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White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, milk, and sweetener, but doesn’t contain chocolate liquor or cocoa solids. It can be used in desserts and savory dishes, but should contain at least 20% cocoa butter for quality.
White chocolate isn’t technically chocolate at all, as it doesn’t contain chocolate liquor or cocoa solids, the two main ingredients in chocolate. However, it contains cocoa butter, which is a product of the cocoa plant, and has a mild flavor in which the hints of chocolate definitely play a role. This product is processed and made much like chocolate and can also be used just like regular chocolate is in an assortment of foods.
To make the chocolate, the seeds of the cocoa plant are harvested and left to ferment slightly. The outer shell of the seeds is broken, revealing an inner core which is ground into chocolate liqueur. This substance is the basis of most chocolates, but it can also be separated to produce cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is the fat in chocolate and is rich, creamy and very stable when worked well. The cocoa solids are mixed with more chocolate liquor for intense chocolates or sold separately. Cocoa butter can be processed to make a variety of products, including cosmetic creams.
When white chocolate is made, the separated cocoa butter is mixed with milk and sweetener, and is often flavored with vanilla. The concoction is poured into molds that take a variety of shapes, from candy bars to baking blocks, and packaged for sale after it sets and cools. The resulting product has an ivory color and a creamy flavour. It is also a very fragile chocolate that needs to be handled with care when cooking.
Several nations have established labeling standards for white chocolate to ensure it contains cocoa butter rather than vegetable oil or other fat. As a general rule, it should contain 20% cocoa butter. A high-quality product made with good ingredients will have an ivory-cream color, while one made with fat substitutes will be truly white. This type has an inferior flavor and texture, and most consumers and confectioners avoid it.
The mild flavor can be used in numerous desserts or blended with conventional chocolate for a contrast. It can also be used in savory dishes, especially spicy foods, which interact deliciously with the sweet, creamy flavor. White chocolate is also available in bars that can be enjoyed plain, although it tends to be very rich, so it shouldn’t be eaten in large quantities.
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