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I could be wrong, but I have the feeling that after baking chocolate chip cookies, the chocolate chips are still melted; or at least a lot softer than before you bake the cookies.

It's logical that the chips melt, when they are in the oven, and even half an hour later. But why are they still softer the day after? What's the explanation behind this? It's as if the melting point has lowered.

Or am I imagining things?

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4 Answers 4

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Chocolate is in is most essential form made up of cocoa butter and cocoa solids. The chocolate you buy is tempered, the crystals in the cocoa butter are aligned and properly formed, this is what keeps it shiny and gives it a snap.

When the chocolate melts, without tempering, in the cookie the crystals in the cocoa butter melt but do not form properly again, this means the chocolate becomes soft, dull and 'blooms' fat which is where the cocoa butter rises to the surfaces forming a white layer (this will disappear upon melting).

Also in a cookie there will be a high proportion of fat and when the chocolate melts it combines with the fats (in the butter) and will create essentially pockets of chocolate glaze, which obviously doesn't set hard.

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    hi @Sebiddychef, you might've noticed that I edited some posts of yours. I just deleted the 'I hope this helps!' statement. According to the FAQ (cooking.stackexchange.com/faq#signatures), signatures are not allowed. Although this isn't of course a real signature, I would kindly ask you to not put it anymore at the end of your answers. Other than that, you're doing a great job at this site!
    – Mien
    Feb 8, 2012 at 22:25
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During baking, all of the nice "tempered" crystals that come in the chocolate chips are melted out. The chocolate loses its temper, if you will. When the chocolate solidifies again, it does so with different crystals that result in a softer chocolate with a lower melting point.

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Its because chocolate chips aren't just chocolate. They have additives in them for this purpose. Its the same reason you don't want to use them for tempered chocolate.

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    I rarely use real chocolate chips. I mostly use chocolate that I chop myself and I have the same phenomenon.
    – Mien
    Feb 8, 2012 at 18:08
  • @Mien - then its definitely also the crystal structure as KatieK points out.
    – rfusca
    Feb 8, 2012 at 18:13
  • It depends on the brand of chocolate chip--some, have substituted fats, emulsifiers, or other ingredients not found in proper true chocolate, as you say; others are in fact real chocolate shaped into chip or drop forms.
    – SAJ14SAJ
    Jan 24, 2013 at 12:08
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Are you using real baking chocolate chips. It sounds like you are using regular chocolate?

Chocolate chips are not usually normal chocolate, they have low level of cocoa butter, and have other fats and additives to ensure they hold their shape while being baked. They do not therefore respond to normal chocolate tempering, and stay firm after baking

Regular chocolate will stay soft after being baked because it has lost it's tempering. Only use this if you want it to stay soft

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