Low carb chocolate: January 2013

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dark Chocolate

A sense of relaxation and well being is very natural when you eat chocolates. When it comes to dark chocolates it is both seductive and pleasurable. Other than this, the dark chocolates are healthy too. It is extracted from the seeds of cacao plant. As it is natural so it contains benefits that are natural too. They are prepared by the mixture of fat and sugar to the cacao but not with milk supplements. It has the highest level of nutrition among all types of chocolates. According to a rich study, taking up over 1.6 ounces of dark chocolate daily proves to be healthy for your body.

ADVANTAGES:

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

It lowers the cholesterol.
Also lowers the Blood Pressure.
Produces Anti-oxidants into the body, good for preventing premature ageing.
Lowers the risks of heart problems because it is rich in flavonoids and gallic acid which include protective elements for cardio.
It also promotes good digestion.
It is also good for preventing cancer.
Current studies proven that it slows down the decline of nervous activities which happens with the age.
It indicates a help for the treatment of kidney stones and anemia.
It prevents the clumping of blood platelets which results in blood clots.

DISADVANTAGES:

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolates are high on calories with high fat and sugar.
It contains some elements that have addictive properties such as caffeine, theobromine, and sugar which results in mood elevating and also contains phenethylamine which releases endorphin in the brain.
It also contains vasoactive amines that lead to migraine problems.
Dilates the vessels of the brain.
Moreover, it has high quantity of arginine which is a necessity in the replication of the virus herpes. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid dark chocolates especially those who have recurring and active herpes infection.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dark Chocolate

If this article encourages you to buy a Chocolate Gift for someone special I really recommend visiting dark chocolate websites on http://www.freechocolat.com they have the best quality chocolate in very decorative chocolate boxes. Make some happy with this delicious sweet.

Common Baked Cheesecake Recipe Problems

My Aunt Wendy was one of the greatest cooks I've ever known. Any time we went to her house, even just for a quick visit, there was something great to eat happening in the kitchen. She made chicken and dumplings with dumplings that were like little clouds, never gooey or floury like so many are. She made cakes, pies and cookies that were the winners of blue ribbons at every contest in town. And her holiday dinners were the most sought-after invite in the entire family.

However, Aunt Wendy until the day she died could not make a cheesecake that didn't come out of the oven with a top that didn't look like a topographical map of California. Cracks, big and little, narrow and wide, shallow and deep would crawl all over the top of the cheesecake, often endangering the structural integrity of the whole.

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

Cracks in the top of the cheesecake are one of the two major problems home cooks encounter, and they can make your beautiful labor of love into the ugly duckling of the dessert tray.

Common Baked Cheesecake Recipe Problems

However, there are two simple steps you can take to avoid cracks. First, place a water pan in the oven with the cheesecake while it bakes. The added moisture in the air will keep the surface moist and keep it from cracking, in much the same way that moisturizing cream will help your hands. You can also mix a teaspoon of cornstarch into the batter before putting it in the pan. This natural thickening agent will guard against the separation that leads to cracking.

The other major hurdle most cooks encounter from time to time is the lumpy cheesecake. Unlike cracks, which don't affect the overall flavor, lumps indicate poor or incomplete mixing, which will affect flavor. To guard against this, bring the cheese and the eggs to room temperature, to make the fats in the two mix more readily and completely.

Remember those tips and you're on the way to baked cheesecake recipe success!

Common Baked Cheesecake Recipe Problems

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at present I am retired, I owned a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at For Free Recipes.net

NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).

