Kind of chocolate

Not all chocolate or cocoa is the same, especially when preparing recipes. Ever wonder what the difference is between one kind of chocolate and another?

Chocolate Liquor

This is the pure, straight-from-the-bean chocolate. The center of the cocoa bean is ground into a liquid, called the liquor (there is NO alcohol in this!).

Cocoa Butter

It's not really a butter, but the fat extracted from the chocolate liquor.

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is the solid left after the cocoa butter is pressed out of the liquor. Cocoa powder often
undergoes a Dutch Process, that reduces its natural acidity. Dutch cocoa is milder tasting and blends better with milk.

Unsweetened Chocolate

This is the solid form of chocolate liquor. Unsweetened chocolate is often used in baking.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Chocolate with a minimum of 50% chocolate liquor.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Chocolate with a minimum of 35% chocolate liquor.

Dark Chocolate

Also known as 'sweet chocolate'. It only contains 15% liquor, as well as sweeteners and cocoa butter.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate has at least 10% liquor and 12% milk solids. Sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla are also mixed in.

White Chocolate

This kind lacks the brown color because there are no cocoa solids. White chocolate is made up of only cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids.