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Wow Cacao! The Magic of Chocolate


“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” -Linda Grayson Just the word chocolate brings a smile to my face. Now that we're a few days after Valentine's Day, most chocolate is on sale. Let's grab some and freeze it to use later. Make sure you chop the chocolate and put it in a double zip top (one inside another) to prevent freezer burn.

Everyone has a preference when it comes to chocolate, I prefer dark. I've found out like coffee, I've become a dark chocolate snob. The higher the percentage of flavanols, the happier I am. Cocoa is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols that may help to protect the heart. Dark chocolate contains up to 2-3 times more flavanol-rich cocoa solids than milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate (left of the picture) is a form of chocolate containing cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar, without the milk found in milk chocolate. My choice is 70% dark chocolate or higher to obtain the most flavanols. Keep in mind that the higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the greater the bitter flavor. I like bitter chocolate verses the sweet milk chocolate. I have even convinced myself that dark chocolate is "good for me" since it's rich in iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and flavanols. Making dark chocolate curls on top of my fat free yogurt makes me feel special and is a great treat.

Milk chocolate (center of the picture)) is solid chocolate made with milk. The addition of powdered milk, liquid milk, or condensed milk is mixed with the cacao base. Milk chocolate is the most common and preferred chocolate in the United States. The first successful batch of milk chocolate was by Swiss chemist Henri Nestlé in 1867. Does the name same familiar? NESTLE?

All milk chocolate made in the United States must contain at least 10 percent chocolate liquor and at least 12 percent milk solids. Bars of fine milk chocolate typically have a cacao content of between 30 percent and 45 percent, while less-expensive products may have considerably less. Milk chocolate has a sweeter and far more mellow chocolate flavor than dark chocolate, and since a higher cacao content gives a chocolate bar more "snap," milk chocolate tends to be less crisp than dark chocolate.

Semi-sweet milk chocolate chips are a stable in any pantry and can be used for sweet or savory recipes. My preference is Nestle and you'd NEVER, EVER find no frills chocolate chips in my recipes. You invest your time and the cost of ingredients, why cut back on the best milk chocolate that's been around since 1867?

White Chocolate (right of the picture) is a confection made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids. It lacks the cocoa solids found in other types of chocolate, so by many, it's not considered a "chocolate". In our house, we can't seem to call it a confection and refer to it was white chocolate. Because it contains no cocoa solids, white chocolate contains only trace amounts of the stimulants theobromine and caffeine. White chocolate may include additional flavorings, such as vanilla. It's wise to read the label to see if anything is added to the white chocolate that you're going to use for a recipe. It's a unique taste that most chocolate lovers can not get use to and prefer the "real thing".

Did you know that if you put your chocolate in the refrigerator it extends the shelf life by 25% and will stay up to 12 months. Freezing the yummy treat, extends it's shelf life by 50% and will stay up to 18 months. I'm sure we can find recipes to use the chocolate within the 18 months. I've been guilty of taking a piece of frozen dark chocolate out and adding it to a cup of coffee or just popping it in my mouth as a treat. Make sure you place the chocolate (dark, milk or white) in a zip top bag and then place in another zip top bag. This ensures that the quality of the chocolate is maintained.

So now's the time to buy that chocolate that's marked down, on sale and freeze it.

Enjoy!

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