"bittersweet chocolate" news and stories

Happy Bittersweet Chocolate Day!

For those unfamiliar with what differentiates bittersweet chocolate, it lies between unsweetened chocolate and semisweet: Sweeter than the former, it has more liquor and less sugar than the latter. The supposed aphrodisiac is interchangeable with semisweet chocolate in baking, but, with a pleasant bitterness and lacking an overly saccharine flavor, it is just as delectable on its own.

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This brownie recipe from San Francisco chocolatier Michael Recchiuti uses four different kinds of chocolate: milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and white chocolate. I'm going to make brownies this week and since I usually go with a typical one chocolate recipe, I'm going to definitely try this. Full recipe (from Food and Wine) after the jump.

Hot cocoa (or hot chocolate) has to be one of those drinks (or food recipes in general) that everyone does a little differently. Some people just buy the packages at the supermarket and just add some hot water. Some make those brands with milk. Some make it with milk and add their own special touch, like adding bits of real chocolate or a pinch of cinnamon. Some add marshmallows, some don't. I don't think any two people make it the same exact way.

I'll admit that I don't go overboard in my hot cocoa-making. I usually use Swiss Miss or Ghirardelli and add it to some milk that I have in a pan (make sure you stir it a lot so it doesn't burn, and don't bring it to a boil!). But Tyler Florence has his own hot cocoa recipe that I'm going to have to try. I've been looking for a more creative way to make it, and this seems interesting.