17 Popular Quotes about Chocolate

1. "Chocolate causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eat lots of chocolate!" - Elaine Sherman, Book of Divine Indulgences

2. "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar in four pieces with your bare hands--and then just eating one piece" - Judith Viorst

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

3. "Self-discipline implies some unpleasant things to me, including staying away from chocolate and keeping my hands out of women's pants." - Oleg Kiselev

17 Popular Quotes about Chocolate

4. "It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love. Love is a substitute for chocolate. Chocolate is, let's face it, far more reliable than a man." - Miranda Ingram

5. "Life is like a box of chocolates...You never know what you're gonna get." - Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump

6. "The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain." - Thomas Jefferson

7. "Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate." - Sandra Boynton

8. "If one swallows a cup of chocolate only three hours after a copious lunch, everything will be perfectly digested and there will still be room for dinner." - Brillat-Savarin

9. "It has been shown as proof positive that carefully prepared chocolate is as healthful a food as it is pleasant; that it is nourishing and easily digested... that it is above all helpful to people who must do a great deal of mental work." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

10. "If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept, chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?" - Marquise de Sévigné

11. "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." - Baron Justus von Liebig

12. "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

13. "There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love chocolate, and communists." - Leslie Moak Murray

14. "Forget love... I'd rather fall in chocolate!" - Author Unknown

15. "There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles." - Author Unknown

16. "My favorite thing in the world is a box of fine European chocolates which is, for sure, better than sex." - Alicia Silverstone

17. "After about 20 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of that one. And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate." - Mel Gibson in What Women Want.

17 Popular Quotes about Chocolate

Copyright 2005. Bridget Mwape writes for Chocolate Gift Basket website at: http://www.chocolate-gift-basket.org.uk/ which features gift ideas, chocolates and more. He also writes for http://www.sweets-and-chocolate.org.uk/ which offers a wide selection of sweets.

History of Chocolate Truffles

The invention of the cocoa press in 1828 made possible separating the natural fat in cocoa beans, called cocoa butter, from the bean solids. This not only improved the consistency and taste of the remaining cocoa powder but made possible the development of solid chocolate. Eating chocolate or solid chocolate, as opposed to drinking chocolate, was first produced in 1847 in Fry's chocolate factory in Bristol, England. Solid chocolate is a combination of cocoa powder, sugar, cocoa butter and often flavorings like vanilla. In 1879 Swiss Henri Nestle and Daniel Peter developed milk chocolate by combining solid chocolate with milk powder. Experimentation in France and Switzerland led to the development of ganache.

Ganache is the center component of a truffle. Ganache is a velvety smooth combination of solid semisweet chocolate and cream. Cooked at just the right temperature it cools to form a rich and firm paste with intense chocolate flavor. A truffle is a confection made of a round ganache center, often flavored, covered with a shell of milk, dark or white chocolate. Truffles are often covered in cocoa powder, sugar or finely chopped nuts.

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

Perhaps originating in France, the truffle is named for its visual similarity to the French mushroom-like fungus of the same name. Like the original truffle, chocolate truffles have become synonymous with luxury and a sumptuous taste experience. Truffles are made in a wide variety of tastes. In many chocolate houses the Chocolatier's finest ingredients are reserved for the truffle.

History of Chocolate Truffles

For more information about other forms of chocolate see additional e-zine articles by this author.

History of Chocolate Truffles

George Murray is the President of Falcon Aerial Photography, Inc. Learn more by visiting us at: http://www.falconaerialphotography.com

Chocolate Brownies - Five Facts About Brownies You Didn't Know

Five quick facts below to make your mouth water.

1. The first time that a the name 'brownie' appeared in a recipe book was in the 1896 version of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Meritt Farmer. This brownie was in reference to tiny cake like versions, not a true brownie like you would find today.

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

2. It was pretty quiet in the world of brownies after that - it took almost 11 years for a real brownie recipe to appear, also in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book, which was the first time a brownie was we know it today was published. I'm not sure if it had colour pictures in, or referred to using organic or fair-trade chocolate, but it was certainly a groundbreaking recipe.

Chocolate Brownies - Five Facts About Brownies You Didn't Know

3. One of the most popular stories about the origin of the brownie is told in the Encyclopedia or American Food and Drink, which reports that a housewife in Bangor, Maine forgot to add baking powder to her brownie, and therefore her batch didn't' rise properly. Ever the impeccable host, she carried on and sliced her now invented brownie and served it unashamedly, claiming her new invention

4. Chocolate brownies are one of the few foods where there is a strong divide between the way a brownie should be prepared. Half of the world loves a cake like brownie, whilst the other half would die without a beautiful fudge brownie to devour.

