# Chocolate Chips for cookies



## chefy (Oct 31, 2009)

Hi

I'm trying to make soft rich chunky chocolate chip cookies. I don't have access to high quality chocolate chips, but I can get couverture chocolate (callebaut to be exact). I tried to substitute the chips with chopped up couverture, but it ended up destroying the texture. Does anyone have suggestions? 

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you guys!


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## chris.lawrence (Oct 19, 2009)

Couverture chocolate is too fatty (contains too much cocoa butter) for baking as chips... if you don't have access to good chocolate chips, can't you just get some half-decent dark-chocolate (the darker the better) and bash it into pieces?


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## chefy (Oct 31, 2009)

Thanks Chris. When you say half-decent dark-chocolate, are you referring to regular eating chocolate bars? I still have LOTS of couverture chocolate left and would really like to use it. I read something about tempering, if I temper my couverture, will it work better in my recipe?


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## chris.lawrence (Oct 19, 2009)

I'm don't think so chefy, the difference between couverture chocolate and baking chocolate is the fat content (defined by the amount of cocoa butter), the higher the fat, the more to interfere with the batter/dough of your cookies. 
Bitter-sweet regular dark chocolate isn't terrible for baking... and I doubt you would notice the difference between a dark-chocolate eating bar and baking chocolate chips/bars in your cookies... if you're unable to get baking chocolate give regular dark chocolate a try.


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## chefy (Oct 31, 2009)

Thanks Chris! I'll give regular chocolate a try


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## bekazu (Sep 22, 2009)

Why not impress everyone with you know with truffles for the holidays. Melt together equal parts cream and the callebaut chocolate, let it firm up in the fridge then scoop or roll into balls. I've dipped mine in chocolate, rolled them in crushed coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles you name it.
Flavor the melted chocolate with liquers, fruit puree or extracts.
Easy to make although they do take a little time.


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

Do any of you know a better way to bash dark chocolate into chips than using the back of a rolling pin? it's not working out too evenly, i am doing a trial run of a cookie recipe my friend Kirsty gave me to see how it goes and i am putting the chocolate in it too as i think it will be a bit plane with nothing in it, i do have a mini food processor but i'm not sure how the blades will take it really as you have to keep the chocolate cold to make it into chips and it's a rather powerful little processor too but the price i got it at, asda's mini processor is great, does it in seconds but i think probably only with softer things like herbs, onions and for making sauces etc... . I also have a chef knife and the knives are very sharp in there but i think it would be hard to cut them really, any ideas?.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Stack the bars on a cutting board and use a fork to break it up, then if you need to, use a sharp knife to finish the job.

Work fast 'cuz melting choco is hard to work with.

What 'cha making?

mimi

* Hold the fork like a pitchfork and stab away.

m.


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

Cookies(christmas ones from cutters and round ones), but they sadly failed because of our oven, my uncle built in a really cheap one so probs gonna have to find a different recipe that works better in it, glad i did a trial of it because it would of messed up when i do them on christmas eve. You can only light it on one side, ether the bottom or the top, can't have both on and can't change the temperature ether it's just one of those 1 temperature ones, i don't like how people do recipes though, when it comes to sweetness they don't really get that part right as they tell you to add like 135 grams or more of sugar when you don't need that much at all, it's far too sweet espcially when your using vanilla extract and choc chips in it, it's the same with icing sugar it's just really really over sweet, all you need is like 65 grams really just to cover the dough taste. Our oven does do the cookies in the middle right though, i'm gonna use our little oven to bake them next time that we toast in as it heats up on the top and bottom, can bake in there also. What cookie recipes do you suggest?.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Freeze a while then put in clean kitchen towel and hit with a mallet or frying pan till you get sizes you want.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Google no bake cookies.

Usually has you melt the fats on stove top and then add in things like cookie crumbs, dried fruit, uncooked oatmeal, then drop from spoon or pat into a pan.

Great fun for the kids and if you just want something sweet it can really hit the mark.

Almost finished with the candy making and start making cookie dough tomorrow.

Plan to make shortbread cut outs and pre-bake.

The kids aren't so patient with that part, so I pack the naked cookies up with tons of candies and my cookie piping tools and paste colors.

Best part is that the real mess is at my daughter's home, lolol.

