Guide - It is widely believed that chocolate consumption releases a chemical into your body very similar to what is produced when you are in love.

It is always a good time to make something with chocolate. When the mood seizes you, discovering you haven’t got a crucial ingredient can ruin the mood. Knowing its equivalent or substitution can save the day. Today, Mom helps cooks and chocoholics with tips on chocolate and includes the world’s easiest dipped strawberry recipe.

Chocolate is made from the bean of the tropical cacao tree. In its purest baking form chocolate comes powdered, is usually sold in tins and is called cocoa. There are two types of cocoa in this world; regular cocoa and Dutch cocoa. Dutch cocoa, or alkalized cocoa has reduced the natural acidity of the cocoa bean resulting in a darker, mellower, more chocolaty cocoa powder. For the most part, these can be used interchangeably. Cocoa powder is not to be confused with those packaged hot cocoa drink mixes, which don’t work well in recipes.

Guide - Tassimo from Braun is also one of the better-known appliances available. In addition to many kinds of coffee, this machine can make excellent Suchard Hot Chocolate drink.

Sugar and fat are usually added to cocoa powder for sweetening and consistency - and cake! In our kitchens, fat can be in the form of cocoa butter, margarine, butter, vegetable shortening or vegetable oil. Sugars, either powdered or granulated add sweetness and also add to consistency. Powdered sugar will be smoother. Once we understand the basics of chocolate it makes substituting ingredients much easier. Here are some more definitions and equivalents.

Cocoa: Powdered, chocolate in its most basic form (beyond the bean).

Baking Chocolate: Generally sold in bars and measured in squares of 1 ounce each. Normally has some fat but no sugar content.

Guide - Strawberrys dipped in chocolate can be a delectable treat. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the strawberry upside down with the point in the air.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Sold in chips or bars. Normally has some fat plus a small amount of sugar.

1 square (1oz) of baking chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 cup (one 6 oz package) of semisweet chocolate = 6 tablespoons cocoa + 7 tablespoons granulated sugar + 1/4 cup shortening

1 cup (one 6 oz package) of semisweet chocolate = 6 oz or (6 squares) of semi-sweet chocolate

Classic Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Guide - Make your own chocolates. It’s easy to make many chocolate delights yourself, with the exact ingredients you want.

This will also work with cherries or any other fruit with a skin. Use about 18 large fresh strawberries, room temperature and patted dry plus 1 pound semi sweet (or any type) chocolate pieces, coarsely chopped.

1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Or heat the chocolate at 50% power in 30 second intervals in the microwave, carefully checking temperature until it is smooth.

2. Using the berry stem or a toothpick, dip the strawberries into the chocolate.

3. Cool the berries on wax paper, or put the toothpicks into styrofoam (or a potato).

More Chocolate Tips: Make sure the strawberries are completely dry. Even a drop of water in the melted chocolate can cause it to “seize” and make the chocolate grainy. This recipe will produce tempered chocolate, or chocolate that dries to a hard shine. If the chocolate becomes too thick to work with, add drops of vegetable oil, small amounts of vegetable shortening or cocoa butter (butter and margarine contain water) stirring until it becomes the right consistency. For more of Mom’s kitchen tips and apron humor visit her on the web at http://www.MomsRetro.com. Happy cooking!

Guide - The largest chocolate bar ever made weighed over 5,000 pounds and was made in Italy in 2000. The largest slab of fudge was over 2,000 pounds and was made in Canada.

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Guide - ‘Life is like a box of chocolates..

There are as many stories associated to chocolate candy as brands available on the market. Different shapes, sizes, and colors are usually accompanied by a dilemma, which is better, dark chocolate or white chocolate?

Apart from taste, World’s Finest Chocolates are characterized for their nutriments. Within your preferred brand, Hershey chocolate, Ghirardelli chocolate, Nestle chocolate, or Lindt Chocolates, you will find that they are available in dark chocolate and white chocolate presentations.

Nutritionally speaking, white chocolate is a new comer that has been promoted for the benefits of its higher content of milk. However, this type of chocolate candy is not exactly what a chocolate should be.

Standards of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that white chocolate is a combination of milk solids, butterfat, cocoa butter, sugar, lecithin and flavorings, but NO chocolate, but a similar tasting resulting from cocoa butter and sometimes artificial flavoring.

Guide - Tassimo from Braun is also one of the better-known appliances available. In addition to many kinds of coffee, this machine can make excellent Suchard Hot Chocolate drink.

Although a white Hershey chocolate was introduced in 2005, it is White Nestle chocolate, which is more commonly found in this variety, which color is not due to milk content, but sublime or vegetable fat. You must be careful with this product more often referred to as confectionery or summer coating with very low nutritional value.

Lindt Chocolates has a white variety, the same as Ghirardelli chocolate, but labeled as baking chocolate. White chocolate is a great covering for desserts, cakes, dark chocolate candy, and more.

Guide - In genearl, the shelf life for chocolate is a year. Chocolate that is refrigerated may not melt as readily.

World’s Finest Chocolates are dark whether bittersweet or semisweet. Chocolate candy is not only claimed as a sensual food, but also a product with true nutritional benefits including improvement of endothelial and platelet function, related to cardiovascular health.

Next time, you go to the grocery store, take a dark Hershey chocolate, and compare the information with that of a white Nestle chocolate. You will find differences in their ingredients, but especially in the higher proportion of fats in white chocolate.
Although cardiovascular benefits of dark chocolate are still in debate due to risks associated with effects of glucose and lipid, in body weight, dark chocolate has anti-oxidative effects that benefit the heart.

Guide - Strawberrys dipped in chocolate can be a delectable treat. Let the excess chocolate drip off. Place the strawberry upside down with the point in the air.

Ghirardelli chocolate was associated to recent research studying the benefits of flavonoids in dark chocolate. Lindt Chocolates are also reputed for lowering high blood pressure. Whatever brand is your preference, balance your calories with up to a 100-gram serving a day, can help you to improve your health.

Guide - The shelf life of a bar of chocolate is approximately one year.

When it comes to the World’s Finest Chocolates, apples have been left behind, substituting the saying with this phrase: “A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”, and this saying seems true, indeed.

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Guide - In 1842 Cadbury’s in England created the worlds first chocolate bar.

Chocolate is finally getting the recognition many think it deserves. It has been proven in scientific studies to contain antioxidants, which are good for you. This is very exciting news to the millions of chocolate lovers around the world. What better news to receive than for a prescription to eat a sweet treat once in awhile.

Antioxidants are similarly those found in wine and tea. These antioxidants help to inhibit or prevent heart disease in some people. The amount is small compared to some foods however even a small amount in any food will be helpful in your quest for good health.

The most effective way to get the health benefits of chocolate is to consume the least processed type of chocolate. Dark chocolate has been shown to contain the highest amount of these health benefits. By the lack of deep processing dark chocolate has maintained its antioxidants ad therefore their benefits.

The FDA or Food and Drug Administration is recommending a very small amount of chocolate daily however to get the most benefit stick to the dark chocolate. Many people are pleased with this prescription for better health, as most people have a love for chocolate.

Guide - Choose chocolates sweetened with evaporated cane juice or barley malt. If the evaporated cane juice used is the unprocessed whole juice of the cane, it acts in the body like a whole food and doesn’t give a sugar rush.

So the next time you are at the store feels free to buy that dark chocolate candy bar. Just make sure you do not sit down and eat the whole bar. Try to take one bite of a regular size candy bar and savor the taste and flavor on your tongue. After all the recommendations are clear and who doesn’t want to try and prevent or inhibit the like hood of developing heart disease?

Guide - ‘If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you.

Another way to get the health benefits of chocolate into your diet is to slip some bittersweet chocolate into some of the things you make. For instance pudding is an excellent snack. Pudding has milk in it and adds the chocolate and you have a quick and easy healthy snack. Although many people probably do not need any instruction into eating more chocolate. To chocolate lovers it comes natural.

Guide - Choose quality over quantity. If you are going to eat chocolate, eat really good chocolate.

There is more testing in the planning for the health community to try and find more healthy uses for chocolate. In the meantime try to eat a well balanced diet and consume chocolate, preferably dark, in small doses and with moderation.

Eating chocolate as a health food may seem a little off the wall, however if done in moderation there is no reason why you cannot eat your chocolate and reap the healthy benefits also. There is a recommended age of this finding be geared towards adults although allowing children a sweet indulgence can be very rewarding otherwise. Chocolate lovers of the world can now delight knowing that our secret prayers have been answered.

Guide - Chocolate is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficent restorer of exhausted power. It is the best friend of those engaged in literary pursuits.

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