Cocoa Powder
When we want big chocolate flavor, we often turn to cocoa powder; it has a higher proportion of flavorful cocoa solids than any other form of chocolate (including unsweetened chocolate) so ounce for ounce, it tastes more intensely chocolaty. It's made in two styles: Dutch-processed and natural.
Dutched vs Natural
In a process developed in the 19th century by Dutch chemist and chocolatier Conrad Van Houten, cocoa powder is Dutched when an alkalizing agent is added to it. This optional step darkens the powder's color and mellows its astringent notes, as chocolate is naturally acidic. Dutching raises the chocolate's pH from 5 to about 7.
Natural cocoa powders often produce taller, airier, and crumblier cookies and cakes, while most Dutched powders produce baked goods that don't rise quite as tall. This makes sense: Baking soda is a common ingredient in baked goods. The acidity level of a cocoa affects how it interacts with the baking soda; in general, less-acidic Dutched powders produce fudgier, moister desserts. If our recipe calls for “unsweetened cocoa powder,” it will work with either Dutched or natural powders.
The Role of Fat in Cocoa
Fat is an important variable in cocoa powder. When chocolate liquor is pressed before being dried and turned to powder, some cocoa butter remains with the solids. The less fat a cocoa powder has, the more starch it contains. These starches are very absorbent so lower-fat cocoa powders result in drier, crumblier cakes and cookies. We prefer cocoa powders with at least 20 percent fat for cookies and cakes that bake up moist and tender.
Black Cocoa Powder
For chocolate sandwich cookies with the authentic color of the commercial version and big chocolate flavor, we use black cocoa powder. Black cocoa has been heavily Dutched, which causes the color to darken even more.
