Chocolate recipes featuring Godiva chocolate

When we test the recipes for Chocolatier we use the nationally available brands of chocolate listed here. Be sure to check the recipe before setting out to buy the chocolate for it - if you use the wrong type of chocolate, all your efforts may be wasted; certainly the results may be different. Within the following categories, you may use the brands we name interchangeably with only subtle differences in taste and/or texture.

Unsweetened chocolate

Baker's, Ghirardelli, Hershey's or Nestlé

Swiss dark chocolate/bittersweet chocolate

Ghirardelli, Lindt Excellence or Callebaut

Semisweet chocolate

Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Nestlé or Baker's

Semisweet chocolate chips

Ghirardelli, Hershey's, Nestlé or Baker's

Sweet chocolate

Baker's German Sweet Chocolate or Ghirardelli Sweet Dark Chocolate

Swiss milk chocolate

Lindt Swiss Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate chips

Baker's, Hershey's or Nestlé

White chocolate

Lindt Swiss Confectionary Bar or Nestlé Premier White Baking Bar

White chocolate chips

Hershey's or Nestlé

Couverture/coating chocolate

It is not a brand or type of chocolate but rather a term used to describe professional- quality coating chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa butter -- at least 32 percent and often as high as 39 percent for good-quality couverture. The extra cocoa butter allows the chocolate to form a thinner coating shell than noncouverture chocolate: Cacao Barry, Carma, Ghirardelli, Lindt or Valrhôna.

Unsweetened non-alkalized cocoa powder

Hershey's, Ghirardelli or Nestlé

Unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder (Dutch processed or European style)

Droste, Fry's, Hershey's European Style or Poulain

Baci Chocolate is a registered trademark of Perugina Brands of America, a division of Nestlé Food Company.

Eggs

In recognition of the growing concern over the presence of salmonella bacteria in some raw eggs, Chocolatier is adapting recipes that traditionally have used uncooked or lightly cooked eggs. The full extent of the risk is still being studied, but regulatory agencies such as the USDA and FDA have advised against eating any foods containing uncooked or lightly cooked eggs, egg yolks or egg whites. Because salmonella bacteria is killed in eggs cooked to 160 degrees F, Chocolatier's recipes for such desserts as mousses and buttercreams now include the extra step of cooking a sugar syrup to at least 240 degrees F (soft ball stage) and pouring it over the eggs to raise their temperature sufficiently. Chocolatier believes that an awareness of the potential risk of salmonella poisoning is the best defense against it.

Recipe Rating Key

All recipes on these pages have been tested and adapted for your enjoyment and convenience in a home kitchen. We have also developed a rating system to help you determine the difficulty of each recipe. The ratings are based on general degrees of culinary skill required, preparation time and availability of ingredients (or non-standard kitchen equipment).

Regardless of difficulty, all recipes are written in a simple, step-by-step manner.

* Easy: No fuss, no fail recipes requiring minimal preparation.

** Intermediate: If you love to bake, these recipes will be no problem.

*** Advanced: Stunning creative masterpieces that may require several steps to complete, but well worth the effort.

Measuring Cocoa, Confectioners' Sugar and Flour

Measure these dry ingredients by lightly spooning the ingredient into the appropriate dry measuring cup and leveling it off with the straight edge of a knife or spatula. Tapping the measuring cup will result in an inaccurate measure.