Skip to content
  • About
  • Collaborate
  • Kitchen Tools
  • Meet the Team
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Contact

Savory Experiments

  • Recipe Index
  • Cooking Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • BBQ
    • Casserole
    • Cast Iron
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Kid-Friendly
    • No-Bake
    • No-Cook
    • One-Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Under 30 Minutes
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Creole
    • French
    • German
    • Indian
    • International Cuisine
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
    • Polish
    • Spanish
    • Thai
  • Dietary
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Healthy
    • Low Carb
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Patriotic
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Ingredient
    • All Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Butter
    • Cheese
    • Chicken
    • Eggs
    • Pork
    • Salt
    • Tomato
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Savory Experiments

  • Recipe Index
  • Cooking Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • BBQ
    • Casserole
    • Cast Iron
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Kid-Friendly
    • No-Bake
    • No-Cook
    • One-Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Under 30 Minutes
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Creole
    • French
    • German
    • Indian
    • International Cuisine
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
    • Polish
    • Spanish
    • Thai
  • Dietary
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Healthy
    • Low Carb
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Patriotic
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Ingredient
    • All Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Butter
    • Cheese
    • Chicken
    • Eggs
    • Pork
    • Salt
    • Tomato

Savory Experiments

Chocolate

Well, this is daunting. Where do you ever start with chocolate? It is one of the most beloved sweets the world over and can be found in so many different forms and varieties that it will makes your head spin. 

A close up of brookies

In the most basic of terms, chocolate is the product of roasted and ground cacao seeds. These seeds come from the cacao plant and have an intense and bitter flavor. To make things a bit more palatable, the seeds are fermented before being dried, cleaned and roasted.

Fun fact: Sometimes you see the label “raw chocolate” at the store. That means the beans have gone through the normal steps of chocolate making only they have not been roasted. Or at least not roasted above a specific, designated temp. (Yes, the world of chocolate is confusing.)

Unsurprisingly, it is one of the most popular foods in the world and it has been around in one form or another for a long time. The earliest signs that it was being consumed was in Mexico around 19 century BCE. That’s a long, long time ago.

The flavor and texture of chocolate can vary greatly by the type as well as the producer, the types of beans they are using, the method they are using to grind it, and about 1000 other small factors that we don’t have to go into here.

What we can go into is the three main types of chocolate you see on the shelves:

Dark Chocolate

This glorious form of includes the cocoa solids (the roasted beans) and cocoa butter. What it does not have is the milk solids found in other varieties.

You will often see percentages on the package in this category. The higher the number on the package the more intense and deeper the flavor. Typically, less sugar is used the higher the percentage goes. Anything over 70% is considered to be of high quality.

Common uses: glazes, ganache, mousse, cakes, confections, snacking (duh,) and much more

Milk Chocolate

This variety gets its more mild and velvety taste from the addition of milk. These can come in the form of powdered milk, liquid milk, and even condensed milk. 

A perfect example of milk chocolate is the classic Hershey bar or the classic version of M&M’s. The first known variation of this type of hard chocolate is thought to be some time in the 1800s.

Common Uses: candies, s’ mores, pudding, glazes, baking, sauces, snacking (again, duh,) and a whole lot more

White Chocolate

Some people think that white chocolate isn’t “true” chocolate, but I think that is hooey. Does it contain cacao powder? No. Does it still have cocoa butter? Sure does. It also has sugar and milk solids as well. The taste of white chocolate is much sweeter and it is ivory in color.

Common Uses: confections, baking, you guessed it – snacking, and more

Here are some incredible recipes using chocolate:

  • Brookies
  • Homemade Fudge Sauce
  • Chocolate Bacon Saltine Toffee
  • Mocha Cream Pie
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

How long does chocolate last?

The general rule of thumb is as follows:

  • Dark: 2 years
  • Milk: 1 year
  • White: 4 months

How do you know if your chocolate has gone bad?

In most cases, this will be a visual cue. Chocolate with white spots or mold on it is not good to eat. If it smells or okay and tastes okay, you should be good to go.

How do you store chocolate?

You really have three options for storage. A dark cupboard or a shelf at room temperature or cooler is great.  You can choose to put it in the fridge as well. If you choose to do this, be sure to put it in something airtight as it can absorb “fridge” smells. Last but not least, you can do like I do and put it in the freezer. This helps it hold its shape and it has a nice cool snap to it. Talk about a treat!

 

            pile of homemade hot chocolate bombs

Homemade Hot Chocolate Bombs

Drinks
            chocolate pecan cookie bars

Chocolate Pecan Cookie Bars

Cookies
            close up of whipped hot chocolate

Whipped Hot Chocolate

Drinks
            pile of christmas crack candy on a plate

Christmas Crack

Candy
            chocolate pecan candy on parchment

Chocolate Turtles

Candy
           

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Cookies
            mummy cookies on a plate

Mummy Cookies #HalloweenTreatsWeek

Cookies
            close up mini pecan pies

Mini Pecan Pies

Pastries, Pies, + Tarts
            chocolate covered bacon recipe

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Appetizers + Snacks
            close up of chocolate lasagna slice

Chocolate Lasagna

Cakes + Cupcakes
            A close up of a piece of cake covered in chocolate

Chocolate Pound Cake

Cakes + Cupcakes
            jar of fudge sauce with a spoon dipping in

Homemade Fudge Sauce

Frostings + Decorations
subscribe via bloglovin

Posts navigation

1 2 … 8
Welcome!
Welcome!
Learn to create restaurant quality family meals using the four S's. Contributor to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Mashed and The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!
What are the Four S's?
FREE Email Course
CLICK: 7 Days to Being a Better Home Cook!
Looking For Something?
Find Your Next Meal!
Filter through hundreds of recipes to find the specific meal.
Visit

FREE 7 Day Email Course- How to be a Better Home Cook!

Click to Subscribe
Breakfast
Breakfast
Desserts
Desserts
Dinner
Dinner
Salads
Salads
Sandwich
Sandwiches
Side dishes
Side Dishes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Media Kit
  • Kitchen Tools
  • Shop
  • Travel
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Copyright © 2021 Savory Experiments, All Rights Reserved.
Design by Lindsay Humes.
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers + Snacks
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Dinners + Entrees
    • Dips, Dressings, + Sauces
    • Side Dishes
  • Cooking Method
    • Baking
    • BBQ
    • Casserole
    • Cast Iron
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • No-Cook
    • One-Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Under 30 Minutes
  • Dietary
    • Dairy-Free
    • Gluten-Free
    • Healthy
    • Low Carb
    • Nut-Free
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Cuisine
    • Asian
    • Creole
    • French
    • German
    • Indian
    • Irish
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
    • Middle Eastern
    • Polish
    • Spanish
    • Thai
  • Holiday
    • Christmas
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Patriotic
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Travel
  • About
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Kitchen Tools
    • Work With Me
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Youtube