If you plan to melt chocolate, it's best to buy it in bars. Chips contain less cocoa butter so that they can better hold their shape in cookies, but this makes them harder to melt and less tasty. It's easiest to melt chocolate in a microwave oven. Take it out of the microwave when the chocolate is almost completely melted, then continue stirring until the melting is complete. If you don't have a microwave, use a double boiler.
American cocoa See cocoa .
Many pastry chefs prefer bittersweet to semi-sweet or sweet chocolate, but the three can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Others use it as a healthy alternative to chocolate, since it contains less fat and no caffeine. Look for it in health food stores. Cocoa powder has more fat than carob powder, and some caffeine. Chocolate chips often have less cocoa butter than chocolate bars, which helps them retain their shape better when they're baked in the oven.