Alex Rast wrote:
> at Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:14:12 GMT in >,
> lid (Margaret Suran) wrote :
>
>
>>Today when I went grocery shopping, I wanted to get a couple of
>>packages of the Ghiradelli Double Chocolate chips. I couldn't find
>>them in their usual place, but instead there were packages of "60%
>>Cocoa Bittersweet Chocolate" chips,
>>
>>Have you heard of these new chips? If so, have you tried them? Are
>>they the same as the double chocolate ones, in a new package?
>
>
> No - they're the replacement for the Double Chocolate chips. Ghirardelli
> has chosen to trade off improved flavour and mouthfeel for poorer shape
> maintenance during baking. So a batch of cookies made with these new chips
> will taste better, but the chips flatten dramatically more, and out of the
> bag they're flatter to begin with, more like mini-discs than the familiar
> "chip" profile. What they've done is to tinker with fat and sugar ratios -
> it's something of a mixed blessing. I can't deny that the boost in flavour
> is a *big* plus, but I also think the problems of flattening during baking
> are a negative. I suspect Ghirardelli succumbed to the observation that an
> increasing proportion of chocolate chips these days are used for general-
> purpose baking and confectionery applications, (where typically bloc
> couverture is used), not to mention eating out of the bag, and decided to
> shift their chips to this model - it's basically bar chocolate in the shape
> of chocolate chips. Is this an improvement? Depends on your POV.
>
Alex, Thank you. The people who get my baked stuff, will not care
about the thickness or height of the chips. As it is, I have tried
baking with some of the flat discs of some luxury chocolates (samples
from the Chocolate Show, to which I did not go this year) and the
cookies tasted good and the chips did not melt too much. I will try
the new chips as soon as I get around to baking. Today in New York,
the temperature is up in the 70's, not conducive to baking. The
building air conditioning is long turned off and only steam heat is
coming out of the radiators.
(
Thank you for all the information. When I open the packages, I will
sample some of the chips. I assume that you already tasted them. M