Chocolate

Thanks to the day-of-love quickly approaching, everywhere we turn chocolate is being forced upon us in red cellophane and in the shape of little hearts. Who decided that chocolate = love just once a year? Pretty sure I’m in love every time I bite into some no matter what day or month it might be.

Often considered a guilty pleasure, as a whole chocolate gets a bad rap. But recent studies say that dark chocolate is good for us. In it’s purest form, chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are actually quite rich in nutrients and beneficial to health (LiveSuperFoods). So why does chocolate often get put on the no-no list? It’s due to the “harmful effects of commercial processing and refining techniques, and the other ingredients commonly added, most notably white sugar”. So basically, the more crap and processing that is added to the cocoa powder, the more dangerous it is to eat.

• How to Pick: The source of your chocolate is key. The 2 for $1 Hershey kisses at the supermarket are cheap for a reason and should be avoided (check the label if you don’t believe me). On the opposite side of the spectrum, a local chocolate maker might charge a pretty penny for his delectable treats but they will most likely be minimally processed and often locally sourced. And if you’re baking something that requires “chips”, it is always better to buy a block of chocolate and cut it into chunks yourself rather than using the more-processed pre-made chips.
• How to Store: Keep chocolate in a cool, dry place in a sealed container and it will keep for about six months.
• How to Prepare: If you can hold off eating it in it’s raw form, you can also melt it for dipping into fruit a la fondue style; chop it and add to muffins, cakes, and cookies; zest it on top of your favorite baked goodies or warm bevvies; mix cocoa powder and milk for some hot chocolate; or combine some homemade chocolate syrup with ice cream for a milkshake.
• Recipe Ideas: The Alchemist has an amazing and all-natural Chocolate Syrup recipe; and we are all about chocolate on FandFP. Try our Peppermint-Chocolate Dipped Shortbread with Toasted Almonds, Dark Chocolate Dipped Orange Slices, and tomorrow Jillian shares her homemade Truffle recipe. I’ll share my recipe for Not-So-Guilty Brownies on Friday.
• Fun Fact: White chocolate doesn’t actually count as chocolate (it doesn’t contain cocoa powder, just cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids)!

Tagged as: baking, baking chocolate, bittersweet, chips, chocolate, dark, processed, semisweet, white chocolate