I baked some cookies this morning from a recipe that called for 'Dutch Process cocoa'. Not having any idea if what I had (Hershey's) was, I used it. They turned out okay, leading me to wonder what the different was.
From, of all places, a site dedicated to labor law: (reformatted slightly)
Cocoa powder:
There are two types of unsweetened baking cocoa available: natural cocoa (like the sort produced by Hershey's and Nestle) and Dutch-process cocoa (such as the Hershey's European Style Cocoa and the Droste brand). Both are made by pulverizing, partially defatted chocolate liquor (unsweetened chocolate) removing nearly all their cocoa butter. Natural cocoa is light in color and somewhat acidic with a strong chocolate flavor.
In baking use natural cocoa in recipes which call for baking soda (because it's an alkali). Combining the two creates a leavening action that allows the batter to rise during baking.
Dutch-process cocoa has been processed with alkali to neutralize its natural acidity so it's darker often with a reddish cast. Dutch cocoa is slightly milder in taste and deeper in color than natural cocoa. Use Dutch cocoa in recipes that call for baking powder as its leavener.
Canny folks, those labor law people.
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