A Tale of Two Cocoas

Cocoa powder shouldn’t be considered second best to dark chocolate when you are thinking of creating a rich chocolate dessert. In fact, cocoa is often the better choice due to its intense, concentrated flavor.

There are two types of cocoa powder widely available to bakers today: natural and Dutch-processed, or alkalized, cocoa. Although different, they both deserve a place on your pantry shelves. More and more chocolate manufacturers are adding cocoa powders to their list of chocolate products. Hershey’s, Bensdorp, Droste, Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, Callebaut, and Merckens are all fine choices.