A Baker's Guide to Chocolate

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A Baker’s Guide to Chocolate A Baker’s Guide Table of Contents: A Baker’s Guide to Chocolate...... 2 Tips for Great Brownies...... 3 to Chocolate Father and Son Secrets to Great Chocolate Chip Cookies...... 5 Drizzle a Little Chocolate...... 5 Frequently Asked Questions about Chocolate...... 6 A collection of recipes How to Make Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples...... 7 and useful information Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins...... 9 Banana Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins...... 10 Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies...... 11 Sweet Chocolate Braided Bread...... 12 How to Braid Bread (Challah)...... 14 Three-in-One Chocolate Chip Cookies...... 16 White Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe...... 18 Serious Chocolate Chunk Cookies...... 19 Butterscotch Chip Oat Cookies...... 20 Macadamia and Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies...... 21 Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Ganache Filling...... 22 Sugar Crusted Currant or Cranberry Scones...... 23 Chocolate Walnut Refrigerator Cookies...... 24 Double Chocolate Sandwich Cookies...... 25 Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies...... 26 Chocolate Pintos Cookies Recipe...... 27 Cherry Chocolate Cookies...... 28 Mayan Chocolate Chip Brownies...... 29 Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies...... 30 Mrs. Wilson’s Chocolate Chip Refrigerator Cookies...... 32

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The material herein is published by The Prepared Pantry for the private use of individuals and may not be used for commercial purposes without the express consent of the publisher. The information contained herein is believed accurate but the publisher makes no warranties, express or implied, and the recipient is using this information at his or her own risk. A Baker’s Guide to Chocolate A Baker’s Guide to Chocolate

A Baker’s Guide to Tips for Great Chocolate Brownies What’s the best way to melt butter and chocolate together? What’s the difference between bittersweet Sweet baking chocolate--bittersweet, chocolate and semisweet chocolate? Can I use semisweet chocolate--has sugar added. These We like to use the microwave. With many Dutch cocoa in all my recipes calling for cocoa? products must contain 35 to 50% cocoa butter recipes, you can melt the chocolate and Understanding the difference in chocolate and but may have as little as 15% chocolate liquor. butter in the mixing bowl and have a one- how they are used is essential to baking. In this Because unsweetened chocolate has twice the bowl recipe. Melt the butter first. Chop guide, we’ll identify the characteristics of those chocolate liquor, we prefer to use unsweetened the chocolate into bits and add that to the chocolates used in baking. chocolate in most of our baking. melted butter. Stir gently. If the chocolate is not entirely melted, heat again. Cocoa is the dry chocolate powder derived Bittersweet and semisweet chocolate from chocolate liquor. It comes in two types: can be used interchangeably in recipes Why is the consistency of my batter different natural and Dutch process. Dutch processed though there is a difference in flavor. Often, each time I make my favorite recipe? cocoa is processed with an alkaline. It is bittersweet is a more expensive chocolate and It could be the heat of the melted butter slightly darker, smoother, and more easily to many, a better, richer-flavored chocolate. and chocolate mixture. The warmer the dissolved than natural cocoa. In many melted butter and chocolate mixture, the Milk chocolate is made with ten percent recipes, natural cocoa and Dutch cocoa are thinner the batter. Will my brownies continue to bake in the pan? not interchangeable. Natural cocoa is slightly chocolate liquor. It contains a minimum of acidic and will therefore chemically react with twelve percent milk solids. Because it has such Can I leave the nuts out of my brownie Yes. Heavy glass pans retain heat better baking soda to create carbon dioxide bubbles a low percentage of chocolate liquor, rarely is it recipe? and will cause brownies to continue cookie and some leavening power. Dutch cocoa is melted and added to batter or dough. longer. You can always pull the pan out just Yes but the texture of the brownies will be slightly alkaline, will not react with baking a few minutes early. different. Without the nuts, the brownies soda, and must rely on baking powder for White chocolate contains no chocolate will be much denser. Will the type of pan that I use affect baking leavening. liquor but is made with cocoa butter. Historically, the FDA has not regulated the times? How do I make my brownies less cake-like manufacture of white chocolate so you need to Bitter (unsweetened) baking and more dense and moist? Yes. Baking times is one of the great varia- chocolate is made from pure chocolate read labels carefully. If the product was made bles in baking. The pan as well as the oven, liquor. By specification, it must contain with vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter, it Try reducing the flour by one-third. It’s the shelf location, and the ingredients, af- 50 to 58 percent cocoa butter though with will not perform the same as a product with all that butter, eggs, and sugar compared fect baking times. Check your baked goods inferior products, vegetable oil may he added. cocoa butter. to a relatively small proportion of flour at least five minutes before the allotted Depending on the producer, milk solids, that makes brownies dense. Brownies time. Dark pans tend to bake quicker than vanilla, or salt may be added. I have a package Chocolate chips are made with chocolate seem to be very forgiving and allow for light pans. A silver pan may take much in front of me that contains only chocolate and liquor with only minimal amounts of cocoa experimentation. longer to bake. butter. Instead, they are made with vegetable milk solids. Unsweetened chocolate has a bitter How do I tell when my brownies are done? taste and relies on sweeteners in the recipe to oil and stabilizers to help them hold their Can I drizzle chocolate over my brownies? shape. Without the cocoa butter, chocolate make it palatable. The appearance of the brownies in the Yes. Carefully melt the chocolate over a chips have a different taste and mouth feel. pan will change with a dryer, less-glossy double boiler or in the microwave with Chocolate chips will have a firmer set in look. The brownies will be firmer. Most one teaspoon of shortening added for each puddings, pie fillings, and sauces than baking cookbooks tell you to stick a knife or a three ounces of chocolate or 1/2 cup of chocolate. Chocolate chips can be purchased in toothpick in the center of the cake. If it chips. The shortening will help the choco- milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. is cake -like and done, it will come out late set up. clean. A dense brownie will still have some moist crumbs sticking to the tooth- How do you prepare the pan for brownies? pick when it is done. Brownies over baked We usually line our pan with parchment for even a couple minutes will be much paper or foil. Here’s how you do it: Lightly drier. grease the pan with butter or shortening,

