White Chocolate - What it is and How to Make It

Some people assume that white chocolate is the same as the milk or dark variety but with the color removed. Actually, that could not be further from the truth. This tasty treat is made from sugar, milk solids, and cocoa butter. It has been around since World War I and it became popular in Europe immediately. It made its way to the United States within a year.

Today there are many brands of white chocolate to choose from. This wonderful creamy ingredient can be enjoyed alone or used to make all kinds of sweet recipes. It is very nice when used to make fluffy mousse with jello and there are quite a few jello recipes you can use this ingredient in, either as part of the dessert or as a dessert garnish.

White chocolate contains only a small amount of caffeine, which comes from the cocoa solids. The melting point of cocoa butter is high enough to keep the product solid when it is at room temperature but it is low enough to let your delicious confection melt in the mouth. This is one of the reasons why this food is so comforting. White chocolate is white because it contains cocoa butter instead of solids, but according to the US Food and Drug Administration, it is a form of chocolate nonetheless.

Using It for Baking

This ingredient can be hard to cook with because the cocoa butter can split when it melts and this gives you an oily compound. As soon as you introduce water to the melted product it goes grainy and lumpy, which means the cocoa butter has split. You need to "re-emulsify" it if this happens, which means whisking a little butter into the mixture.

You can buy this ingredient in small or big bricks. You can also get chips, which is easier if you want to work with small amounts, make equal sized portions, or use it as a garnish or decoration.

Recipe for White Chocolate

This is such an easy recipe and you only need five ingredients to make it. You might already have most of these ingredients. You can buy this type of chocolate in the grocery store, of course, but making your own is fun and easy, and it also works out more economical.

It is important not to move the tray when these little snacks are setting in the refrigerator. Try to leave them alone for five hours, as tempting as it is to steal one!

What you will need:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup cocoa butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon soy milk powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

How to make it:

Microwave the cocoa butter for a minute. It needs to melt completely without splitting. Stir in the sugar, then the soy milk powder, then the salt and finally the vanilla extract. The resulting mixture has to be smooth.

Divide it between small molds and tap them to make sure there are no air bubbles. Chill the molds in the refrigerator for five hours and try not to move the tray. Store the white chocolate in an airtight container.

If you enjoy making chocolate recipes, what about making some cake or cookies with jello? This versatile and fun ingredient can be used for making all kinds of delicious desserts including a simple no bake cheesecake.

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