Alan Holbrook wrote:
>
>I'm looking at a recipe for chocolate cherry shortbread cookies (which
>should either be illegal or should at least have a 12-step process
>associated with them), and the recipe calls for 'black cocoa powder' as
>well as regular ol' unsweetened Dutch process cocoa. I've looked on line
>and discovered that I'll have to call my financial planner and cash in some
>mutual funds in order to afford the stuff. It also appears that the main
>use for black cocoa is to darken the end product so it comes out looking,
>well, u'mm, black, instead of chocolate brown. If I don't particularly
>care what the finished color is ("Frankly, my dear, I don't give a
>damn..."), can I just skip the black cocoa, or does it do something special
>to the flavor as well?

A product bakers use to blacken (pumpernickel) is burnt sugar syrup.
Found at Hispanic markets:
http://caribbeanamericanfoods.com/Ze...t%20sugar1.gif
http://www.amazon.com/Xtra-Touch-Bur...ugar+flavoring
A little goes a long way, as in drops.
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipe...dad-Black-Cake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfsA7OiQIdI