Category Archives: Chocolate

Why Dark Chocolate Is Good for You

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Description: Dark chocolate contains several health advantages. These advantages are from flavonoids, which work as antioxidants.

In recent years, food materials that contain flavonoids and antioxidants have been connected with the prevention of heart disease. Flavonoids are poly-phenolic combinations found plentifully in cocoa and, to a slightly lesser extent, in apples, red wine and green tea. More particularly, the flavonoid found in dark or black chocolate has been linked to decreases in blood pressure, improvements in antioxidant properties, improvements in cognitive function, increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, improvements in insulin sensitivity, improvements in anti-platelet activity, and improvements in endothelial dysfunction that promote vascular homeostasis. Compared with white chocolate and milk chocolate, dark or black chocolate contains more flavonoids because it contains more cocoa.

Dark chocolate and the heart: Dark chocolate may aid in lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, and has been proven to lower levels of LDL, the “bad cholesterol,” by ten percent. Adding dark chocolate to your diet may benefit your cardiovascular organs by helping to block arterial damage provoked by free radicals. It may also inhibit platelet aggregation, which would provoke a heart stroke or attack. There have also been researches showing that the flavonoids in cocoa relax the blood vessels, which inhibits an enzyme that causes inflammation.

Eat chocolate for your brain:In a study, a compound found in cocoa, epicatechin, when incorporated with exercise, was found to boost functional alterations in a part of the brain involved in the formation of memory and learning.

Potential anti-cancer benefits: A research study indicates that dark chocolate may be a weapon against cancer cells. Researchers at Georgetown University School of Medicine discovered that a synthetic cocoa derivative really increased the rate of destruction and decreased the rate of growth of human cancer cells. Furthermore, it accomplished this without having an influence on other cells.

Some have their doubts: Not everyone believes that dark chocolate is a healthy food. Primarily, it is vital to understand that processing changes the natural flavanol antioxidants found in cocoa. Even though some of the suggested benefits of dark chocolate consumption are linear and positive, neither is unlimited because dark chocolate is laden with a substantial calorie load, which can readily offset its antioxidant benefits.

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Hungarian Chocolate Cocoanut Squares Or Kokusdio Kocka Or Kokuszkocka

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Hungarian Chocolate Cocoanut Squares is a treasured Czegeny family Hungarian dessert. During our wild and exciting Hungarian Family Vacation, our six-week stay turned into a cook-fest. My cousin Terry was a bubbly, chatty-kathy type who kept our travel itinerary full and also was a great cook. One day after a lovely day at Lilafured a vacationing spot in Hungary where you can boat, and swim and picnic,;we returned home tired and hungry. She prepared a lovely meat and then this dessert.

Oh my! This was not just dessert, it was a delectable delight. We raved, gobbled, hooted and hollered about how amazing it was. She finally broke down and gave us the measurements. Unfortunately, it was in metric. It was a bear to convert let alone translate. The Hungarians use the Queen’s “WE” in instructing how to carry out a recipe. First WE do this, then, WE add this and so on. So we had to re-do the recipe and re-measure for North American standards. Lucky for us – we enjoyed a second batch of these sinful delights. Here is the finished product – Sweet and tropical and so very Valentine’s Day!

Enjoy!

Cake Ingredients

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ stick sweet butter
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 4-5 tsp rum
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ tsp salt

Chocolate Glaze & Dip

  • ¾ cups sweet butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 5 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
  • 1 shot glass rum (optional)

Cocoanut Coating

  • 2 cups shredded cocoanut, Unsweetened

Directions

In a medium bowl, sift together; flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together egg with honey and sugar until frothy. Add butter and combine. Add dry ingredients in 2 portions and mix together all ingredients to make a smooth batter. Pour batter into a non-stick pan and bake at 350oF for 20 minutes or until the cake springs back. Let the cake cool completely and then cut into 2″x 2″ squares.

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Cooking Tips: Fun Dinner Dishes Using Chocolate

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Chocolate is not a sweet by itself. It is bitter and earthy, which is why it pairs so effortlessly with coffee. It is deep and robust with lots of round flavors and high notes. It can be used to temper sweetness or to bring out or round out flavors in a dish that lacks depth. It can add both color and flavor to a dish, and it can be a secret ingredient, adding punch and locking the other flavors together. When using chocolate, or cocoa, in savory dishes, keep its qualities in mind and use lots of creativity and daring. You’ll undoubtedly come up with some really fun dinner dishes using chocolate, and you’ll be able to impress your friends with your bravery and culinary skills.

