different cocoas
Someone recently gifted me with a can of Girardhelli cocoa. Up to now I've used only good old Hersheys, mostly because it was available and affordable and my family is not too discerning.
What makes the difference (taste-wise) in cocoa, and do you have a favorite that you're loyal too?
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5 Comments:
I like Girardhelli cocoa and chocolates for most things. Green and Black is good for something special. However, there is always a can of Hershey's in my cabinet just for the chocolate cake recipe.
beth1 at 9:38PM on 05/12/08
I liked the Green & Black. It seemed to give brownies and cakes a rich, mellow flavor.
I probably wouldn't have bought it for myself, but I got it as a gift.
srhcb at 10:18PM on 05/12/08
Girardhelli is good and so is Hersheys, but if you want OUTSTANDING cocoa powder find one that says dutch processed. Hershey's USED to make one in a silver can but i haven't been able to find it ever. I got the one and only can i ever had in a gift pack that had a can of regular, a can of dutch processed and a cookbook. I search high and low in local grocery stores for dutch processed cocoa and it's hard to find. I love to make chocolate butter cream frosting and you can really, really, really tell the difference. Its awesome. I've finally resorted to buying it in 2 or more pound lots on the internet. good luck
nightmoon at 2:30AM on 05/13/08
Here is a bit of an explanation-
http://www.joyofbaking.com/cocoa.html
Droste is one of my fave brands, as well as Lindt and the Ghiardhelli.
@nightmoon, quite right about the difference in taste with dutch-processed cocoa...so yummy. It is a bit different though, so be sure it will work in a recipe before switching if it does not already call for dutched. Though you can usually replace dutched with regular in a recipe, though you will lose the unique flavor.
sadiepix at 3:11AM on 05/13/08
Hershey's does make a dutch process cocoa. They market it as "Special Dark" and it comes with the same label as their special dark candy bar.
I use both natural and dutch cocoa, depending on what I have on hand. Each gives its own special flavor to the recipe. But you have to be careful. If the recipe calls for baking soda, then use natural cocoa (dutch processed cocoa is quite alkaline, and combining it with baking soda can give a strange taste to the food it's cooked in).
papillon at 9:54AM on 05/13/08