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Post by polly on Apr 18, 2007 14:11:34 GMT -5
I'm new to this site, but it looks like people here really know about the science of chocolate! Can anyone recommend a good store bought dark chocolate that has a high milk fat content. I have a fudge recipe which uses milk chocolate, but I like dark chocolate. When I switch the chocolate in the recipe to bittersweet it tastes great for a day or two but loses it's soft creaminess quickly. I think the milk fat in the milk chocolate is what keeps it tasting fresh longer. Is there such a thing as dark chocolate with milk fat?
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Post by aguynamedrobert on Apr 18, 2007 14:29:33 GMT -5
There are dark chocolates with milk fat in them but by law they can only have up to 5% milk fat...you might want to use dark chocolate but add more milk or cream to your fudge recipe...or use have milk and have dark chocolate... Have a great day, Robert www.chocolateguild.com
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Post by sugaralchemy on Apr 19, 2007 1:52:48 GMT -5
Dark chocolate may use a low level of milkfat - say 2% - to slightly soften the texture and/or stabilize the chocolate. Milkfat can help reduce the risk of blooming. I don't know of many dark chocolates that contain enough milkfat to really equal the consistency of milk chocolate.
If you like, you may simply take a dark chocolate, melt it and add a small amount of milkfat (or the oil portion of unsalted butter - absolutely NO water or other moisture can be present!) to make it match the texture of milk chocolate. I would suggest adding about 6-7% the weight of the dark chocolate as added milkfat, then using the resulting chocolate like you would milk chocolate.
If you wish for a more milky-soft texture, try adding slightly more milkfat. This is a good base suggestion, but the exact level of milkfat you want will depend on a few factors including the level in the reference milk chocolate you like. You may also try simply reducing the dark chocolate slightly and adding extra butter / cream right into the recipe, but I would tend to try the more 'proper' pre-mixing method as described above your first time out.
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Post by polly on Apr 20, 2007 7:49:24 GMT -5
Thank you very much for your replies. Are the only ways to get more milk fat to add a milk product like cream or to use clarified butter? I've tried using more butter and clarified butter, but the fudge gets very greasy and oily on the outside even with only a slight increase in butter. Also, the base of the fudge is sweetened condensed milk so I don't use anything like cream. I was wondering if powdered milk would add milk fat too and if that would be able to affect the creaminess since it's not actually creamy.
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Post by Sebastian on Apr 20, 2007 20:07:21 GMT -5
Actually, there are no legal limits on the max lvl of milk fat in dark chocolate. You can put as much as you want, but there are practical limits. If you like the softer texture of a milk chocolate, but the flavor of a dark, try the Dove bar. It has a fair amount of milk fat and is alkalized, which softens the texture as well. I personally don't care for the flavor profile for it as an eating chocolate, but because it's alkalized, it may make a pretty good fudge.
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Post by aguynamedrobert on Apr 23, 2007 18:43:08 GMT -5
Thanks for correcting me Sebastian...for some reason I was under the presumption that dark chocolate could only have up to 5% milk fat....I will have to go back through the FDA regulations and read that part... Robert www.chocolateguild.com
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Post by sugaralchemy on Apr 29, 2007 16:35:42 GMT -5
I do want to clarify, when I said 'may' I was talking from a technical standpoint, not a regulatory standpoint.
As for your fudge experiments and the greasiness... that is precisely why I said to use milkfat and mix it with the dark chocolate, then use as you normally would, ensuring the milkfat is mixed fully with the cocoa butter in the chocolate. You will get different results if you add any form of milkfat directly to the recipe. You could probably finesse it all into a single process, but the processing might end up being harder than just pre-mixing.
When I said milkfat, your best best is clarified butter. I suggest purchasing unsalted butter and clarifying it very well. Is is important that it be basically 100% water-free, or it may cause the chocolate to seize up.
Even if you do purchase a dark chocolate that contains milkfat (I can think of a few) they still tend to be are a bit harder than many milks, so while you might not need to add as much milkfat, a small amount may still help the texture be more milk-like. You may even find you like adding more milkfat to chocolate than is present in milk chocolate if you like a really soft, creamy texture.
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Post by chokee55 on May 14, 2007 21:33:25 GMT -5
Yes, there are dark chocolates that have milk fat but the percentage of milk fat is usually limited. If you want to have more milk fat, you can have your own recipe of dark chocolate and put a lot of milk fat. ____________ Alora 2007 Lexus SC Exterior by Lexus U.S.A.
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Post by LLY on Jan 1, 2018 6:41:30 GMT -5
Hello every one, I came across this thread and pondering why not to use pure coconut oil instead? Are there any adverse affects on bloom or texture? Basically we create Meltaway but with lower precentage of coconut oil. I suppose that around 7wt.% creates the desired mellow texture.
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Post by Brad on Jan 2, 2018 4:43:12 GMT -5
You can use coconut oil if you like, but.... If you are selling your chocolate commercially, you will want to check on the laws in your area with respect to the use of fats other than milk fat in your chocolate. There are some pretty stringent rules out there.
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