White Chocolate - it’s not just for kids in cowboy hats!

Lots of us have fond memories of eating Milkybars as children yet, as adults, we often turn up our noses at ‘sickly sweet’ white chocolate. We’re grown-ups now — we eat ‘proper’ chocolate. In fact, white chocolate has been almost demonised and dismissed as lacking in flavour complexity. Some even say it isn’t chocolate at all. ‘Real’ chocolate lovers must only eat dark chocolate — anything else is unworthy of attention. White chocolate is looked down upon as only being fit for baking and frosting. It’s also considered to be ‘unhealthy’. So, is any of this actually true? Let’s find out a little more and bust some myths…

White Chocolate Isn’t Really Chocolate

People assume white chocolate isn’t really chocolate because it does not contain any actual cocoa mass. Sorry to disappoint the haters but, yes, it is! Both EU and US standards state that white chocolate is chocolate if it contains a minimum of 20% cocoa butter and not less than 14% dry milk solids. So there!

White Chocolate Isn’t Healthy

We’re used to hearing about the health benefits of dark chocolate but white chocolate is treated in the same way as cheap ‘candy’. While it’s true that it contains sugar and saturated fats, that doesn’t necessarily make it the work of the devil. Good quality white chocolate contains cocoa butter rather than cheap substitute fats although the evidence that cocoa butter has cardiovascular and other health benefits is mixed. There is naturally occurring calcium in the dairy products in white chocolate and, as it contains only traces of theobromine and virtually no caffeine, it’s a better choice for anyone needing to avoid alkaloids for dietary reasons, or anyone who wants to avoid stimulants.

Can Dogs Eat White Chocolate?

Another widely held belief is that white chocolate is harmful to dogs. Because it contains only negligible amounts of theobromine, white chocolate is highly unlikely to cause chocolate poisoning. However, its high fat and sugar content means it still isn’t a suitable treat and can cause stomach upsets if eaten in quantity.

Who Invented White Chocolate?

The first chocolate bar was dark chocolate and was invented in 1847 by the Fry Brothers in Bristol. I know, everyone assumes it was Cadbury. The first milk chocolate was successfully made in 1875 by Swiss manufacturer Daniel Peter. People had been trying to make milk chocolate with milk or cream unsuccessfully for years. Finally, Daniel Peter hit on the brilliant idea of using condensed milk, supplied by Peter’s neighbour — none other than Henri Nestlé.

White chocolate didn’t come along until the 20th century and the details of its invention are not definitively known. Nestlé launched Milkybar in the UK and Switzerland in 1936, where it was known as Galak on the continent. Nestlé credits it as the first commercial white chocolate. Apparently, it came about when cocoa butter was added to Nestrovit, a vitamin-enriched condensed-milk product for children, in an attempt to turn it into a solid tablet. White chocolate was the unexpected result.

What About The Flavour?

Well, it’s just creamy, sweet and sickly isn’t it? No, no, no! Any white chocolate lover will tell you that, in high-quality white chocolate, the cocoa butter has subtle floral and vanilla flavours, while the different dairy ingredients give the chocolate creamy, buttery and yoghurty hints, which you are unlikely to find in other types of chocolate.

I make a few different white chocolate truffles. One of the most popular is Guinevere, which is made with Limoncello. The sharp lemon liqueur and fresh lemon juice and zest are perfectly balanced by the sweet creaminess of the fine Belgian white chocolate it’s blended with. The finish of chopped hazelnuts adds another flavour note. This truffle just wouldn’t be as good made with milk or dark chocolate.

There is no doubt that some flavours just work better with white chocolate. Florals and botanicals are particularly good. Peanut butter is another ingredient that achieves its full potential when blended with white chocolate. I’ve made peanut butter truffles with dark and milk chocolate and they taste delicious but white chocolate takes it to another level. Sweet and salty, creamy and nutty — divine!

Have I convinced you that it’s time to stop thinking of white chocolate as the poor relation of the chocolate world? It may not have the intensity of dark chocolate, but good quality white chocolate has plenty of character of its own and, paired with the right flavours, can be every bit as interesting.

Maybe the Milkybar Kid was onto something after all.

Want to read more about the fascinating history of Milkybar? Clicking here