Description

Milk chocolate

Milk chocolate is distinguished from other chocolates by its unparalleled melting texture and amazing mellowness. It makes delectable concoctions that please individuals of all ages. This is where Valrhona tells you the last secret about milk chocolate.

In 1875, Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter created milk chocolate. It has now grown to become one of the most widely consumed kinds of chocolate worldwide. But what exactly is in this decadent, melting chocolate, and how does it get there?

Milk chocolate is created from cocoa and sugar, much as dark and white chocolate. Its main ingredients are combined with powdered milk, which sets it apart from dark chocolate.

At Valrhona, recipes are created by R&D engineers following a year or two of study, with input from our panel of sensory analysts. We now manufacture over a hundred various chocolate formulas, including milk, white, black, and even blond varieties. To bring forth the distinctive characteristics of each chocolate, its ingredients must be accurately measured.

Milk chocolate’s composition

The composition of chocolate and the names that it can be given are regulated in France and throughout Europe.

The following components are found in Valrhona milk chocolate:

The cocoa solids, which comprise cocoa butter and cocoa paste made from specific cocoa beans, account for a minimum of 30% of the final product’s milk powder, at least 18% of its fats (which include cocoa butter for fluidity), and, in different amounts, at least 25% of its sugar.
a tiny bit of pure vanilla extract to enhance the scents
Laws pertaining to chocolate allow for the addition of a natural emulsifier to enhance fluidity and provide a melting quality to the chocolate. Sunflower lecithin is what we utilise at Valrhona.

The right cocoa percentage for quality chocolate

Finding the cocoa percentage that will highlight the best aspects of the finished product is necessary while making chocolate. Carefully establishing a nuanced balance is necessary to bring out the distinctive qualities of one or more terroirs while revealing a particular olfactory profile.

The recipe, the manufacturing process, and the terroir of origin of the cocoa are all factors in a chocolate’s aromatic potency. Therefore, it is untrue to state that a chocolate with a higher cocoa % is inherently superior.

See our guide on various cocoa contents for a better understanding of what the cocoa content or % of chocolate bars signifies.

It may surprise you to learn that the caloric content of milk and dark chocolate is about equal (around 500 kcal per 100g). Dark chocolate has a higher fat content than milk chocolate because it contains more beans and cocoa butter. Milk chocolate is more sweet. Therefore, a chocolate is more calorific the higher its cocoa %. Because milk chocolate contains less fat than dark chocolate, it frequently has less calories.

How to use milk chocolate

Milk chocolate has a wide range of applications. Children and adults alike are drawn to the unmistakable sweet mellowness of couverture chocolate fèves, or what we at Valrhona call our chocolate drops, when it comes to creating intricate, delectable desserts. It may also be savoured as a chocolate bar for snacking.

Milk chocolate for tasting and snacking

You can have milk chocolate just the way it is, just like other chocolates. Experts in chocolate will inform you that exceptional milk chocolates exist, showcasing delicate yet intricate fragrances and tastes. While some adore dark chocolate, others prefer white chocolate… and a few of us adore the two!

Therefore, the simplest way to try good milk chocolate is to get it in the form of a bar, stick or square. Snap off a slice of Caramélia and let its soothing, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth feel enchant you!

Milk chocolate for pastry-making

Experts frequently utilise couverture chocolate while creating complex recipes. Due to its high cocoa butter level, this particular variety of chocolate can be easily coated for chocolate bonbons.

There are lots of recipes out there that call for milk chocolate. You can try a variety of recipes for cakes, biscuits, tarts, ganache, yule logs, and other treats.

Jivara 40% couverture chocolate will entice everyone who enjoys chocolate with a strong cocoa taste and faint overtones of malt and vanilla.

Blending flavors

You can experiment with adding other ingredients to milk chocolate for even more enjoyment or creativity.

Raspberry: This flavour is so unexpected! Like strawberries, it tastes tart to sweet depending on whether it’s eaten raw or cooked. It goes well with milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts and chocolate complement each other quite well. With their subtle grilled flavour, the nuts occasionally offer crunch and broaden the flavour profile.
In whatever form, caramel is a magical substance! Caramel also adds texture, whether it’s liquid, mushy, or crunchy. Its distinctively fragrant overtones enhance the decadent aspects of chocolate.
Vanilla: The subtlety and character strength of vanilla are comparable to those of chocolate. There are as many different types and soils of vanilla as there are smells, ranging from Tahitian to Bourbon.

What makes Valrhona’s milk chocolate different?

Valrhona chooses the best cocoa beans and is always expanding its knowledge of chocolate to provide outstanding, distinctive chocolates. First, our sourcing team meticulously chooses the cocoa beans based on their outstanding aromatics. Before being expertly mixed to produce one-of-a-kind chocolates with exceptional flavours, cocoa beans undergo specific critical stages in the producing process during which they fully develop their aromatic complexity.

Valrhona creates chocolate that is traceable, ethical, and comes from over 18,000 direct suppliers. We assist these producers in implementing ethical, environmental, and social policies. By selecting Valrhona products, you join a community of enthusiastic chocolate lovers and help to create a more sustainable cocoa sector.