question about chocolate cheesecake ?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Luke said:

I've found a cheesecake recipe that has a very smooth filling. I've
been trying to make chocolate cheesecake by melting some chocolate chips
in a double boiler and then adding to the cheesecake batter. The
problem I'm finding is that the result is much more dense and not nearly
as smooth. Is this the nature of chocolate cheesecake, or should I be
doing something different? Thanks.

This is something I have not tried, but how about adding some
coco powder to the filling instead of chocolate chips? The result
will have a completely different texture, but the flavor might be
nice. Use a good quality coco powder.

at Tue, 17 May 2005 22:32:30 GMT in <nospam-6980DA.17322917052005@ip-
lcc.supernews.net>, [email hidden] (Luke) wrote :

Quoted message said:

I've found a cheesecake recipe that has a very smooth filling. I've
been trying to make chocolate cheesecake by melting some chocolate chips
in a double boiler and then adding to the cheesecake batter. The
problem I'm finding is that the result is much more dense and not nearly
as smooth.

It will definitely be denser because of the high density of chocolate.
Little you can do to get around that. The problem you're having with
smoothness is because you're using chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are
designed very specifically for baking applications where they're left as
chips, using a lower percentage of cocoa butter than typical in order that
they not melt and flatten as badly in the oven. It's the low cocoa butter
that's giving you the problems because when you remove cocoa butter from
chocolate, the result is an increase in the starch percentage. In addition,
chips aren't usually finished to the same standards as eating chocolate
bars or couverture (a fancy name for the same chocolate used to make bars
sold in large bricks for baking and confection) and in particular aren't
conched for so long. This means that they're not as smooth - the particle
sizes in chips are typically smaller.

Another poster has recommended using cocoa powder. It goes without saying
that this is in some ways an even worse choice. Cocoa powder is mostly
starch and is not nearly at the same particle size as a couverture
chocolate. There is one offset - that you can use less cocoa powder to
achieve the same level of intensity. However, cocoa powder has a distinctly
different taste, so that things made with it taste of *cocoa* and not
chocolate.

What you want is a good eating chocolate bar or couverture chocolate with a
high percentage of cocoa butter - preferably over 40%. The higher the
better in this case. Be aware that chocolate will nonetheless alter the
texture somewhat. You also want a chocolate finished to high standards -
that is - very smooth. It will be best to choose a high-percentage
chocolate (one which is mostly cocoa solids) so that the extra sugar is
also not playing havoc with the texture.

A high-quality unsweetened chocolate is probably the best choice because
you can use the least amount for the same amount of flavour, thus affecting
your texture the least. DO NOT!!! use Baker's because this is not a high-
quality unsweetened. The very best choice is Michel Cluizel Noir Infini
because Cluizel is one of the smoothest chocolates in the industry. Domori
also finishes to equal smoothness and also has an unsweetened - 2, in fact:
Puro and 100%. However, the Cluizel has the advantage of being available in
little chips in 1 kg bags for a price that, while high, isn't nearly as
expensive per kg as Domori. Not as smooth as these 2, but cheaper and more
widely available, is Ghirardelli Unsweetened.

Also worth considering are high-percentage chocolates with very good
finishes. Hachez has the best, smoothest finish in the industry and their
Arriba 77% is an excellent choice for your application. Scharffen Berger
70% also fits the bill - a little less smooth than the Hachez and perhaps a
little pricier, but more widely distributed. Valrhona also enjoys wide
distribution and their 71% is excellent. And Lindt has a superb 85% that
again you can find in most stores. Domori and Cluizel, btw, both have
chocolates in this class, smoother than all others but the Hachez, but it
would be silly to get those when you could buy their unsweeteneds.

Everybody I've mentioned here, btw, can be gotten at
http://www.chocosphere.com so if you want to try one of the more exotic
chocolates on the list this is an easy place to get them from.

--
Alex Rast
[email hidden]
(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Thank you for quick lesson about chocolate. I didn't know there was
such a huge difference in quality. I'm going to try the Lindt 85% and
see how that improves things. The Michel Cluizel Noir Infini sounds
great, but at $70 (and that's the sale price! plus postage!) for a 1 kg
bag I think I'll start with something a bit more affordable.

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Alex Rast) said:

at Tue, 17 May 2005 22:32:30 GMT in <nospam-6980DA.17322917052005@ip-
lcc.supernews.net>, [email hidden] (Luke) wrote :

Quoted message said:

I've found a cheesecake recipe that has a very smooth filling. I've
been trying to make chocolate cheesecake by melting some chocolate chips
in a double boiler and then adding to the cheesecake batter. The
problem I'm finding is that the result is much more dense and not nearly
as smooth.

It will definitely be denser because of the high density of chocolate.
Little you can do to get around that. The problem you're having with
smoothness is because you're using chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are
designed very specifically for baking applications where they're left as
chips, using a lower percentage of cocoa butter than typical in order that
they not melt and flatten as badly in the oven. It's the low cocoa butter
that's giving you the problems because when you remove cocoa butter from
chocolate, the result is an increase in the starch percentage. In addition,
chips aren't usually finished to the same standards as eating chocolate
bars or couverture (a fancy name for the same chocolate used to make bars
sold in large bricks for baking and confection) and in particular aren't
conched for so long. This means that they're not as smooth - the particle
sizes in chips are typically smaller.

Another poster has recommended using cocoa powder. It goes without saying
that this is in some ways an even worse choice. Cocoa powder is mostly
starch and is not nearly at the same particle size as a couverture
chocolate. There is one offset - that you can use less cocoa powder to
achieve the same level of intensity. However, cocoa powder has a distinctly
different taste, so that things made with it taste of *cocoa* and not
chocolate.

What you want is a good eating chocolate bar or couverture chocolate with a
high percentage of cocoa butter - preferably over 40%. The higher the
better in this case. Be aware that chocolate will nonetheless alter the
texture somewhat. You also want a chocolate finished to high standards -
that is - very smooth. It will be best to choose a high-percentage
chocolate (one which is mostly cocoa solids) so that the extra sugar is
also not playing havoc with the texture.

A high-quality unsweetened chocolate is probably the best choice because
you can use the least amount for the same amount of flavour, thus affecting
your texture the least. DO NOT!!! use Baker's because this is not a high-
quality unsweetened. The very best choice is Michel Cluizel Noir Infini
because Cluizel is one of the smoothest chocolates in the industry. Domori
also finishes to equal smoothness and also has an unsweetened - 2, in fact:
Puro and 100%. However, the Cluizel has the advantage of being available in
little chips in 1 kg bags for a price that, while high, isn't nearly as
expensive per kg as Domori. Not as smooth as these 2, but cheaper and more
widely available, is Ghirardelli Unsweetened.

Also worth considering are high-percentage chocolates with very good
finishes. Hachez has the best, smoothest finish in the industry and their
Arriba 77% is an excellent choice for your application. Scharffen Berger
70% also fits the bill - a little less smooth than the Hachez and perhaps a
little pricier, but more widely distributed. Valrhona also enjoys wide
distribution and their 71% is excellent. And Lindt has a superb 85% that
again you can find in most stores. Domori and Cluizel, btw, both have
chocolates in this class, smoother than all others but the Hachez, but it
would be silly to get those when you could buy their unsweeteneds.

Everybody I've mentioned here, btw, can be gotten at
http://www.chocosphere.com so if you want to try one of the more exotic
chocolates on the list this is an easy place to get them from.