Chocolate in bread:
When adding cocoa to a bread recipe, substitute like you would for whole wheat flour or honey, knowing the end product will be denser and more chewy. You can compensate for that quality or show it off, depending on the result you desire. Chocolate pairs well with butter, chili, lavender, mint, and other aromatics in bread. Try a chocolate lavender bread with honey butter by substituting 1/8 of the flour in your favorite white bread recipe with cocoa, adding dried lavender flowers, and adding food-grade lavender essential oil just before baking. A chocolate bread would make a wonderful base for a bread stuffing (such as one you would serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas), French toast, or a Monte Cristo sandwich.

Chocolate in Chili:
Cayenne pepper and cocoa were made for each other. Chili cuts the bitterness in the chocolate and brings every one of its flavor notes out to play. That is why Mexican hot chocolate is such a spectacular drink. However, when used in a savory meat or bean chili, cocoa can disappear into the tomato, smoke, and savory flavors of the dish and simply make everything rounder and deeper. The next time you’re cooking chili or any other dish with tomato, chili powder, or cayenne and it is missing something, try adding up to three tablespoons of cocoa powder to make the dish really stand out. You can even call it chocolate chili and see which of your friends are brave enough to try it out. Cocoa pairs readily with bacon, maple, brown sugar, smoke, rosemary, sage, and chipotle peppers.

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Fun Facts About Chocolate

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Considering that chocolate has been around for about 4000 years, its history is long and varied. These fun facts about chocolate will answer many questions about this interesting food.

Did you know that chocolate…

- was first discovered in the Amazon and Central America? Beans were taken from the cocoa tree, then toasted and ground.
- was brought to the United States in 1765 by John Hanan?
- was once prescribed by doctors to cure certain ailments?
- chips were introduced in 1939?
- contains antioxidants which are known to help fight disease?
- is poisonous to dogs?
- contains iron and magnesium?
- contains a small amount of caffeine, but not nearly as much as a cup of coffee?

Other fun facts:

- The Aztecs and the Mayans used cocoa beans as currency.
- One of the first ways chocolate was used was to take the ground beans and make a spicy drink.
- The first chocolate bar was made by Fry and Sons of Bristol, England in 1847. The company later merged with Cadbury.
- It takes as long as three to five years for a cocoa tree to produce beans.
- The first chocolate recipe was published in the Sears and Roebuck catalog.
- Cocoa beans were only afforded by the wealthy until the mid 1700′s.
- Africa produces the most chocolate.
- Switzerland consumes the most chocolate per capita.
- Dark chocolate has a much richer flavor than milk chocolate, because of the high cocoa content.
- Women crave chocolate much more than men.
- Hershey’s is the oldest chocolate maker in the U.S.

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You Can Never Have Enough Smores!

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Smores can be made in the microwave, using canned heat, or by everyone’s favorite method: cooking over a campfire. This Girl Scout treat has been widely popular for decades. The first time you try one, you will understand why.

Imagine that sweet, liquidy marshmallow and chocolate mixed together and sandwiched between two graham crackers. If you want to be sure the chocolate and marshmallow are both perfectly melted, a wire basket is a good option for the roasting process. This method will also warm the graham crackers.

Another method is to begin by placing the chocolate on the graham cracker. Roast the marshmallow over the open campfire, and immediately sandwich it between the two crackers when it is finished. The chocolate will not be uniformly melted, and the crackers will not be too hot. You can try both, and decide which you like the most.

The only thing better than making Smores is eating them. When you go on camping trips with your family, be sure to take along plenty of ingredients. However, no matter how often you go camping, your family will want them at other times, too. As busy families have busy schedules, buying the ingredients and making treats is not as complicated as it was in the past. These days, you can buy a complete kit, so you always have a supply in your kitchen. It is a good way to be prepared for spur-of-the-moment gatherings, a quick dessert, or a special treat for the kids.

Everyone has their own personal preferences. Your family may prefer the original style, or to add peanut butter or jelly. The one thing they will all agree on is one is never enough. Whether your kids have big or small appetites, when it comes to this treat they will always want some more.

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