Homemade Chocolate Candies
If you truly are a chocoholic like you say you are, you might be interested in making chocolate candies all by yourself. Fret not, the process in creating most of the candies that you love is actually easier than you think. And with practice and regular taste testing, you can even come up with a recipe that is all your own.
Homemade candies always have a special place in our hearts and it’s always entertaining, and even more so when you gather little children and teach them how to make one.
The key to making excellent homemade candies is to follow all the steps vigilantly. If it particularly says to stir constantly, then do so. Otherwise, your chocolate will end up burnt or with a grainy consistency.
Whether you are cooking with milk, dark, or even white chocolate, you must always keep the temperature exactly like how the recipe that you are following states. If you are planning on giving it as a gift, you must place it in an attractive container.
Cookie s’mores is a good alternative which replaces chocolate by using fudge striped cookies instead. Putting in marshmallow in between two cookies would form a sweet sandwich without even the help of chocolate. On the other hand, peanut butter s’mores is made out of peanut butter cups rather than plain chocolate.
If you’re looking to give it to a diabetic, try looking up for recipes that don’t call for anything that have sugar. These recipes utilize artificial sweeteners that are diabetic-friendly.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Candy, CHOCOLATE, Homemade, Homemade Chocolates
Chocolate Ingredients
Chocolate has never failed to entertain people. Aside from its beyond pleasant taste, it can enhance one’s mood due to its nutritional contents. However, chocolate is not always healthy. When its processing takes too long, it is bound to lose its flavonoids which have antioxidant qualities that help fight free radicals that can cause certain types of illnesses.
To boost the value of chocolates all the more, manufacturers have come up with the idea of putting in ingredients that add up to their nutritional value and palatability. Such ingredients can be classified into two categories: common ingredients and exotic ingredients.
The most common ingredients are nuts and fruits. Nuts that are usually found in chocolates are almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts. Nuts are known to pack a lot of nutrition. Studies have shown that it can enhance the brain activity and it even helps in fat-burning, great for the figure-conscious people.
Previously, the only fruits used in chocolates are berries. As time passed by, chocolate has become more out of the ordinary and it now contains other fruits such as coconuts, oranges, pineapples, and even exotic fruits like durian. Berries are known for their antioxidant properties while the other chocolates add fiber and vitamins. Other common ingredients put in chocolates are honey, butter cream, and caramel.
Exotic ingredients that manufacturers are putting in their chocolates such as wasabi, curry, and even red chili pepper that gives a different kind of kick. Other exotic ingredients found in chocolates are fungi in the form of mushroom and plants like tongkat ali and even roses. Mushrooms contain vitamin B2 and it is proven to help in the production of red blood cells and calcium in the body. Tongkat ali is an organic drug which is proven to help in energizing a person, while roses contain vitamin C which is known to boost the immune system.
There are other exotic ingredients that are not listed here. So go ahead and try them out yourself!
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Chocolates, Ingredients, Recipe Ingredients
Chocolate Cravings
Many people have an intense love of chocolate, but the female population seems to have a deeper love for it. The reason for this is allegedly connected to blood sugar levels, stress, and hormonal changes brought about by a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Chocolate contains sugar and caffeine and they are known to affect blood sugar levels. One reason behind our chocolate cravings is because the sugar in our blood is low and chocolates are our go-to for a quick sugar fix.
Chocolate always brings a different level of pleasure and this is because of the serotonin content which is a neurotransmitter that can influence the mood, which is the usual reason why chocolate is a well-known comfort food.
Days before menstrual periods, women’s serotonin levels are rather low. Also, hormonal changes that normally occur cause reduction in the minerals found in the blood, such as magnesium, which chocolate also contains. And that adds up to such powerful cravings.
However, some scientists claim that these cravings are merely brought about by cultural factors based on the findings that American women have stronger yearning for chocolate as compared to those of other nationalities, while some say that chocolate cravings are just psychological and that menstruating women feel that they are socially entitled to eat chocolate regardless of the fact that it can be very high in fat.
In addition to that, chocolate is debatably addicting. Research has shown that it contains alkaloid, compounds that make alcohol addictive. Scientists also found that chocolate contains anandamine, a compound that gets marijuana users addicted.
Phenylethylamine is another compound that chocolate contains and this can also be found in the body and its effects are rather similar to that of amphetamine. It can give people feelings such as euphoria and giddiness. These substances supposedly stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain and it peaks during orgasm which is probably the reason why some women prefer chocolate over sex. Interesting it is.
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Diabetes and Chocolate
There are a lot of people suffering from Diabetes. The ones that suffer the most are those that have a sweet tooth. It has long been an issue if diabetics should ditch chocolates altogether or if minimal amount of dark chocolate is beneficial.
Chocolate, specifically the dark variants that are not loaded with sugar, is known to have an array of health advantages and benefits. One of which is for those who have heart conditions. Recent studies have shown that chocolate contains a certain substance called ‘flavonoids’ that can affect the vascular health in a good way. It supposedly lowers the blood pressure and improves blood flow to the brain and heart, making blood platelets less viscous. That being said, one can keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels. It also has the ability to slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.