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Roll the dough pieces with a rolling Sweet Chocolate Braided Bread pin to rectangles 15 inches by 5 inches. Spread one-third of the filling down the center of each leaving a one-inch border with no filling. Roll the rectan- gle into fifteen-inch long ropes with the cup brown sugar filling inside. Pinch any seams together 1/3 cup cocoa and roll the ropes with your hands on the counter until smooth. 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 5. Braid the three ropes as if you were braiding pigtails. (Some people find it 1 large egg at room temperature easier to create a symmetrical shape For the filling if they start braiding from the center.) When you get to the ends, wet them, 5 ounces cream cheese pinch them together, and tuck them 1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate, under. You should have a neat, sym- melted 3 tablespoons granulated sugar metrical loaf when you are through. While challah is a traditional bread baked for 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour You can shape the loaf somewhat with the Jewish Sabbath, it has become popular your hands. If you don’t like how the with everyone, everywhere. It’s attractive 1 egg yolk loaf looks, simply pull the braids apart and has a firm, egg-rich texture that works 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and start again. Prepare a large bak- for dinner, sandwiches, or French toast. It ing sheet by greasing it and sprinkling 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg is typically braided with three, four, or six it with cornmeal. Place the loaf on the strands of dough. (The braided strands are Directions pan, cover the loaf, and let it rise until symbolic of love.) doubled, about one hour.

Challah is really very easy to make. There is 1. Mix about one cup of the flour, the yeast, 6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake a sense of satisfaction in working the dough and the heated water until smooth. This the bread for 20 minutes then cover by hand and crafting such an attractive bread will hydrate the instant yeast. If you are the bread with a large sheet of alu- and it certainly will impress your guests. using other than instant yeast, hydrate minum foil and bake for another ten the yeast separately. to fifteen minutes to until done. The In this version, we added chocolate for the bread should “thump” when tapped on dough and a chocolate cream cheese filling 2. Add the brown sugar, cocoa, butter, salt, the bottom and the interior of the loaf and then we drizzled the bread with a choco- and egg and mix. Add enough of the should register 190 degrees with an late cream cheese glaze. It may not be real remaining bread flour to make a soft but insta-read thermometer. Let the bread challah but it is absolutely scrumptious— not tacky dough. Knead until the gluten cool on a wire rack. maybe our best chocolate bread ever. is developed, about four minutes with a stand-type mixer at medium speed. 7. While the bread is cooling, make the Sweet Chocolate Braided Bread Recipe Set the dough in a greased bowl, cover, glaze. With a hand-held mixer, beat and let it stand until doubled, about one (Braiding bread is not complicated; it just one ounce cream cheese with one hour. looks impressive. To see illustrations for teaspoon vanilla. Add 1 1/2 cups pow- braiding bread, check out the next article.) dered sugar and 2 tablespoons cocoa 3. To make the filling, beat the cream with enough warm water to make a cheese until soft and smooth. Add the This recipe can be doubled. glaze of drizzling consistency. Drizzle melted chocolate while it is still hot and the chocolate glaze generously over the Ingredients mix until smooth. Add the sugar, flour, bread. egg yolk, vanilla, and nutmeg and mix 3 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour until smooth. Baker’s notes: To quickly bring an egg to 1 packet instant active dry yeast room temperature, place it i n a cup of 4. Once the dough has risen, use a knife to warm water. 3/4 cup water, heated to 110 degrees 1/3 divide the dough into three equal pieces.

