Dark Chocolate Candy
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The deep, delicious, sultry taste of dark chocolate candy is a gorgeous reward for any chocolate lover. Let me state right up front that I love all chocolate all the time. However, sometimes I really crave dark chocolate. Have you ever been in a dark chocolate mood? Dark chocolate has that extra richness and bite that is unique in the chocolate family. The reason for this is the amount of cocoa in the make-up of the chocolate.
Chocolate is made from chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder. It is the total combined percentage of these cocoa ingredients that determine the type and quality of the chocolate.
Dark chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa content than milk chocolate or white chocolate. Dark chocolate is also called bitter chocolate or semisweet chocolate.
Bitter chocolate is unsweetened and contains only chocolate liquor and perhaps vanilla. Bittersweet and semisweet chocolates contain chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, and lecithin. These chocolates contain no milk products.
In America, the USDA has set the standard for dark chocolate at a minimum of 36%. The better dark chocolates will have a higher percentage of cocoa components ranging at least between 50-75%.
I think chocolate often gets a bad rap, but more and more in recent years there has been increasing talk of health benefits that are derived from chocolate. Praise the Lord! Now I have a legitimate excuse to spoil myself with a bit of mouthwatering chocolate.
You can find a delicious selection of dark chocolate candies at Lake Champlain Chocolates and also at the Chocolate Source.
Cooking with Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate can be used in most recipes that call for chocolate. The only time you may have trouble is in making dark chocolate candy truffles. If the cocoa content is exceptionally high (yum), you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream to keep the truffle cream from separating.
If a recipe specifically calls for dark chocolate, you will probably run into difficulties if you substitute another form of chocolate because of the milk product that is included.
Try some of these dark chocolate candy recipes.You will be pleasantly surprised by the delicious results.
You will find lovely dark chocolate for candy making at Candyland Crafts. That will do for most recipes, but if you are serious about making some really high class gourmet dark chocolate candies, you really should get the gourmet dark chocolate from someplace like the Chocolate Source.
If you aren't yet a big fan of dark chocolate candy, start out with a lower cocoa content % and gradually work your way to the deeper, richer, flavor of the purer chocolate. Trust me, it really grows on you. Of course, if you get too carried away, it will "grow" on you in a whole other way. Be warned! :)
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