Chocolate IS Healthy. . .

Have you ever been told: “Chocolate isn’t good for you!!” or “Try something healthier, chocolate is too sugary!”? According to the latest research, chocolate, in moderation hold extremely beneficial properties for our bodies. Michael Van Straten, author of Low Carb Super Drinks is a medical practicion and has been a doctor for many years. He has done a plethora of research on foods and their benefits and has created a book to help people find healthy recipes. The first line in the ‘Mealtime Drinks’ chapter reads: “Here’s some delicious chocolate, with the feel-good factor it always brings- and, according to latest research, heart benefits too” (Straten 70). Yes, chocolate is actually good for you. . . in proportions. No one is saying have a chocolate each day, but every now and then, a small piece of dark chocolate actually proves to help your body and in the latest research, has even proven to help reduce heart problems. Straten explains that even though there is delicious chocolate in this drink, that it is low in carbs because dark chocolate has far less fat and sugar than milk varieties. He says that mint is also one of the olderst remedies for indigestion (Straten 70). The drink he refers to is called ‘Bittermint Chocolate’, and it sounds delicious. It is made of:

3 oz of organic, good-quality plain mint chocolate

400 ml or 14 fl oz skimmed milk

4 small sprigs of fresh peppermint, washed

To cook and prepare:

1.      Grate about 15g of the chocolate and reserve

2.     Break the rest into chunks and put into a saucepan with the milk and two sprigs of peppermint

3.     Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the chocolate is dissolved

4.     Fish out the mint

5.     Whisk or froth with a cappuccino wan

6.     Pour into mugs and serve with the grated chocolate and extra mint floating on top.

Straten emphasizes the fact that foods can help our bodies as much as medicines can. Foods are as healing as medicines and sometimes, medicines are even made up of many herbs and other foods. I know that this drink is calming and enjoyable since it contains mint, and I am more than curious to know how beneficial this drink really is beyond any immediate feelings. It tastes absolutely delicious too!

                

Do you agree with Straten that foods eaten in proportion, like dark chocolate, can be good for you even when you are cutting out all ‘unhealthy’ foods from your diet?

Straten, Michael Van. Low Carb Super Drinks. Great Britain: Mitchell Beazley, 2005. Print.    

Triple-Chocolate Brownies

Today, I will be baking triple-chocolate brownies. This is my second favorite dessert, next to cookies! It has been a fun experience baking during the holidays. A small intro to these goodies is, “These decadent brownies are loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips and plenty of toasted walnuts” (Laidlaw 243). To me personally I don’t like walnuts so I’m just going to leave that out, walnuts are optional in this recipe. Let’s get started! J

The ingredients are:

• 4 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate (chopped)
• ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
• 1 ¼ Cups Sugar
• 1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• ½ Cup White Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, warm the unsweetened chocolate and the butter over low heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly.
2. Whisk the sugar, vanilla, and salt into the chocolate mixture. One at a time, whisk in the eggs, mixing well after each addition, then continue to whisk until the mixture is velvety, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour and whisk just until blended. Stir in the milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to overhand the sides slightly.
5. Bake until the top is just springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack. Using the parchment, lift the sheet of brownies from the pan. Peel the parchment from the sides, then cut it into squares and serve.
6. Enjoy!  
   

   

   

   This was another simple bake, but it requires a lot of stirring. I have learned throughout this baking process, that using parchment paper is really useful when baking. These techniques have helped me become a better baker! A must for this sweet treat is a glass of milk. Brownies are the perfect choice for a weekday dessert, an after-school treat, or a sweet offering for a casual gathering (Laidlaw 243). Over all, I had a great time baking in the kitchen from my first bake of Cake Pops, to these Triple-Chocolate Brownies. I hope you had fun too during these cold, winter days, while you sit at home relaxing. Just with one bite of these brownies, there is a burst of chocolate in your mouth! I would have to agree with this cookbook that a glass of milk is a must. Anyways, I challenge you to start baking now! J

Would you prefer adding toppings (walnuts, peanuts, etc.) to your brownies or not? What is your favorite part of baking in the kitchen?

Citation: Laidlaw, Kim, and Erin Kunkel. Dessert of the Day. San Francisco, CA: Weldon Owen, 2013. Print.

"Peanut Butter" and Jelly Cups

               I love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I get it from my father, we both Loveeeeee them. When I was looking through Juli Bauer’s “Paleo Cookbook” I happen to run across a “Peanut Butter” and Jelly Chocolate Cups. This excited me. I knew I had to make it. The jelly part of it seem odd to me but I was willing to test it.

The Paleo aspect of this dish, is that it doesn’t use real peanut butter. Instead, Juli Bauer has us combine sunflower seed butter and honey (Bauer 218) in order to make our own peanutless peanut butter. Since I did not have Sunflower Seed Butter on hand when I was making this, I used Almond Butter instead.

It was pretty easy making these, and fun too. I think the hardest part of this recipe was to attempt to get it decent looking. I know it should be all about the flavor, but sometimes things gotta look pretty too. But I totally failed in that category. The third recipe of the recipe says “Place less than 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate in each muffin line, spreading the chocolate over the bottom of the line and up the sides” (Bauer 218). When I was doing this step, instead of making a nice chocolate outside, it looked like a 5-year-old had come in and tried to do this. Chocolate on the outsides of the muffin liners, chocolate dripping on the counter, and uneven sides. Let’s just say spreading chocolate isn’t my forte.

All in all, everything turned out good. It may not have looked nice, but it sure did taste good. I have to say that “peanut butter” and jelly tastes pretty dang good with chocolate. But next time, I think I’m going to stick with a dish that doesn’t require spreading chocolate. 

                                                 [Picture of Final Product]

Would you consider eating this dish? What do you think about Peanutless Peanut Butter?

Bauer, Juli, Bill Staley, and Hayley Mason. Juli Bauer's Paleo Cookbook: Over 100 Gluten-free Recipes to Help You Shine from within. Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2015. Print.