TYPES OF CHOCOLATE

Chocolate Liquor
Produced by grinding the cocoa bean nib (center) to a smooth, liquid state. The chocolate liquor can then be cooled and molded into blocks also known as unsweetened baking chocolate. The liquor and blocks contain roughly 53 percent cocoa butter.

Semi-sweet (bittersweet) Chocolate
Chocolate liquor to which sweeteners and cocoa butter have been added. Also known as dark chocolate. According to government standards, it must contain at least 35 percent chocolate liquor. Its fat content averages 27 percent.

Milk Chocolate
Cocoa butter, milk, sweeteners and flavorings are added to chocolate liquor. Lends itself to good use for garnishes and candy coatings. All milk chocolate made in the U.S. contains at least 10 percent chocolate liquor and 12 percent whole milk.

Sweet Chocolate
Contains more sweeteners than semi-sweet chocolate and at least 15 percent chocolate liquor. Sweet chocolate is used mostly for decorating and garnishing. The fat content is similar to semi-sweet.

White Chocolate
Although there is not yet a formal definition, white chocolate contains cocoa butter but no non-fat cocoa solids. Mostly used as a coating, it contains sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids and flavorings.

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