American chocolate translation

[Annpan]

I have an american cookie recioe book, but I have yet to use any as I don't understand the chocolate descriptions.

I usually buy 74% dark chocolate for cooking, and regular milk chocolate, but the american recipes say bitter-sweet and semi-sweet.

Anyone point me in the right direction?

and while we are at it, how much weight is a stick of butter? and is an american tsp and cup the same as a european?

[StripyPixieSocks]

Chocolate: http://www.chocolateexpert.co.uk/semi-s ... olate.html

A stick of butter is 4oz and tbsp and tsp and cups are the same (as Europe adopted the cup from the US anyway)

[Graye]

I just found this which will probably help with the chocolate descriptions...

"Dark chocolate is another name used to describe any sweetened chocolate that does not contain milk solids i.e.. extra-bittersweet, bittersweet, and semi-sweet. In general, European dark chocolate refers to bittersweet, while American dark chocolate refers to semi-sweet. The two chocolates are used interchangeably. However, flavor, texture, and appearance of the finished product may be changed depending on the type and quality of chocolate used."

I think you could probably just assume that if the recipe calls for bittersweet then you use the 74% stuff but if it calls for semisweet then you use one of the less strongly flavoured dark chocolates. Basically I think neither of them are milk chololate.

[Clara]

voila! thought it pretty much agrees with what has been said above, I still disagree about the cups but there is so little in it would probably be alright if you keep it uniform

[Annpan]

Thanks everybody I must get that book dusted off and get some tasty treats made ....yum...

[sleepyowl]

plus if it is American chocolate they call for try adding some wax into the mix

[ina]

plus if it is American chocolate they call for try adding some wax into the mix

???????

[invisiblepiper]

Yep - that threw me too !

[george]

plus if it is American chocolate they call for try adding some wax into the mix

I totally agree. That is just what most American chocolate tastes like!

[Mainer in Exile]

My mom always added paraffin wax to her chocolates, because the recipe called for it. Apparently, it makes the chocolate a bit thinner and better for coating, but it is indigestible. If I were to make one of her recipes, I'd use a chocolate couverture, which has extra cocoa butter to do the same thing, at a greater cost to the wallet, but, I think, a lower cost to personal health.