White Chocolate

I have been reading and really enjoying the books “What Einstein Told His Cook”. I am reading part one and two. These books are by Robert Wolke. He is a college science professor who now is a food writer, so he gets the science behind food.

I love the science behind food and cooking. I really enjoy knowing why some things work and some things don’t. I think it makes cooking more fun. It keeps it from getting boring for me. I also think it helps you know what recipe may or may not work or taste good. I think I will occasionally post about some of the things I am learning from these books. I thought some of you may enjoy the facts as much as I do. And if you like the science behind cooking, see if your library has these books. I highly recommend them.

Today’s fact is about white chocolate or as the author of the book says “the un-chocolate chocolate”

I will start out by saying I do not like or use Almond Bark. If a recipe calls for almond bark I usually use “white chocolate”. If I don’t think white chocolate will work I don’t make the recipe. I know almond bark is cheaper. It is what my mom always used for candy making because the other was too expensive, but I still don’t like it. I don’t like the taste and I think it makes the candy taste and look waxy. Sorry to all of you who love almond bark for candy making, please just try “white chocolate”, so you can see the difference.

I discovered though from reading this book, that although I am not using almond bark, I probably do not usually use real white chocolate. I need to start reading labels better. The white chocolate that we think is white chocolate is not, and here is why.

This is what Robert Wolke has to say. White chocolate is the fat form the cocoa butter mixed with milk solids and sugar. It contains none of those wonderful cocoa bean solids that give chocolate its unique character and rich flavor. If you choose a white-chocolate topped dessert to avoid chocolate’s caffeine, bear in mind that cocoa butter is a highly saturated fat. You can’t win ‘em all. He says.

He goes on, too add insult to perjury, some so called white chocolate confections aren’t even made with cocoa fat; they’re made with hydrogenated vegetable oils. Be sure to read the ingredient lists on the label.

So here I am avoiding almond bark because it is not “real” but neither is the stuff I have been using. It is full of hydrogenated vegetable oils and none of the cocoa butter fat. I guess I should have read the labels better. I think the real “white chocolate” is probably more than I care to pay for my candy making. (I will have to try it for just eating though).

I would still recommend that you use something labeled white chocolate for candy making even if it is not real white chocolate. It is better than almond bark.

So did you know there was a difference in white chocolate? Do you use almond bark or “white chocolate” for candy making and baking?

For more recipes and tips see Tammy’s Recipes.