Tips For Baking With Chocolate

Bake Chocolate Like A Pro

Chocolate may be many people’s favorite flavor, but it requires a little love and a lot of attention. With these helpful tips, you’ll handle chocolate like a pro and will wow people with your fresh-baked delights. 

1. Tips & Tricks For Baking With Chocolate

• Use a double boiler to melt chocolate. Pour some water into a sauce pan then rest a heat-resistant bowl on top, making sure the bottom is not touching the water. Heat water on low and stir chocolate as it melts.
• Melt chocolate in the microwave as another option. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50% power, pulling out and stirring every 20-30 seconds. For both methods, make sure your chocolate is chopped finely to ensure even melting.
• Tempering chocolate helps to stabilize it for candy and dipping while giving it a smooth, glossy finish and a snap when you bite into it. We recommend the more approachable seed method: melt ¾ of your chocolate, saving ¼ on the side. Once melted, add the saved ¼ chocolate, stirring just to incorporate and letting it sit. After a few minutes, carefully stir as to not incorporate any air. Repeat the process until all the chocolate is melted.   
• Avoid getting water in your chocolate, because even a drop can ruin the consistency. If you need to thin out melted chocolate, add butter to keep it smooth.
• Use a serrated knife to finely chop chocolate which makes for a better melt and consistency.
• Use chocolate bars, not chips for your recipes unless it specifically asks for chips. Chips are meant to keep their shape when baked while the chocolate in bars will melt or blend into a batter better.

2. Chocolate Recipes That Are Sure To Impress

Now that you know some of the basics of baking with chocolate, it’s time to put them to use. These are a few of our favorite recipes starring this luscious ingredient:

• Caramel Fudge Layer Cake, from @tutti_dolci, is a decadently delicious dessert with three appearances from chocolate: as a ganache, in the fluffy cake, and finely chopped as a tasty topping.
• Chocolate Caramel Hi-Hat Cupcakes, also from @tutti_dolci, features tempered chocolate as a final touch on these indulgent, caramel-y delights.  
• Chocolate Bread is a moist, not-too-sweet snack that showcases the star ingredient in a fun new way. Enjoy with coffee or tea or as an anytime snack by itself.
• Dutch Hot Chocolate Fudge, from @thecrumbblonde, turns a winter-time beverage into an irresistible sweet treat. Smooth Dutch process cocoa powder and chocolate chips go great with fluffy mini marshmallows.
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are rich, fudgy, and soft in the middle but crisp on the edges. A dusting of C&H® Powdered Sugar gives them one last bit of smooth sweetness. 
• Brown Butter Brownies, from @tutti_dolci, bring a big hit of chocolate flavor along with the nutty depth of the browned butter. They’re classics for a reason and you’ll watch them disappear one by one.
• Chocolate Strawberry Cookie Sandwiches, from @displacedhousewife, will amaze friends with a sweet tooth. It features delectable cream made from fresh strawberries in between dark chocolate cookies and drizzled with a ganache. 
• Almond And Caramel Sea Salt-Swirled Fudge, from Heather’s Home Bakery, is a celebration of sweetness and texture. Silky, chocolatey fudge is topped with a rich caramel and crunchy almonds. 

3. Cookie Dough Tips & Tricks

Of all the desserts and snacks that feature chocolate, perhaps the most popular is chocolate chip cookies. Everyone knows and loves this classic, and you’ve probably made it countless times. Before you bake your next batch, follow our tips to help make them the best cookies ever.

• Chill your dough before baking. Not only does it make the dough easier to handle, but it gives the flavors time to meld together for a tastier cookie.
• Use a silicone cookie sheet or parchment paper to help the cookies keep their shape as well as helping them brown more easily.
• Bake one batch at a time for more even cooking. Baking more than one batch at once increases the chance of hitting a hot spot in the oven.

Baking with chocolate not only brings smiles to the faces of those enjoying the homemade treats, but to those making them, as well. Chocolate is a universally loved flavor that’s perfect for any occasion, all year-round. Following these tips and tricks should take your chocolate baking to the next level while making new, delicious memories with those that mean the most to you.

Now it’s time to make your holiday dreams a reality. Don’t forget the C&H® Sugar needed for all these amazing recipes.