Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral
and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for
baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient
quantities used. It has a reddish-brown
color, mild flavor, and is easy to dissolve in liquids. Its delicate flavor makes it ideal in baked
goods like European cakes and pastries where its subtle flavor complements
other ingredients. Droste, Lindt,
Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands.
Natural
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor
to baked goods. Its intense flavor makes
it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in
recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that
causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli,
and Scharffen Berger.
When
used alone in cakes, cocoa powder imparts a full rich chocolate flavor and dark
color. Cocoa powder can also be used in
recipes with other chocolates (unsweetened or dark) and this combination
produces a cake with a more intense chocolate flavor than if the cocoa wasn't
present. Most recipes call for sifting
the cocoa powder with the flour but to bring out its full flavor it can be
combined with a small amount of boiling water.
(If you want to try this in a recipe, substitute some of the liquid in
the recipe for boiling water.) Often
times, you may notice that more butter and leavening agent are used in recipes
containing cocoa powder. This is to
offset cocoa powder's drying and strengthening affect in cakes. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa
powder: natural and Dutch-processed and it is best to use the type specified in
the recipe as the leavening agent used is dependent on the type of cocoa
powder. Some prefer using Dutch-processed
cocoa as a slight bitterness may be tasted in cakes using natural cocoa and
baking soda.
read more: Cocoa Powder for sale
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