Chocolate

About 4000 years ago, chocolate was considered as a bitter beverage rather than as a sweet treat. Evidence have been found that chocolate was produced by pre-Olmec cultures living in present-day Mexico in the early 1900 B.C. They first cultivated cacoa plants found in the tropical rainforests of Central America, roasted and ground the cacoa beans into a paste that they mixed with water, vanilla, honey, chili peppers for example to make a chocolate drink. At that time chocolate beans where also sometimes used for trading as a currency.

Chocolate is not only good, it also brings out the best in us but many researches have shown that chocolate makes us more happy. Today it´s known that chocolate has some potential benefits for example it can lower cholesterol levels. It is also lauded for its tremendous antioxidant potential. Just keep in mind, the more cocoa and less sugar conent there is in one chocolate, the more healthy it is.

Chocolate Mousse

Photo: Chocolate mousse

Preparation time: 20 min

Serves: 7 people

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk together 4 egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar, and ¾ cup heavy cream on a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat stirring continously without boiling for approximately 3-4 min. Next remove from heat and whisk in melted chocolate and vanilla. Leave in a bowl until cool.

Use an electric mixer to beat the rest of the heavy cream with remaining 2 tbsp of sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cool mixture and gently fold in the rest of the cream with a rubber spatula.

Now spoon the mousse into serving dishes. Let the mousse chill for at least 30 min and up to 3 days but bring to room temerature before serving.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preparation time: 45 min

Servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 ¼ cups all- purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
• 1 package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Mix together in a bowl sugars, butter, vanilla and egg.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. At this point the dough should be stiff. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

Use tabelspoon to make rounded cookies from the dough and put onto ungreased baking sheet approximately 2 ounch apart (should be approx 48 cookies).

Bake for 8-10 min or until the cookies get light brown (center will be soft). Moce from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let them cool.

 

Chocolate Layer Cake

Photo: Chocolate Layer Cake

Preparation time: 45 min

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and also a little bit more for the pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Creamy chocolate frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 180  degrees C. Put butter in the bottom and sides of two round cake pans and line the bottom with baking paper.

Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Combine the butter and 1 cup water on a small saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add it to the mixture in the bowl, mixing it with an electric mixter until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, than sour cream and vanilla.

Put the dough evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35-45 min or until a stick that is put in the center of each cake comes out clean. Take from the oven, let the pans cool for approximately 20 min and than remove the cakes from pan and leave to cool completely.

Transfer one cake to a platter and spread ¾ cup of the frosting over it. Than put the other cake on top and spread it with the rest of the frosting.

 

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Photo: Hot Chocolate

Preparation time: 15 min

Servings: 5 cups

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the cocoa, sugar, water and salt  in a saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture boils. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 min. Stir in the milk and heat, but not to boil. Remove from heat and stir vanilla into the mixture. Serve while its warm.

 

Homemade Chocolate

Photo: Homemade Chocolate

Preparation time: 5 min

Cook time: 5 min

Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 ¼ cups milk powder
• ¼ cup butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• ½ cup water

Directions

Sieve milk powder and coca powder and keep aside. Heat water and sugar in a vessel and bring to boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking untill the syrup gets thick. Now add the butter to the syrup, blend it well and than remove from heat.

Add the cocoa-milk powder to the mixture, a few tablespoon at a time and blend until its glossy. Bring the mixture to a pan/plate and let it cool for 10-15 min at room temperature. Next place it for 10-15 min in a fridge.

Remove from fridge and use a cookie cutter to cut the chocolate into cubes or desired shape.