chocolate

Hi all, I like hearing all the props that Guittard is getting, yeaaa. I used to be the Corporate Chef for that company back in the day, so I am biased. All of the other brands mentioned here are great chocolates as well. It is all a matter of preference. Chefs and home chefs have asked me for years, "whats the best chocolate?" and I always say "whatever works best for you, whichever one you like the best" There is no "best chocolate". Most great chocolatiers use a variety of chocolate types and varieties as chocolate is very complex and has multiple uses depending on brand and percentage. Like AMYSARAH says, when making cookies for kids, use the Tollhouse chips most of our moms used when we were little, they wont know. I make chocolate chip cookies with pistoles, or as some companies call "coins". they are flat(1/8") and round (1-1.5") about the size of a quarter. I put them in at the very end and I dont mix too much using the machine not to break them up. When the cookies bake the chocolate spreads very nice an covers a large surface area within the cookie. I love Valrhona as well for baking and pastry applications, yet it is pricey so use it for your special occasions. I hope this helps. Andrew

My favorite is Guittard. And I think the Akoma chips are worth the extra dollar.

Try them sometime on a peanut butter sandwich!

The Endangered Species chocolate bar brand, which is available at all the Whole Foods I've seen in California, is excellent and very affordable. My favorites are the 88%, and the 70-something% with cocoa nibs. I think it would be great for baking.

Yes, I get almost a cherry flavor from Ghirardelli. Heck, for a young audience truly anything will do. They will love that you made real cookies for them.

The interesting thing is, I find Ghiradelli semi-sweet chips oddly fruity. I think their milk chocolate chips are delicious. Anyone else find this? I think I may just go with them anyway. As noted, I'm making them for kids, and as much as I love callebaut, it seems unnecessary. Wish there was something else in between.

I agree about baking for young kids - Hershey's, Nestle or Ghiradelli - they'll enjoy the cookies (or whatever you're baking) just as much as if they were made with Valrhona, etc. Save that for the grown ups. (And children are rarely - thankfully - snobs about such things.)

OK, I know it's gauche of me, but if you're baking for wee ones you really can't go wrong with good old Nestle. I always keep a bag or two on hand for bake sales and sleepovers. If you need dark chocolate specifically or if you just can't make yourself go with Nestle, I would agree with drbabs that Ghiradelli is a good brand whose cost won't make you take out a second mortgage just to make a batch of cookies.

I like Guittard and Callebaut, though I believe the latter is difficult to find in a retail size.

Ghirardelli is my favorite. For what you describe, I like Hershey's chocolate chips (Special Dark are really good, but their regular ones are fine.) best of the regular grocery store chocolate chips, as well as their Special Dark chocolate to cut into chunks.

I live in Denmark, where chocolate chips are (mostly) unheard of. When I feel like chocolate chip cookies, I used a bar of chocolate. I like the orange-infused chocolate bar from Lindt (about 2 or 3 dollars a bar), but there are a lot of other good chocolate bars (milk, dark, flavor infused) that won't break the bank. Just chop up the bar and use as you would chocolate chips! Enjoy :)