Which chocolate to choose for your pâtisseries ?

Chocolate is very pleasant to taste, whether it is dark, white or milk, solid, liquid or incorporated into a recipe. It is indeed a very popular ingredient for pastries. Sweet *n Fairy, an expert shop for baking ingredients and material, offers advice on choosing the right chocolate for your baking adventures.

What does the quality of a baking chocolate depend on ?

The quality of a chocolate depends largely on its components. This ingredient used in pâtisserie-making in particular contains dry extract and cocoa butter, which come from the beans. It is simple: without good cocoa beans, there is no good chocolate for pâtisseries.

Furthermore, its quality also depends on the land where it was grown: the soil, the climate and the cultivation techniques. To obtain a quality product, the beans must be of the highest quality and have dried in optimal conditions, without too much moisture. Also, the harvesting of the pods must be done when they are mature (this is called dehulling the bean). Among the producers known for their top-of-the-range products are the Callebaut and Valrhona chocolates.

What is the best chocolate for baking ?

Depending on your taste and the type of pâtisseries you wish to make, there are different types of chocolate :

• Dark chocolate: it contains between 50 and 70% paste and cocoa butter. It is best to choose a dark chocolate with at least 54% for pâtisseries.
• Milk chocolate: its milder taste is due to the extracts of cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder that make it up.
• White chocolate: it contains only cocoa butter, sugar and milk powder, not cocoa. It is the fattiest chocolate, with the sweetest taste.
• Bitter chocolate: this contains between 70 and 90% cocoa and very little sugar. If you use it in a pastry recipe, mix in a little sugar to reduce the bitter taste.

Whichever chocolate you use for a dessert, you should also consider ready-to-use decorations for your cake and colourings for all types of chocolate that allow you to make original preparations.

Chocolate for pastry known as "couverture"

The ideal baking chocolate has a minimum of 31% cocoa butter. It is said to be a "couverture" chocolate because it is very fluid and shiny. This is due to the amount of cocoa butter it contains, which makes it very easy to work with in baking.

Whether white, dark or milk, this type of chocolate is ideal for coating pralines, preparing ganaches and making all kinds of pastries.

Want to know more about which chocolate to choose for baking ?

Sweet *n Fairy is an expert shop selling ingredients and accessories for baking. We can answer all your questions and help you choose the right chocolate for your preparations. Contact us via our online form or visit us in shop to receive valuable advice.