Using Fox's Dark Chocolate Chunkie Cookies' ingredients as an example, per https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=273949462,
Dark Chocolate Chunks (28%)
refers to the weight before the baking, or is it the weight after the baking?
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1It's probably within the tolerance to which these things are measured (in this case, maybe less so for soemthing subject to more evaporation). It's an interesting question, but why does it matter to you?– Chris HApr 30, 2018 at 14:35
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2In a packaged product I am pretty sure the weight of the components needs to add up to the weight of the package. I guess it could vary by jurisdiction.– paparazzoApr 30, 2018 at 15:30
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I'm sure @paparazzo is right, but when the weight of only one ingredient is expressed as a percentage we still can't know– Chris HApr 30, 2018 at 19:42
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The percentage does not have to be on there, unless it is claiming to be in a certain category, like 'low fat' or 'extra rich.'– MarsJarsGuitars-n-CharsApr 30, 2018 at 21:44
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@ChrisH, The reason I asked is that I have been trying to copycat commercial cookies. Those that you find on blogs are out of the correct proportions. For most of them, anyway.– Backyard ChefApr 30, 2018 at 21:46
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2 Answers
This is on the list of ingredients, so it is the pre-cooked formula weight, to demonstrate to the buyer just how much chocolate chunks to expect. Post cooking, the chocolate has changed, as have the other ingredients.
The ingredients also list:
Raising Agents: Ammonium Bicarbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate,
These are NOT present in this form in the baked product. They have chemically reacted. The ingredient list is what is used to MAKE the product, not what is left after. That is for the nutritional information.
So, unless this is a US/UK thing, the FDA labeling requirements are clear on the difference between ingredient list and Nutritional information. This is basically (before/ after)
This is not unlike ground beef that is customarily sold in the US as 10% fat (very lean) to 20-25% fat (high fat) This is a pre-cooked percentage.
The maker would be hard pressed to do post-baking analysis on the finished biscwit for actual chocolate percentage. Analysis is done for fat, sugar, etc... based on calorimetry and other chemical analysis methods, but cannot determine chocolate percentage after cooking.
answered Apr 30, 2018 at 18:11
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2Hmmm... ground beef is sold uncooked. So the fat content is "as packaged."– MaxWApr 30, 2018 at 19:33
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Professional baking formulas are given as percentages. Uncooked percentages. Apr 30, 2018 at 21:21
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1My point was that the food analysis of the product is done "as packaged." So raw hamburger is analyzed raw, but cookies would be analyzed after baking. The analysis is typically done on a stated portion size and the number of portions adds up to the weight "as packaged."– MaxWApr 30, 2018 at 23:04
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2@MaxW : actually, the fat percentage is even more messed up. It's the amount of pure fat that was mixed in. But the 'meat' portion also had fat running through it, with the exact amount varying based on the cut, breed, and how it was raised / finished. So 80/20 is at least 20% fat, but might be 22% or higher.– JoeMay 1, 2018 at 14:22
Cookies don't lose much moisture in cooking so the difference between 28% uncooked weight and 28% cooked weight is very small. I suggest you make a batch based on the uncooked weight, weigh the tray of cookies just before baking and just after, and decide whether the proportions are right. If not, use the weights to adjust or just think that was too much/too little. The effect of chocolate chips on the bulk texture will be much smaller than the effect of the rest of the recipe, so it really will be only about the desired proportion of chocolate.
