Cocoa powder crushed from the beans of the tropical American cacao tree,
and the hot drink made from it. The beans are fermented, dried, roasted and
turned into a thick paste, from which the fat (cocoa butter) is removed. The
mixture is then ground. There is also a ‘Dutch-processed’ variety, which is made
from beans treated with a potassium solution that neutralises their acidity and
gives them a milder flavour.
Natural
Unsweetened Cocoa powder
tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Its
intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some
chocolate cakes. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for
baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to
rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and
Scharffen Berger. Cocoa powder is made when chocolate liquor is pressed to
remove three quarters of its cocoa butter. The remaining cocoa solids are
processed to make fine unsweetened cocoa powder. There are two types of
unsweetened cocoa powder: natural and Dutch-processed.
Cocoa powder used
alone in cakes, cocoa powder imparts a full rich chocolate flavor and dark
color. Cocoa powder can also be used in recipes with other chocolates
(unsweetened or dark) and this combination produces a cake with a more intense
chocolate flavor than if the cocoa wasn't present. Most recipes call for
sifting the cocoa powder with the flour but to bring out its full flavor it can
be combined with a small amount of boiling water. (If you want to try this in a
recipe, substitute some of the liquid in the recipe for boiling water.) Often
times, you may notice that more butter and leavening agent are used in recipes
containing cocoa powder. This is to offset cocoa powder's drying and
strengthening affect in cakes. There are two types of unsweetened cocoa powder:
natural and Dutch-processed and it is best to use the type specified in the
recipe as the leavening agent used is dependent on the type of cocoa powder.
Some prefer using Dutch-processed cocoa as a slight bitterness may be tasted in
cakes using natural cocoa and baking soda.
Cocoa solids
are the low-fat component of chocolate. When sold as an end product, it may also
be called Cocoa powder,
cocoa, and cacao. In contrast, the fatty component of chocolate is cocoa butter.
Cocoa butter is 50% to 57% of the weight of cocoa beans and gives chocolate its
characteristic melting properties. Cocoa liquor is the melted combination of
cocoa butter and cocoa solids. Cocoa solids are obtained by extraction from the
cocoa bean. Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, a type of phenolic. The amount
of flavonoids depends on the amount of processing and manufacturing the cocoa
powder undergoes, but cocoa powder can contain up to 10% its weight in
flavonoids. Flavanols are one of six compounds further classified as flavonoids.
Flavanols, which are also found in fruits and vegetables, are linked to certain
health benefits linked to coronary heart disease and stroke. The topic of how
flavanols benefit cardiovascular health is still under debate. It has been
suggested that the flavanols may take part in mechanisms such as nitric oxide
and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet effects. Benefiting these
mechanisms may improve endothelial function, lipid levels, blood pressure and
insulin resistance。
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