An unsweetened chocolate gives the best results for cooking purposes.

Chocolate may become rancid if kept too long because of the large amount of fat present. Moisture and heat must be excluded from both chocolate and cocoa in order to keep them in good condition. It is well to keep chocolate in a tightly covered tin box.

The purpose of cooking chocolate and cocoa is to develop flavor, to cook the starch, and to combine with other food materials as a flavor. For cooking purposes unsweetened chocolate gives the best results. When cakes rich in chocolate are baked some soda is required because of the presence of fatty acids in the chocolate.

Heat readily reduces chocolate to a smooth paste which burns easily; therefore chocolate should be cooked at a moderate temperature.

Both chocolate and cocoa should be combined with sugar and a small amount of the liquid and cooked to a smooth paste before adding the full quantity of liquid.

Chocolate should be cooked only a short time in order to avoid the separation of the fat.

Cocoa should be cooked half an hour in order to cook the starch thoroughly and to develop flavor.

Water can always be substituted for milk in the recipes and the result will still be good though the beverage will not be so rich. For a richer beverage cream may be added.

Both condensed and evaporated milk give excellent results with chocolate and cocoa and may entirely replace sweet milk. If the condensed milk is used, sugar need not be added.

The process of "milling" or whipping is necessary after cooking chocolate or cocoa in order to avoid formation of the albuminous skin over the beverage.

Chocolate and cocoa are served plain or with cream. The cream may be plain or whipped and the whipped cream may be sweetened or unsweetened. Sometimes the well-beaten white of an egg is added to the whipped cream to increase its volume.

Chocolate

1 qt. milk or

1 qt. milk and water

2 oz. chocolate. 1/3 cup sugar

Melt the chocolate over hot water, add the sugar and then, the hot liquid slowly; boil 5 minutes directly over the heat, beat well and serve. A richer beverage may be made by using 3 ounces of chocolate. Serves 8 to 10.

Cocoa

1/4 cup cocoa 1/4 cup sugar

l cup water 3 cups milk

Mix the cocoa and sugar with the water and boil 10 minutes; stir into the hot milk and then cook in double boiler 1/2 hour. Serves 8 to 10.