Are you the one who is always confused which chocolate to use for which recipe? If yes, you are at the right place to get answers to all your questions.
It is extremely important to know the difference between the variety of chocolates available in the market. Although each of these ingredients has a place in confectionery, choosing the wrong one will make the process of making your treats more difficult and the end result less delicious than it should be. If you are someone who loves baking and confections, you should know the difference between couverture and compound chocolates. It will have an impact on things like the melting, dipping, and coating process, as well as how much sugar is used in each recipe. This can affect how the chocolate looks as well as how it tastes.
But before diving into the differences between both these types of chocolates, let’s get to know a little about their history and how couverture is different from the other kinds of chocolates available in the market.
Couverture which means covering in French is used by bakers for dipping, coating, moulding, and garnishing. Couverture chocolate is the highest grade of professional chocolate available, with a fine texture and a smooth, even sheen. A high proportion of cocoa butter is used in this high-quality chocolate. It melts quickly and produces smooth chocolate that holds its shape when set and snaps with a sharp, crisp, satisfying snap when broken.
Whereas compound chocolate is a confection made by replacing cocoa butter with other vegetable fats, commonly tropical or hydrogenated fats like cottonseed oil, palm oil etc. It’s sometimes used as a coating for candy bars. They can be melted easily without tempering and still set up just fine. This makes it easier and quicker to work with, but it doesn’t give your final product that attractive shiny look of the tempered couverture chocolate, and the rich creamy taste due to the lack of cocoa butter in it.
WHEN TO USE COUVERTURE AND WHEN TO USE COMPOUND?
Couverture chocolates are superior to all other chocolates due to its high quality and hence it’s always a good time to use it in recipes. The taste and texture that this chocolate will provide your desserts will be worth every penny spent. They can be used for chocolate barks, truffles, bars, and any confection that requires tempering or dipping.
Compound chocolate is ideal for moulding chocolates because it sets up quickly without the need for tempering. It’s even more stable in colder temperatures, which is something you’ll have to contend with. Except when it comes to applying liquids to compound chocolate, compound chocolate is pretty tough. Even a tiny drop of cold liquid will turn your compound chocolate into a gloppy mess.
Most people can’t taste the difference between couverture and compound chocolate. Unless tasted side by side, it is difficult to discern any kind of taste difference between both these types of chocolate.
Whether you are looking for couverture or compound chocolate, you can find them all right here at BARofChoc. We value each and every one of our customers and would love to get the chance to assist you in selecting the right kind of chocolate for your recipes.