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Serious Chocolate Chunk Butterscotch Chip Oat Cookies Cookies

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. 3. Add the butterscotch chips. Spoon the Add the eggs one at time, beating after dough in walnut-sized mounds onto un- each. Add the vanilla. Beat until light greased cookie sheets. and fluffy. 4. Bake for 9 minutes or until the cookies 2. In another bowl, stir the flour, baking are light brown. Let them sit for a minute soda, and salt together. Add the flour or two on the pan and then remove them mixture to the creamed mixture and beat to a wire rack to cool. until well-combined. Yield: four to five dozen cookies. 3. Add the walnuts and chocolate chunks. Spoon the dough into walnut-sized mounds onto ungreased cookie sheets. These are thin, slightly crisp cookies that When I was in Alaska, my friend Mike Lar- showcase the butterscotch chips well. The son made a wickedly good chocolate chip 4. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the oats give them a wholesome substance and cookie in his chain of stores. It was his secret cookies are light brown. Remove them to make them a little chewy. recipe. This is very close to Mike’s cookie. a wire rack to cool. Ingredients These are serious chocolate chunk cookies, Yield: four to five dozen cookies. one of the best recipes that we have found. 1/2 cup butter These are rich and chocolaty. With so much 1/2 cup brown sugar chocolate in these cookies, be sure and use 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg good quality chunks. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Ingredients cold water 1 cup butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown 1 cup quick oats sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon 2 large eggs baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup butterscotch chips 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Directions baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 cups pure dark chocolate chunks 1. Cream the butter and sugars together. Directions Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and water. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 2. In another bowl, stir the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined.

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Macadamia and Raspberry Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies with Ganache Filling

2. In another bowl, stir the flour, baking beat until combined. soda, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat 3. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes to until well combined. firm up slightly.

3. Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon 4. Divide the dough into two portions. Us- the dough in walnut-sized mounds onto ing wax paper, roll each portion into logs ungreased cookie sheets. 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Refrigerate for two hours or until firm 4. Bake for 9 minutes or until the cookies are light brown. Remove them to a wire 5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut rack to cool. cookies into slices just thicker than 1/4 inch. Place them on a greased baking Yield: four to five dozen cookies. This is really a recipe for peanut butter yoyo sheet and bake 12 to 14 minutes or until These are scrumptious, crunchy little cook- cookies—thin peanut butter wafers sand- the cookies just start to brown on the ies. Any cookie with macadamia nuts is a wiched with a creamy chocolate filling. This edges. Cool on a wire rack. good cookie but adding rich chocolate and recipe is bound to be a hit at your house. It’s raspberry jam makes a wonderful trio. For the filling: one of our favorite recipes. Use only the best ingredients: macadamia 6. Mix 1/4 cup whipping cream, one table- For the very best cookies, use a quality nuts, raspberry jam, and chocolate. We pre- spoons butter, and 2 tablespoons of light chocolate though good quality chocolate fer seedless raspberry jam but seeded will do. corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Heat chips will make a fine cookie. until it simmers. Remove the pan from Ingredients Ingredients the heat and immediately add six ounces of semisweet baking chocolate chopped 1/3 cup butter 1/2 cup butter into pieces. Stir until the chocolate is 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown melted into a smooth sauce. The filling 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg sugar will thicken as it cools. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup rasp- 1/4 teaspoon salt Note: This can also be made with one cup of berry jam 1 large egg semisweet chocolate chips though the lack of 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon cocoa butter in the chocolate chips will affect 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup pea- baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt the flavor. If you use chocolate chips, increase nut butter the butter to two tablespoons. 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon 1 1/2 cups pure dark chocolate (semi- baking soda sweet) chips Directions Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 1. Cream the butter and sugars together with the paddle attachment of your mixer. Add the salt, egg, and vanilla 1. Cream the butter and sugars together. and beat until smooth. Add the peanut Add the egg and beat until light and butter and mix. fluffy. Add the vanilla and raspberry jam. 2. Add the flour and baking soda and 21

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