Dark Chocolate in Cookies and Cakes

Asked by sugarcookie82. Answered on 12th October 2014

Full question

Hello, The ingredient list for Nigella's Totally Chocolate Choc Chip Cookies and some of her other recipes includes dark chocolate of a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. Am I able to use the dark chocolate that is found in the candy section of supermarkets? Some brands like Lindt do produce dark chocolate with 70% and above cocoa solids, but they are found in the candy section of the supermarket. Or do I have to purchase a "baking" chocolate like Valrhona? Thanks so much! Michelle

Our answer

Nigella suggests using dark chocolate with a high cocoa content as this has a rounder flavour and is usually a little less sweet than some of the other dark chocolates. Quite often the chcocolate bars are sold in both the baking section and the candy section of the supermarket. A brand such as Lindt is fine or one of the other European brands such as Green & Black's or Callebaut.

We suspect that you may be in the US and you can use bittersweet chocolate, though we would prefer to avoid the semi-sweet type for cooking. Bittersweet chocolate only has to have a minimum of 62% cocoa solids but this is still fine for Nigella's recipes. There are several companies in the US who produce good quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger and Guittard. Valrhona also make very high quality chocolate but again you want the bittersweet type. However you don't want to use the unsweetened type of baking chocolate as this could be too bitter.