Baker's chocolate is not the same as dark chocolate as baker's chocolate contains no animal fats and is also made from 100 percent cocoa and dark chocolate includes sugar and milk and usually animal fats.
Baking chocolate does harden after around 20 to 30 minutes after it cools off.
You can use a fridge or freezer to cool the chocolate faster and help the chocolate harden faster.
It's not bad to microwave chocolate as long as you watch the chocolate and microwave the chocolate in small bursts at a time to prevent it from burning.
The reason you should not microwave chocolate is because the microwave can cook the chocolate unevenly and lead to the chocolate becoming burnt and lead to a terrible flavor as well.
You can use normal chocolate for cooking although it's best to use baking and cooking chocolate but normal chocolate can be used.
You can melt normal chocolate although normal chocolate does not melt the same as other chocolates but all chocolates will melt.
The kind of chocolate that is good for melting is dark chocolate as it melts fasted and once melted it's also glossy and has good viscosity.
Cadbury chocolate can be used for baking and for melting.
You can use Cadbury chocolate for melting as the Cadbury chocolate is smooth and creamy which means it also melts quickly and evenly.
It's better to melt chocolate on the stove instead of in the microwave as melting chocolate on the stove means you're less likely to burn the chocolate which results in an even melt with a silky smooth texture.
The reason you add oil to melted chocolate is the oil helps the chocolate to melt more smoothly and also makes the chocolate the perfect consistency for dipping.
The healthiest cooking chocolate is dark chocolate as it's the least processed chocolate which means it contains the highest percentage of flavonoid filled cocoa bean which is also best for your heart.
The difference between baking chocolate and chocolate chips is that the chocolate chips have different amounts of cocoa butter than baking chocolate although they are similar chocolates.
True white chocolate, almost always sold in bar form, contains cocoa butter.
White baking chips contain no cocoa butter and thus can't be labeled “chocolate,” but they do contain partially hydrogenated oil (usually palm kernel oil).
You can use kisses as chocolate chips.
The kisses are slightly bigger than chocolate chips so they will take longer to melt.
So, use a knife and cutting board to chop the kisses roughly into small pieces to melt faster.
Furthermore, regular sized kisses can be used in cookies, lava cakes and other baked goods similar to how you would melt chocolate chips.
You can use a chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips for cookies.
You can cut up the chocolate bar and use the cut up pieces of chocolate instead of the chocolate chips for cookies.
You can use cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips.
To use cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips use 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter, shortening or oil.
Dissolve the cocoa in liquid that is already used in the recipe.
You can use chopped up chocolate instead of chocolate chips if you prefer to use them instead of chocolate chips.
You can substitute chocolate chips for baking chocolate.
To substitute chocolate chips for baking chocolate use 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips for 1 ounce of baking chocolate.
The chocolate chips that are best for cookies are the Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.
Semisweet chocolate is darker and bitterer than milk chocolate.
Milk chocolate is creamier and smoother than semisweet chocolate.
Semisweet chocolate contains a higher proportion of cocoa solids.
Cocoa content in milk chocolate is 10-15%, whereas semisweet chocolate has at least 35% cocoa content.
When baking cookies you should bake the cookies on the middle rack.
When baking cookies you should heat from the bottom but bake the cookies on the center rack.
Place a thermometer inside the oven to check that the temperature is accurate--home ovens can be off by 50 degrees or more, making a huge difference for cookies.
350 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temp for chocolate chip cookies for example.
Generally, cookies are baked in a moderate oven — 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) — for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie.
For chewy cookies, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
For more even baking, position oven rack at the center of the oven and bake one sheet of cookies at a time.
If you prefer to bake two sheets, space racks so oven is divided into thirds and switch cookie sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Putting raw dough on cookie sheets still warm from the oven can cause them to begin spreading, leading to burnt edges.
Always allow baking sheets to cool completely before adding more batches.
To expedite cooling, rinse warm—but not hot—sheet under cold tap water.