Box O Chocolates - Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Chips

What Are Chocolate Chips Made Of?

Sounds fairly obvious, right? You probably know they come in white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate. You might assume that chocolate chips have the same ingredients as candy bars, but they're just shaped differently. They actually have a smaller amount of cocoa butter in them than most chocolates. This helps them keep their shape and don't appear to be melted, even when they are. This is because it's the cocoa butter that's melting. Ironically enough, because it's the cocoa butter that's melting, if you use melted chocolate chips in recipes that call for melted chocolate, you'll be disappointed because the texture will be thick and grainy unless you add a little vegetable oil to them as they melt.

Are all chocolate chips created equal? Here are a few ways to find out:

High quality chocolate chips smell, well....like chocolate! They shouldn't taste like chemicals.
High quality chocolate chips have a smooth, glossy and unmarred appearance.
High quality chocolate chips should have a smooth, velvety texture when you taste them. They should not be oily (or dry and coarse, either).

Chocolate Chip Melting Tips

Although melting chocolate chips is not recommended to replace melted chocolate in a recipe, some recipes do actually call for melted chocolate chips. Here are some things to keep in mind when melting chocolate chips:

Be sure to melt them over low heat to avoid scorching. Because they have a low melting point, higher temperatures can cause the sugar to melt, which is what causes the scorching or burning. The heat only needs to be about as high as your body temperature.
Do not let water come in contact with the chips during the melting process. (This is only a danger if you're using a double-boiler.) If any amount of water (even a drop) comes into contact with the chips, it can cause the chocolate to seize (become grainy and tough).
If melting chips in the microwave, stir after one minute, then if they aren't completely melted, keep stirring every 10-15 seconds.

Uses for Chocolate Chips

Chocolate chips can be used in brownies, muffins or melted. But of course, they are most likely used for chocolate chip cookies!! And although chocolate chip cookie recipes call for semi-sweet, mix it up every once in a while Try substituting milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or any other chips you might think of. Some say that using a milk chocolate chip in chocolate chip cookies makes it too sweet, but everyone has their own preferences. What better way to find yours than to experiment! (And don't forget the milk!)

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