Make chocolate chip cookie recipe more fascinating by adding Semisweet chocolate chips

Semisweet chocolate chips are the default mix-in for most chocolate chip cookie recipes. The majority of the recipes necessitate semisweet chocolate, as those are still the most common type of chocolate chip. All chocolate is made up of cocoa solids – cocoa butter and cocoa powder – and typically includes sugar, an emulsifier and vanilla. The range of sweetness in semisweet chocolates is huge. Semisweet chocolate generally means no more than 50% of the mass of the chocolate is sugar as opposed to “sweet” chocolates. The chips are essentially dark chocolate because they do not contain milk solids. Semisweet chocolates compared to “ultra-dark” chocolates are not naturally very sugary. 

However they are sweeter, not as strongly flavored and lack the bitter notes. The chocolate chips give a balanced flavor to most chocolate chip cookie recipes, adding just the right amount of sugariness and chocolate flavor. On the other hand, a darker chocolate, with more bitter cocoa notes than semisweet, will have a stronger presence in a cookie or cake and may overwhelm some of the subtle flavors in that recipe. Milk chocolate is typically much sweeter than either of these and can actually taste too sweet in a cookie or cake, as it does not add enough distinct chocolate flavors. In Canada, the legislation for cocoa and chocolate products is found in Division 4 of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), under the Food and Drugs Act (FDA).

 The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is in charge of the administration and enforcement of the FDR and FDA. It defines the percentage of butter, solid, fat etc for Canadian chocolates. The stated percentages applicable in Canada are-

Product Cocoa Butter Milk Solids Milk Fat Fat-Free Cocoa Solids Cocoa Solids Milk Chocolate ≥ 15% ≥ 12% ≥ 3.39% ≥ 2.5% ≥ 25% Sweet Chocolate ≥ 18% < 12% ≥ 12% ≥ 31% Chocolate, Bittersweet Chocolate, Semi-sweet Chocolate or Dark Chocolate ≥ 18% < 5% ≥ 14% ≥ 35% White Chocolate ≥ 20% ≤ 14% ≥ 3.5% Canada has not permitted the use of cocoa butter substitutes. Chocolate sold in Canada or Canada chocolate cannot contain vegetable fats or oil. The only sweetening agents permitted in chocolate in Canada are listed in Division 18 of the Food and Drug Regulations. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame, potassium and sugar alcohols (sorbitol, maltitol, etc.) are not permitted. 

Products manufactured or imported into Canada that contain non-permitted ingredients (vegetable fats or oils, artificial sweeteners) cannot legally be called “chocolate” when sold in Canada. A non-standardized name such as “candy” must be used for such purpose. Some of the best places to get Canadian chocolates are Purdy's (Vancouver), Sweet Lollapalooza (Edmonton), Chocolatier Constance Popp (Winnipeg) and Rheo Thompson (Stratford, Ont.). 

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