How to Use Bake Stable Chocolate in the Kitchen

Have you ever wondered how chocolate chips can keep their shape after they’re baked in the oven?

This is because chocolate chips are a type of bake stable chocolate. It’s important to choose this type of chocolate when you need to bake it, whether as a filling or a topping. Because among other things, bake stable chocolate has the ability to hold its shape so that your baked creation comes out looking nice and attractive.

If you want to know what other advantages you can get from bake stable chocolate, and how you can use bake stable chocolate properly in the kitchen, then by all means, continue reading this article.

What Is Bake Stable Chocolate?

First of all, what does bake stable chocolate actually mean?

Technically speaking, 'bake stable' means that a product is able to withstand the heat emerging along with the dough during the baking process. Bake stable products like chocolate chips and chocolate batons can survive the process of baking, even if the temperature goes up to 200 degrees Celsius.

So what makes chocolate chips and other products bake stable? 

This is due to the lower amount of cocoa butter present in the product. With less cocoa butter than normal, the resulting melted chocolate is more viscous. Therefore, it doesn’t flow or leak out as much, and they hold their shape better.

What Bake Stable Chocolate Products Are There?

Bake stable chocolate comes in different forms and shapes. They are usually used as inclusion or topping. Here are the most commonly known type of products:

1. Chocolate Chips

When you hear the word “bake stable chocolate”, this is probably the first product that comes to mind. From cookies to ice cream, chocolate chips are a versatile topping that you can use for hot and cold foods and beverages. It usually comes in a distinct peaked dome shape.

The Embassy Torres Dark Chocolate Chips 51% is a perfect example of how a chocolate chip should be. It has an intense but well-balanced bittersweet chocolate flavor, a wonderful aroma, and provides a pleasant chocolate bite to your creations.

2. Chocolate Chunks

Chocolate chunks are similar to chocolate chips, but they’re different. Instead of a dome shape, chocolate chunks come in cubes and are generally larger than your average chocolate chips. Used as a topping for baked creations, chocolate chunks give a different indulgent experience.

3. Chocolate Batons

Sometimes also called chocolate sticks, chocolate batons have a thin and long shape that is very convenient for inserting into viennoiserie like pain au chocolat and croissants. You can also break it into smaller pieces to use as a topping for cookies.

The Embassy Rainforest Dark Chocolate Baton 52% is one of the best-selling items for bakeries. It retains its aroma and shape when inserted into pastries that go in the oven, and provides a rich chocolate experience for a variety of gourmet viennoiserie applications, ranging from sweetbreads, croissants, pain au chocolat, pastry fillings, to Danish treats.

3 Advantages of Using Bake Stable Chocolate 

When you are looking to bake cookies or viennoiserie with chocolate filling or topping, bake stable chocolate is your best option. Here are some advantages of bake stable chocolate you don’t want to miss out on:

1. It retains its shape

While regular chocolate will totally melt or leak out of the baked product when baked in the oven, bake stable chocolate are able to retain its shape. It will still melt, but like what you see in chocolate chip cookies, the chips will still have their peaked dome shape. 

2. It doesn’t lose its flavor

Besides holding its shape, bake stable chocolate also doesn’t lose its flavor after baking. You might even say it’s even more delicious because of the lovely aroma it lets out after it’s brought out of the oven!

3. It doesn’t burn or overcook

Burnt chocolate is probably on the list of a baker’s top 5 nightmares. It gives an unpleasant taste, and it’s very difficult to “fix” burnt chocolate. Thankfully, bake stable chocolate is strong enough to survive high baking temperatures.

5 Tips for Using Bake Stable Chocolate in the Kitchen

To get the best out of bake stable chocolate, make sure to follow these tips:

1. Store in a cool, dry place

Although bake stable products can withstand high temperatures, you still need to store it at the right conditions to make sure it lasts as long as it can.

By now, you would know that chocolate can absorb odor from its surroundings, and moisture can cause chocolate to bloom. Therefore, store bake stable chocolate in a cool, dry place. Also make sure to keep it away from foods and other items with a strong odor.

2. Use as intended

As we understand by now, bake stable chocolate is made specifically for baking. However, it may not work that well for other purposes. 

Some blogs mention that you can use chocolate chips to make chocolate fillings and ganache. This is not the best way of using bake stable chocolate. Its high viscosity is great for holding its shape, but not so much for applications like ganache or filling. 

Bake stable chocolate chips are difficult to melt, and the probability of it not melting evenly and getting burnt is pretty high. Therefore, it is better to use bake stable chocolate as intended, that is, for baking.

3. Incorporate at the end of kneading

If you want to make chocolate chip cookies, or incorporate chocolate chips into a dough, we advise you to add the chips at the end of the kneading process. This ensures that the chips will have the best shape when it comes out of the oven.

4. Pay attention to the temperature for topping

Even though they are bake stable, you still need to pay attention to the temperature if you want to use it as a topping for cakes and other baked goods. Because it is directly exposed to the oven heat, there is a possibility that it will caramelize. Therefore, if you are using bake stable chocolate as a topping, it is best to keep the temperature at 180 degrees Celsius.

5. Use the best product for the best result

Not all bake stable chocolate is created equal. Lower quality chocolate do not hold their shape as well, and are usually loaded with sugar to make the product more bake stable, sacrificing its taste.

For premium quality bake stable chocolate chips, opt for Embassy Torres Dark Chocolate Chips 51%. For chocolate batons, Embassy Rainforest Dark Chocolate Batons 52% is your best choice. They both have an intense but well-balanced chocolate flavor and hold their shape well when baking, as what you would expect from bake stable chocolate.