White chocolate bar

It is made with cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids, but no cocoa solids, which give milk and dark chocolate their brown colour and stronger chocolate flavour. Check the ingredients if you need to avoid milk or soy, which may be present.

Chop it into small, even pieces and melt gently in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Stir often and remove it while a few pieces remain; the residual heat will melt them.

Yes, but it needs careful temperature control because cocoa butter melts readily. Melt it gently to about 40–45 °C, cool while stirring to about 26–27 °C, then warm it to 28–29 °C before dipping or moulding.

Yes. Chop it into chunks for cookies, muffins or blondies; fold them into the mixture near the end so they keep their shape. For a smooth ganache, pour hot cream over finely chopped chocolate and stir gently until glossy.

Its sweetness pairs well with sharp fruit such as raspberries, cherries and passion fruit, and with citrus zest. Toasted nuts, coffee and a pinch of salt also balance its creamy flavour.

Keep it tightly wrapped in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from strong smells and heat. Avoid the fridge if possible: condensation when it warms can leave a pale, grainy sugar bloom on the surface.

This is usually fat bloom, caused by cocoa butter moving to the surface after temperature changes; moisture can instead cause sugar bloom, which feels grainy. It is generally still usable in baking, though the texture and appearance may be less appealing.

White chocolate contains cocoa butter and milk ingredients but no cocoa solids, so it tastes creamier and sweeter and lacks milk chocolate’s cocoa flavour. Milk chocolate has cocoa solids as well as cocoa butter.