Hello,
I was just wondering when your recipe calls for semisweet and bittersweet chocolates, which ranges of cacao percentages do you typically recommend? I tend to think bittersweet is between 70% and 80%...but as you know, these terms are not regulated so I thought I ask what Milk Street uses. I'm planning on making the bete noire this weekend--I just love making your desserts. Thank you!
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COMMENTS
Wes MartinMilk Street Staff
March 18, 2020
For our Bete Noir, we chose bittersweet chocolate with 70 percent cocoa content, and the semisweet we used contained 60 percent. Because there were other bitter notes in the syrup from the orange zest, pepper corns, and actual cocktail bitters, using all bittersweet or a higher percentage of cocoa solids would have made the finished torte too cloying. Darker chocolate would have overpowered the subtle orange, black pepper, and cardamom flavors of the finished dessert.
Wes Martin, Kitchen Director
