[Sca-cooks] Re: Lainie-brownies

[Jeff Gedney]

>What is meant by "Dutched" cocoa? 
>

>From the excellent exploratorium page on chocolate:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/exploring_chocolate/index.html

"In 1828, Dutch chocolate maker Conrad J. van Houten patented an inexpensive method for pressing the fat from roasted cacao beans. The center of the bean, known as the "nib," contains an average of 54 percent cocoa butter, which is a natural fat. Van Houten's machine -- a hydraulic press -- reduced the cocoa butter content by nearly half. This created a "cake" that could be pulverized into a fine powder known as "cocoa." Van Houten treated the powder with alkaline salts (potassium or sodium carbonates) so that the powder would mix more easily with water. Today, this process is known as "Dutching." The final product, Dutch chocolate, has a dark color and a mild taste."


Capt Elias

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