5. I personally love chocolate fudge brownies, infinitely more than cake versions.

So there you go, just a few facts on Chocolate Brownies for you. Now go and eat some!

Chocolate Brownies - Five Facts About Brownies You Didn't Know

A fantastic place to get great tasting chocolate brownies is to go right to http://www.sobochocolate.com

Cacao Beans - Uncovering the Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

The beans from the cacao tree contain powerful antioxidants that are known to help eliminate deadly free radicals from your body. In fact the beans of the cacao tree were once so desired they were used as a currency. They are highly sought after for their health benefits, and raw cacao has been shown to be effective for promoting mental well being through the production of endorphins, raise Serotonin levels, and even act as an anti-depressant.

The native people of Mexico, South and Central America have known about the health benefits of raw cacao for thousands of years. Christopher Columbus even brought sacks of the seeds back to Europe. Today the beans from the tree are still cultivated and touted for their health attributes and are recommended by many herbalists and practitioners of traditional medicine.

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

Chocolate is made from cacao which is also known as the cocoa bean. When you eat raw the raw bean, instead of chocolate you get all of the natural health benefits without the harmful sugars and additives. Plus, much of the healthy features found in raw cacao is often removed during processing. For this reason it makes sense to buy organic cacao beans before they have been tampered with.

Cacao Beans - Uncovering the Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

One of the extraordinary things about the beans from the cacao tree is their ability to promote cardiovascular health. Many people report improved circulation, reduced blood clotting, increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels, healthier heart beats, and blood pressure. With all of those things comes a lower risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Another really interesting byproduct of cacao beans are its ability to promote feelings of well being and enhanced mood. You know how they often say chocolate is a girl's best friend? Well, that's because the ingredient N-Acylethanolamine found inside this amazing natural super food acts as a natural bliss chemical to promote feelings of love and satisfaction. All this helps make you feel better longer, which definitely helps explain its popularity.

Cacao Beans - Uncovering the Health Benefits of Raw Cacao

Find out more about the health benefits of Cacao powder, right now by Clicking Here!

Easy Fudge Recipe - Condensed Milk and Chocolate Chips Are the Secret

December seems to whiz by faster and faster each year. Homemakers who dream of leisurely days in the kitchen whipping up batches of homemade goodies for their families, friends and co-workers need not let go of their own inner Martha Stewart entirely.

Easy recipes for turning a few bags of chocolate chips, a cup or two of nuts and a few cans of condensed milk will have the lucky folks at the office or family gatherings convinced you labored for hours in the kitchen.

\"Low Carb Chocolate\"

Enclose finished pieces in individual gift packages, add a bow and special tag and present to favored recipients, whether they be teachers, friends or simply you and your family.

Easy Fudge Recipe - Condensed Milk and Chocolate Chips Are the Secret

Easy Fudge Recipe: Condensed Milk and Chocolate Chips Are the Secret

3-Ingredient Easy Chocolate Fudge:

List of Ingredients

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over low heat.
Slowly stir in condensed milk and chopped nuts.
Pour into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
Cool and cut into squares.

This recipe yields 64 1-inch squares.

Easier Than Ever Microwave Fudge

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Cut butter into small pieces so that it will melt easily.
Put chocolate morsels, milk and butter into a microwave-approved bowl.
Microwave at 50% power for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove fudge from microwave and stir.
Put bowl back into microwave on 50% power for 5 minutes.
Remove bowl from microwave and stir.
If the fudge has not thoroughly melted, replace it into the microwave on 50% power for 5 minutes at a time. Stir between intervals until fudge is melted.
Stir in pecans.
Pour mixture into 8-inch square buttered pan.
Refrigerate at least two hours.
Cut into small squares.

This is a no-fail fudge recipe.

Easy Fudge Recipe - Condensed Milk and Chocolate Chips Are the Secret

Sydney Mason is a freelance writer who writes for a number of online websites.