04/30/2010

Stacey from Woodland, CA

To My Fellow Choc-a-holics out there: After shedding a tear over the no-longer availability of the extra dark cocoa king, Schokinag, I tried this Black Cocoa and all is right in my Chocolate Universe again! For the Friday Night, Hard-Core Caffeine Freaks out there, this is for you: Add 1 teaspoon of this Black Cocoa -- (aka "Black Gold, I like to call it) -- to 2 heaping teaspoons of any other regular unsweetened cocoa, 2-3 teaspoons Sugar in the Raw (adjust sweetness to your own taste) and mix with 2 teaspoons water to a liquidy paste.... (You MUST mix this into a liquidy paste BEFORE adding espresso to it or it won't dissolve and mix properly) THEN pour freshly brewed espresso into your chocolate mixture!!!! I use an inexpensive on-top-of-the stove Bialetti espresso maker, makes about 1.5 cups of espresso and I use "Pete's Coffee, Arabian Mocha-Java Ground" for the BEST RESULT EVER!! You won't sleep for days, but it'll be tasty! P.S. Looking for the ultimate chocolate bar out there? Try this brand: Alter Eco Fair Trade's "Dark Chocolate Almond" harvested in Bolivia and made in Switzerland, so it's smoooooth and oh-so-rich cocoa flavor! Hard to find but worth the effort. Look for them online to find out what grocery stores nearest you carries their line.... Cheerio!

04/26/2010

Margaret from Elk River

My new secret ingredient!

04/13/2010

Leslie from Morrisville, Pa

I have been using this cocoa for years. I love the richness it brings out in the cake recipes I use. My niece requests a cake I make with the black cocoa. It has inspired me to give her a bag of it & the dutch processed cocoa along with family recipes as a graduation gift from Grad. school.

03/02/2010

LF from CA

I used this for the first time for the guaranteed fudge brownies recipe. I must say - wow! I highly recommend this product to enhance chocolate flavor. I used 2 tbsp of this - and added the remaining volume of cocoa it asked for.

03/01/2010

undaunted from nashville

It would be helpful to this novice to know whether this black cocoa is unsweetened. And if so, how to adjust a recipe that calls for regular sweet cocoa.
Hello - This cocoa is unsweetened. We do not recommend using it alone as the flavor will be too overpowering. For best results, use in conjunction with another cocoa (sweetened or unsweetened). Please call our Bakers' Hotline, 1-800-827-6836 or send us an email at customercare@kingarthurflour.com for any further questions. Elisabeth @ KAF

02/24/2010

teegr from Pacific NW

Absolutely love this black cocoa in my black rye bread. I would suggest everyone to NOT do as I did and put the black cocoa in a canister without marking it as a "dutch" processed cocoa. I learned this on one of the busiest day of the year...my son's BD. I planned to use this black cocoa and went to the KA All Purpose Cookbook for a chocolate cake. That recipe made it clear one should use "Natural" cocoa...not Dutched. What to do? What to do? I didn't mark the cannister when I got the black cocoa...and even if I had left it in it's orginial bag I am not sure if it said it was a Dutch or Natural. All I can say is when a person is short on time and only had black cocoa and a little old cocoa...again, not sure was it Dutch or Natural. *sigh* Since I have once in my 20's accused of greasing my cake pans with a bar of lye soap I was especially worried after reading in the KA book the reason a person might have a soapy tasting cake was because of the acid of natural cocoa vs the alkaline of the dutch. ANYWAYS>>>make sure you label this cocoa (and any other) as to whether it is a dutch or natural cocoa and avoid my panic on a busy birthday. I'm not sure if the labeling said that a person should use with either dutch or natural cocoa...but I *think* had I seen that I would have been very careful to put that fact on the canister. In case your wondering...I ended up NOT using the black cocoa in my son's BD cake...I ran to the store and looked for the "natural" cocoa the recipe indicated. It only took 3 stores to look for "natural" cocoa since the first 2 stores has "European" cocoa which was a combination of natural and dutch, which ended up confusing me even more. LOL!
I'm glad your cake didn't end in disaster! The back of the package does say this is a dutch cocoa. We recommend adding 2 tablespoons to your regular cocoa, either dutched or natural, to strengthen and deepen the flavor and that amount won't react with the baking soda in a recipe, giving that soapy taste. If you had other questions, give us a call at the Baker's Hotline and we'll be happy to help. Molly @ KAF

01/25/2010

Jeannette from Houston, TX

This cocoa powder was a gift from a fellow blogger friend and my, was it a welcome one! I eased myself into using this by starting out at swapping 1 TBSP and then working my way up. The flavor is PHENOMENAL!! If you are not a lover of the true, unadultered flavor of chocolate, this isn't for you. It gives your chocolate goods a beautiful deliciously dark color and depth of flavor that doesn't come from other cocoa powders. I'd give it an extra star if I could ;)

01/10/2010

Courtney from Chicago

I substituted 1/4 cup of this cocoa for dutch cocoa in my brownies and cakes, what a difference! Everyone who enjoyed them couldn't believe the flavor profile and asked specifically, 'what did you use'? If you, and those you serve, are serious about chocolate you cannot be without this product. High end flavor, taste, color...fantastic!

12/29/2009

Tuwanna from DFW, TX

This has become my "go to" cocoa for all my chocolate recipes. I can't live without it! It makes the best chocolate brownies. I will even put a couple of tablespoons in dry cake mixes (chocolate of course) to give them more of a chocolatey umph!

10/21/2009

Sandra K from Santa Rosa, CA

I cannot keep enough of this in my pantry. I put it into every chocolate recipe I make. It not only darkens the chocolate baked goods, but adds depth to the flavor. I can't bake without it!