Lets Talk about Chocolate!

Post Reply New Topic

^ I wish I could find that here in the U.S.!

I used to like to add cocoa powder to and sweetener to my almond milk.
The former was really hard to get to dissolve, though-
it would just float in clumps, and I'd have to really stir to get it all mixed homogenously.

i make hot chocolate with milk, cocoa and either brown or white sugar. i use a whisk to stir in the cocoa

Will have to try using a whisk when my diet is less restrictive.

I LOVE raw cacao..so good.My skin is getting better from eating it,no kidding! Best combination is with strawberries of course,also raspberries.

Raspberry-Spiked Chocolate Brownies
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... ies-240506



yield: Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients
200 grams (7 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped
250 grams (8 ounces) butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen*

If using frozen raspberries there is no need to defrost them first. You can also use fresh or frozen blueberries.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F). Place the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Place in a bowl with the sugar and eggs. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix to combine. Pour into a 23 cm (9 inch) greased square cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Top the mixture with the raspberries and bake for 30–35 minutes or until set. Serve warm or cold with thick (double) cream or vanilla bean ice-cream.

----------------------------------------------

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate- ... awberries/



Prep Time: 15 Min
Ready In: 15 Min

Servings 24

Original Recipe Yield 3 cups
Ingredients
16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Directions
Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 115 | Total Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 6mg

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

http://andreasrecipes.com/2011/05/06/st ... heesecake/



Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, serves 12.
Equipment

food processor
9-inch springform pan
large mixing bowl
hand mixer
small saucepan
Ingredients

CRUST
16 ounces (454 g) chocolate sandwich cookies, filling removed
8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
3 (8-ounce/227 g) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces (227 g) strawberries, cleaned and pureed
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1-1/4 (219 g) cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (60 ml) light corn syrup
1 cup (175 g) semisweet chocolate chips

GARNISH
sliced strawberries
Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. CRUST: In the bowl of the food processor, process the chocolate cookies to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a few more times until the mixture starts to clump. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then remove.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300° F/150° C.

4. FILLING: In the large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, strawberry puree, flour, and salt until it is smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and beat for about 1 minute, then add each egg one at a time, mixing just until blended. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are set and the middle is only slightly wobbly when the pan is jiggled, about 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

6. CHOCOLATE SAUCE: In the saucepan, warm the cream and corn syrup over medium heat just until hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they are completely melted.

7. Serve slices of the cheesecake with strawberry slices on each with a drizzle of the chocolate sauce.

wow. that looks wonderfully delicious. Have you made it yet?

The "Chocolate Covered Strawberries " yes, I made them as a treat for my son.
but other then that, no not the other ones I posted. I do not normally eat sweets.
I just posted them because they looked good and others here said they liked those sorts of things.
when I was younger though I loved all kinds of chocolates. but as I aged i seemed to have lost my sweet tooth.

I like to have chocolate licked off me

I made some fudge tofu frosting out of 12.3 oz extra firm light tofu, two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/3 cup Agave Nectar. I put all the ingredients in the food processor and processed until it was smooth without any white tofu bits left. It tastes pretty good and it doesn't make me feel tired like sugary stuff does.

^ that sounds like it'd also make a good filling for a pie or mini pie.
My sweet tooth is less than it used to be as well, but once in a while it still "pokes" me. I am satisfied with much less than when I was a youngster.

http://news.yahoo.com/chocolate-consump ... 12980.html

Chocolate Consumption Lowers Men's Stroke Risk

Eating chocolate may lower men's chance of stroke, according to a new study from Sweden.

Researchers surveyed about 37,000 men and asked how much chocolate they ate on a regular basis. Those whose weekly consumption was the highest — at about a third of a cup — were 17 percent less likely to have a stroke than the men who didn't regularly eat chocolate.

Chocolate has been shown to improve cardiovascular health when consumed in moderation, and the beneficial component of the sweet treat is likely compounds called flavonoids, the researchers said.

"Flavonoids appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties, said study author Susanna Larsson, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "It's also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol, and reduce blood pressure," she said.

The researchers surveyed men between ages 49 and 75, about their dietary habits, and studied hospital records to see how many of the men experienced a stroke over the next 10 years. They found 1,995 cases.

In a separate analysis, the researchers surveyed 4,260 men who had experienced a stroke, and found again that those who ate the most chocolate had a lower risk of stroke than their non-chocolate-eating counterparts — this time by 19 percent.

Additionally, eating an additional quarter cup of chocolate weekly was linked with a 14 percent lower risk of stroke.

The researchers noted that while most studies that have shown the benefits of chocolate emphasized eating dark chocolate, the men were likely consuming milk chocolate, not dark. Milk chocolate contains less cocoa powder than dark chocolate.

"About 90 percent of the chocolate intake in Sweden, including what was consumed during our study, is milk chocolate," Larsson said.

The study was published today (Aug. 29) in Neurology.

Chocolate actually makes me sleepy, so I use it as a sleep aid.

Wow, sounds great. I'll replace agave nectar with a no-cal liquid sweetener I picked up yesterday. I've been wanting to bake mini-pies.

That sounds soooo good! I am definitely going to try it. I never feel well after having too much sugar and normally try to avoid it, so this is the perfect solution - thanks.

I probably have too much cocoa. My favorite drink in the whole world is a hot cocoa - literally a heaped teaspoon of cocoa and hot water, which I've been known to drink several times a day (more when I'm feeling stressed). And it's so good with rice milk and a bit of melted brown sugar to go with berries and banana too!