Some Handy Tips For Using Chocolate When You Bake

Here are some foolproof tips for baking with chocolate:

Spray whatever you melt chocolate in with nonstick vegetable spray. You’ll end up wasting much less chocolate because it will slip right out.

Use caution when melting chocolate.

Either melt over barely simmering water (not boiling) in the top of a double boiler or chop up the chocolate and carefully melt in the microwave on the 50-percent setting. Stir after 1 minute of microwaving. If chocolate isn’t melted, microwave it in 1-minute intervals, stirring vigorously after each heating.

Chocolate often doesn’t lose its shape when melted, so don’t rely on the way it looks to judge whether it is melted.

Don’t heat chocolate at higher than 100 degrees; it should feel about body temperature.

Chocolate should be stored, tightly wrapped, in a cool, dry place (60-70 degrees). If stored in a warmer location, it often develops a “bloom,” a pale gray discoloration that occurs when the cocoa butter rises to the surface. It can still be used, but there may be a slight flavor loss.

A 6-ounce package of chocolate chips yields 1 cup.

A drop of liquid added to melted chocolate can cause it to clump and harden (called seizing).

Melted chocolate should be thinned with vegetable oil or vegetable shortening.

When adding melted chocolate to a cake batter or cookie dough, cool it first. Otherwise it will melt the fat in the mixture and cause a change in the texture.