Chocolate Chips Are Sweet Little Drops of Goodness

The chocolate chip is not really a chip at all, but a drop. The first chocolate chips were if fact chips and they came from a chocolate bar. The first chocolate chip cookies were made around 1930 at a place called the Toll House Inn. Nestle later bought the rights to the recipe and Toll House cookies were born.

Since then companies have begun to manufacture their own chocolate chunks, but they had found out that making chocolate bars just to chip up was time consuming. They have perfected a way to make little drops that withstood a higher heat and could retain their shape. These could be used in cookies and muffins, when the desired effect is chocolate spots in stead of chocolate throughout.

These little drops are used in nearly everything today. You can get them in pancakes, hot cereals, peanut butter sandwiches, muffins, and of course cookies. You can imagine your own recipe to incorporate them into and surprise your family.

Shopping for chocolate chips can be a bit daunting for novices, if you're wondering what the differences in chocolates are, here's a little guide:

Bitter AKA Unsweetened Chocolate Chips
Bitter chocolate is most often in block form, but I have on rare occasion seen unsweetened chocolate chips. These are best used for baking with and many recipes will call for unsweetened chocolate.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
This is dark chocolate combined with chocolate liquor. To be classified as bittersweet, it must contain at least 35% chocolate liquor, however bittersweet chocolate generally has a 50/50 mix.

Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
This type of chocolate is made by combining liquid chocolate with sweeteners and extra cocoa butter. It usually contains 15% chocolate liquor and may also contain flavorings.

Milk Chocolate Chips
This chocolate also contains chocolate liquid, some form of sweetener, flavorings such as vanilla, and extra cocoa butter, but it also contains milk or cream making it extra smooth. Its smoothness and sweetness makes this type of chocolate a popular choice for eating by itself, most American candies and candy bars are milk chocolate, while Europeans prefer dark chocolate, which does not contain milk or cream.

For more related information:

Chocolate | Candy | Bubble Gum