamy filling that is piled on top of the cupcake (think of those dipped cones at Dairy Queen).  Can I use a bar of good dark chocolate instead of the semi sweet?  What % is semi sweet anyway?  How 'dark' is it?  Thanks!

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I know that cupcake! First ones gone at any place I take them -- and mine are BIG! No problem using a good dark bar.

I read some place that there is no official distinction between semisweet and bittersweet but that generally under 60% is semisweet. Let taste be your guide, especially since that "mound of creamy filling" is VERY sweet.

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This is correct. There is no official definition of semi vs. bittersweet. Would you share the cupcake recipe?

[Patrick S]

There is also no official definition of "dark chocolate," though it is often used as a synonym for bittersweet chocolate, except by Hershey's, who make a dark chocolate that is about 50% sugar.

[highchef]

Yes, please share the recipe. I have lots of semi-couverture chips to use. School starts next week, and the boys are having last week sleepovers with friends. We have 4-5 boys over here at once and they'd love it if I made some cupcakes....especially chocolate ones.

[John DePaula]

“Dark Chocolate” is any chocolate that has no milk i.e. semi-sweet or bittersweet. If a recipe calls for “dark chocolate,” choose semi-sweet if you like a sweeter result or bittersweet if you like things more amer.

More and more these days, you are seeing recipes that specify the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate. Obviously, the more information present will allow you to come closer to the end result that the author intended. Just let the recipe be a guide rather than something carved in stone.

Edited August 8, 2006 by John DePaula (log)

[Patrick S]

“Dark Chocolate” is any chocolate that has no milk i.e. semi-sweet or bittersweet.

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I see. In that case, Hershey's Special Dark is not dark chocolate at all -- it lists milk, milk fat, and lactose as ingredients. Suprise, suprise. Maybe that's why Hershey's descibes it as a "less sweet" chocolate instead of a "dark chocolate."

ETA: FWIW, according to this article, there is no FDA standard of identity for dark chocolate. So while most chocophiles might consider that dark chocolate means any chocolate without milk, that doesn't appear to be a universally understood definition. Certainly in my own every day experience, a lot of people seem to think that "dark" means "less sweet" or "higher cacao," irrespecive of milk content.

Edited August 8, 2006 by Patrick S (log)

[John DePaula]

“Dark Chocolate” is any chocolate that has no milk i.e. semi-sweet or bittersweet.

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I see. In that case, Hershey's Special Dark is not dark chocolate at all -- it lists milk, milk fat, and lactose as ingredients. Suprise, suprise. Maybe that's why Hershey's descibes it as a "less sweet" chocolate instead of a "dark chocolate."

ETA: FWIW, according to this article, there is no FDA standard of identity for dark chocolate. So while most chocophiles might consider that dark chocolate means any chocolate without milk, that doesn't appear to be a universally understood definition. Certainly in my own every day experience, a lot of people seem to think that "dark" means "less sweet" or "higher cacao," irrespecive of milk content.

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Thanks so much for that article, Patrick. VERY interesting! I hadn’t seen that before but it doesn’t surprise me that the U.S. hasn’t a legal distinction between semisweet and bittersweet chocolate. I think that the EU in general, and maybe the French in particular, are much better about legally defining these things so that the consumer knows what s/he is getting.

It’s a minor departure from the article (it’s too trivial to call it a disagreement), but I think that bittersweet starts at 70%. In fact, if you look at online sales they seem to draw the line there, too. In other words, 70% is bittersweet. FWIW.

[Kim Shook]

I can't vouch for the recipe, but it is an Elinor Klivans recipe. I am making it on Friday for a dinner party (White Russian Cupcakes for the grown-ups and these for the kids). Here is a link to the recipe.

[SweetSide]

I can't vouch for the recipe, but it is an Elinor Klivans recipe.  I am making it on Friday for a dinner party (White Russian Cupcakes for the grown-ups and these for the kids).  Here is a link to the recipe.

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I've made this in her book Cupcakes! and the cake is good, but if you have a favorite chocolate cupcake, you can use that. I wouldn't rave about the cake itself. What is really good is the "hi top" part. Just the idea is fun. And, for a surprise, I colored the inside team colors instead of white when I did them for my daughters swim team.

[merstar]

“Dark Chocolate” is any chocolate that has no milk i.e. semi-sweet or bittersweet.

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I see. In that case, Hershey's Special Dark is not dark chocolate at all -- it lists milk, milk fat, and lactose as ingredients. Suprise, suprise. Maybe that's why Hershey's descibes it as a "less sweet" chocolate instead of a "dark chocolate."

ETA: FWIW, according to this article, there is no FDA standard of identity for dark chocolate. So while most chocophiles might consider that dark chocolate means any chocolate without milk, that doesn't appear to be a universally understood definition. Certainly in my own every day experience, a lot of people seem to think that "dark" means "less sweet" or "higher cacao," irrespecive of milk content.

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Ghirardelli semi-sweet also contains milk fat.

[SuzySushi]

Ghirardelli semi-sweet also contains milk fat.

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A lot of semi-sweet chocolate brands contain milk fat. My sister had to stop using most commercial brands of chocolate chips because she's highly allergic to milk.

The chocolate manufacturers changed the formulas to substitute milk fat (butterfat) for cocoa butter, we've theorized because it's less expensive.

[John DePaula]

Ghirardelli semi-sweet also contains milk fat.

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The chocolate manufacturers changed the formulas to substitute milk fat (butterfat) for cocoa butter, we've theorized because it's less expensive.

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Suzy,

I think you're exactly right about that. Funny story... a few years ago while living in Paris, I was eager to try out all of the chocolate shops. On one of my trips, I picked up a few pieces from Jeff de Bruges and then headed to my local boulangerie for a baguette, where they also had a small amount of house-made chocolates. The vendeuse behind the counter spied my bag and gave me a knowing, yet disapproving, look: "You know, of course, that they use BUTTER in place of cocoa butter, right?" Well, no I did not know!

So anyway, someone in the know may be able to supply details about what is/isn't legal in the EU or France or Belgium.

Since more people are reading labels these days, I'd say stay away from any "dark chocolate" that has milk products or, heaven forbid, palm oil or any other fat besides cocoa butter.

You've got so many good alternatives out there if you just pay attention.

Remember: Life's too short for bad chocolate!