However, it is an obvious fact that excessive consumption of chocolate is not at all advantageous, but rather threatening to the health. Again, diabetics are suggested to consume chocolates in minimal portions. They can do so while having a meal or right after a meal. The reason behind this is that since the stomach has food in it, the absorption of chocolate will be impeded. Thus, you can prevent your blood glucose from spiking.
And since diet is a very crucial factor in the health of diabetic patients, health experts such as physicians or nutritionists should be inquired first, just to be on the safe side. Every diabetic patient has a unique requirement with regard to diet, and to maintain a healthy one, an open and honest communication with the doctor is best.
Just because you have a health condition doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the joys of eating. It may not be just like how you enjoyed food back when your health is at its peak, but you can always look for alternatives that offer the same pleasure but without the need to sacrifice your health.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: CHOCOLATE, dark chocolate, Diabetic, Health
Chocolate As Sunblock
Chocolate-scented products may be a commonplace, but pure chocolate as sunblock? Yes, it sounds a bit odd. But no, it’s not applied topically!
Recent studies showed that chocolate consumption does not only satisfy your sweet tooth but it’s said to protect the skin from the harsh rays of the sun.
Contrary to the popular belief that chocolate does nothing but cause acne, it can actually be very beneficial to your skin. It’s like something you totally love while just waiting for the benefits bite after bite! It doesn’t happen right away though.
All of this is because of the antioxidants that chocolate contains which are known as Polyphenals that give skin the kind of care it deserves as it can reduce ongoing cellular damage. Scientists claim that this certain compound does not only improve the skin but it can also give protection against the harmful UV rays. Polyphenals are said to enhance blood flow close to the skin, making all this benefits possible.
Are you crazy about chocolates? Well, let me encourage that problem. Here are some other interesting tidbits that make chocolate standout in the skin care industry. First, because of the cocoa butter, chocolates are known to soften the skin. Also, due to the significant amounts of antioxidants it contains, it is said to prevent wrinkles. It is also a well-known moisturizer and can keep the skin well-hydrated. Recent studies have also found out that chocolates can be used in combating the effects of skin aging.
But even without all these astonishing skin benefits, chocolate has a very special place in our hearts. It’s just downright amazing to learn that looking good can be this heavenly!
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: antioxidants, research, Science, SKIN
Is White Chocolate Really Chocolate?
Albeit the fact that it is considered ‘chocolate’, white chocolate isn’t really chocolate. It may be a confectionery imitative of chocolate since it’s also made from the same cacao plant, but its manufacturing process is somewhat special.
The process of making white chocolate primarily involves the drawing out of utilizable components of the cacao bean. Unlike the usual chocolate that makes use of the cocoa powder ground from the seeds, the white version uses only the cocoa butter.
Even though the manufacturing of white chocolate is similar with dark and milk chocolate by some means, it basically lacks cocoa paste, liquor or powder. Thus, it does not hold the important compounds of chocolate such as thiamine, riboflavin, theobromine, phenylethylamine, and serotonin.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to be called ‘chocolate’, a product must have chocolate liquor. Since 2004, white chocolate have to be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and not exceeding 55% sugar or other nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. The European Union has put the same policy in practice, only, there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners.
White chocolate is made up of cocoa butter, milk solids, vanilla, sugar and lecithin. Chocolate makers that use true cocoa butter generate ones of higher quality in comparison to those who scrimp and substitute vegetable fat for the cocoa butter.
True white chocolate is typically a pale yellow or ivory in appearance. The taste of cream and vanilla is heavenly in the mouth unlike those pretentious white creations that are made up of vegetable fat. Their consistency, taste and shelf life are also extremely different.
White chocolates melt quite easily and burn quickly since it is delicate, so take extra care when melting it for recipes like ganache or chocolate fondue.
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Categories: chocolate articles Tags: butter, chocolate facts, chocolate information, process, White Chocolate
Chocolate Equals Exercise?
A recent study shows that moderate amounts of high quality dark chocolate can be as good as working out.
Cocoa was found to have a particular compound called epithacin and this supposedly improved muscle like exercise does.
Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, performed a test on three sets of 12-month-old mice, the counterpart of middle aged humans: one was given epithacin twice a day for 15 days, the second one was also given epithacin and spent 30 minutes on a treadmill, while the third exercised without receiving the extract.
Scientists have seen an increase in the number of energy-producing mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ of cells, in the mice that only took epithacin and they had considerably better muscle performance and took a longer time to get tired compared to those that only exercised. It was strange as these mitochondria are normally a byproduct of getting aerobic exercise such as running on the treadmill.
More mitochondria mean more energy, thus, allowing you to perform longer. The research team is hopeful that their experiments could eventually help in working against the dreaded age-related muscle wasting.
According to research leader Dr Moh Malek: “Those getting only epicatechin had a significantly better muscle performance and took longer to tire than those that only exercised. The group doing both showed even greater improvement, so it appears epicatechin combined with exercise may be a viable means to offset muscle ageing.” They were enthralled to learn how natural products can copy and improve the effects of exercise.
Unfortunately though, they are too early in their studies for them to come up with any conclusions about humans getting the same benefits as those of the mice’s.
Dr Malek also added: ”At the moment it would be a leap of faith to say the same effects would be seen in humans. But it is something we hope to identify in future studies.”
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: dark chocolate, research, Science, Studies
