Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Hello, I'd like to make the oeey-gooey brownies (page 126) from the vegan diner cookbook. the recipe calls for 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder and I'm wondering if I can use my Natural Unsweetened Hershey's Cocoa (bought in the baking aisle).

Off to do some googling but hopefully someone can help!

edited to add: found this on the hershey's website... bummer..... not sure if I can use the kind of have for this recipe.

Q. Is HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK cocoa (dutched) the same as your regular HERSHEY'S Cocoa?
A. No. Dutch processed cocoa has an alkalizing agent similar to baking soda added to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa. It has a more mellow flavor and a darker color.

and the all-knowing wiki answers says this....
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_Hershey's ... cess_Cocoa

As long as it's cocoa powder, it'll work fine.

My understanding is that it's usually OK (but not always ideal) to use them interchangeably. The one exception is in recipes that call for natural cocoa + baking soda, it would be a bad thing to sub dutch cocoa in there because you'd screw up the leavening (acidic natural cocoa + baking soda = gas bubbles that provide leavening). Dutch cocoa won't react with baking soda since its acidity has been neutralized.

If you really need this recipe to work perfectly though, it might be worth it to get some dutch cocoa. Dutch and natural cocoa taste a bit different when you bake with them.

I use regular cocoa powder in those brownies.

agreed, i made the choc chip cookies instead ;) and will look for dutch cocoa next time i'm at the store.....