Cookie Bakers' Pantry

As you begin holiday cookie baking, be sure to have 13 ingredients on hand.

Chocolate and More Chocolate

Smooth, seductive chocolate comes in many forms.

Chocolate Thumbprints and White
Chocolate Cherry Twists

Unsweetened chocolate: Sometimes called baking or bitter chocolate, this product is pure chocolate with no added sugar.
Semisweet chocolate: Pure chocolate with added cocoa butter and sugar, this versatile product is available in bars, blocks, and pieces.
Bittersweet chocolate: There are no legal specifications for this term, but the product is usually darker and less sweet than semisweet chocolate. Some European brands are labeled "dark chocolate."
Milk chocolate: Pure chocolate with added cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids.
Sweet baking chocolate: Made of pure chocolate with added cocoa butter and sugar, this chocolate is sweeter than unsweetened chocolate but less sweet than semisweet chocolate.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: This product is pure chocolate with most of the cocoa butter removed. Cocoas labeled "Dutch-process" or "European-style" have been treated to neutralize the natural acids, giving them a mellow flavor and reddish color.
White chocolate: Made by combining cocoa butter with sugar, milk solids, and flavoring, this product is commonly called a chocolate. It's not a true one because it contains no cocoa solids. Try different brands to find one you like; formulas and flavors vary.

Continued on page 2: Nuts and Coconut