Merry Christmas!

mimi


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

I can't shape no bake ones though, i think i will try short bread cut outs instead i think those will do better in our oven, the recipe my friend gave me is more like sugar cookies as your supposed to add in icing sugar to the dough but i just added in normal sugar but they just too thick cookies for our oven they only like bake the tops instead of the insides but short bread is a more dry biscuite so they should do a lot better than moist dough, made a really good dough as well lol shame really, even added in cherries. Merry christmas to you too


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I would def get the oven looked at before wasting any more $ on ingredients.

Maybe a friend will let you borrow hers?

Another idea is to ask one of the store bakeries if they will sell you some that are undecorated if you are just feeling the holiday baking urge.

mimi


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

It's not any fun if i can't make it myself, I've figured out a solution, since the oven only cooks 1 side at a time we can bake from the bottom for 5 minutes then turn on the top and cook the top half for 10 minutes, the top takes a bit longer to cook then the bottom and then switch it back around again till it's done, that's the only way you can do it with those ovens as both sides don't bake them or you can just bake the bottom till it looks done since the heat at the bottom is hotter and then just turn on the top till the top and the inside is done, in proper cookers both lights come on for an even bake. Since it's 1 temperature too it dries them out a bit sadly but it still tastes good.  I think i made the cookies too thick as well, i used the other half of the dough last night and made round ones instead but again made them too thick so now they look like cookie cakes lol, so for sure shortbread is the way to go in our oven, they did a lot better in our mini cooker.


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## wizarddrummer (Dec 26, 2012)

emmbai90 said:


> Do any of you know a better way to bash dark chocolate into chips than using the back of a rolling pin? it's not working out too evenly, i am doing a trial run of a cookie recipe my friend Kirsty gave me to see how it goes and i am putting the chocolate in it too as i think it will be a bit plane with nothing in it, i do have a mini food processor but i'm not sure how the blades will take it really as you have to keep the chocolate cold to make it into chips and it's a rather powerful little processor too but the price i got it at, asda's mini processor is great, does it in seconds but i think probably only with softer things like herbs, onions and for making sauces etc... . I also have a chef knife and the knives are very sharp in there but i think it would be hard to cut them really, any ideas?.


Personally I like the rugged, non uniform aspect of bashing the chocolate; it makes the cookies and other things a little more rustic.

If you want smaller pieces put the chocolate in the frig for a little while and pulse with a decent Food processor. I'm saving up for a Blendtec blender.

I figure any blender that can pulverize marbles, eat garden hoses, chop cell phones, plungers, a Rubik's cube, a can of pork and beans and much more will take anything I can throw at it including chocolate.


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

Yeh i did it with my processor but bashed it a little bit first with the rolling pin and it worked really well although because it's powerful a few pieces went into crumbs lmao but most pieces were fine, cookies still didn't turn out great though, our oven really sucks.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

Let's revisit the description of your oven.

You are aware that you don't need the broil option when baking, right?

Just light the bottom and stick an oven thermometer in there.

Most cookies are baked at 350 degrees.

Adjust the heat up or down to maintain your recipe's suggested temp with what is showing on the thermometer.

So light the bottom burner, preheat to your desired temp by turning burner up or down, stuff the pan in and don't open the door again until the proper amt of time has passed.

Keep a close eye on the clock until you and your oven become friends and you learn the exact time to check/pull the product.

Why have you not talked with your pastry instructor about your problem.

Maybe he/she will come 'round and have a look.

mimi

# stop wasting ingredients...if your money is burning a hole in your pocket go donate it to a charity of your choice.

m.


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## emmbai90 (Sep 13, 2012)

Can't change temperature on our oven as it's just 1 temperature which i don't know what temperature it's even at really lol we moved in here with it just here as it's my uncles place he rents out, we just just turn the knob with the gas button pressed and it comes on, no other temperature settings, i know sucks lol.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

This a new one for me.
Would'ya mind posting the brand (link would be even better).
I have a burning desire to see what the worlds most useless oven looks like


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## providence (Jan 12, 2013)

Does anyone know the Iraqi name of a dish we called '"Lady Fingers". The Iraqi name was the same as the under arm of a woman's upper arm, something considered very sexy in the Mideast. I would like to know where to get them in Chicago or how to make them. They were from heaven.


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