Hi. I was wondering if it's okay to use compound chocolates for mousses and mirror glazes. I'm experimenting on some entremets and I want to know if compound chocolates are good or I really do need to shell out money for good quality couverture chocolates.
You can substitute. But keep in mind that quality of ingredients affects end product texture, color, taste. Also experimenting with cheap products means you adjust you recipe to performance of that ingredient. When you make the switch to a higher quality product, you will probably have to adjust your recipe again.
Couverture chocolate is made with a minimum of 35% solid cocoa mass (if it's European dark) and 31% cocoa butter (again European standards law). The high percentage of cocoa mass produces a rich chocolate flavor, and high percentage of cocoa butter produces a
consistent, smooth and creamy melt-in the mouthfeel.
Compound chocolate does nobitterness solid cocoa mass or cocoa butter It contains cocoa powder and oil. Cocoa powder is made from the leftover cocoa bean after the cocoa butter has been extracted. So any product made with compound chocolate will be dense and heavier with waxy/greasy mouthfeel compared to couverture chocolate. And it will not have the rich chocolate flavor.
Compound chocolate does not perform like couverture chocolate. Where couverture chocolate can be re-tempered multiple times. Compound chocolate is very heat sensitive. Even if slightly over heated once it will seize.
Chocolate mirror glaze doesn't require chocolate. It's made with cocoa powder. So the Hershey’s or whatever inexpensive brands you want to experiment with is fine.
