Take a Chocolate and Call Me in the Morning... Chocolate has been taken out of the "forbidden fruit" category, and is finally coming into its own as a health benefit for many different conditions. What a relief. I've been hoarding dark chocolate truffles in my secret cupboard for months (since last Christmas, I think) and sneak one every once in a while. Nobody knows that I'm a closet chocoholic...and now I can come out of the closet. Several weeks ago, an extensive study was released telling us once and for all that chocolate is good for the health. In fact, one dark chocolate (sorry, but the milky and white chocolate don't count in the equation) contain as many flavonoids as two glasses of red wine, 20 glasses of white wine.... The article went on to say that flavonoids are excellent antioxidants and are very good for heart patients and people with immune disfunction. However, it's not the chocolate itself, which is high in fat and additives, but the dark cocoa which we know as dark chocolate. Forget about milk chocolate which is very low in flavonoids. Reach for the rich dark chocolate...especially dark chocolate truffles which are permeated with natural cocoa. Another thing to remember is that chocolate contains caffeine, so refrain from eating it late in the evening. It's not as high as coffee or tea, but has some tannins and caffeine nonetheless, and if I eat chocolate at night, I'm sleepless in Seattle. If one drinks very little coffee or tea, then chocoate will have a greater effect on the system. I know of a number of people who use dark chocolate to stave off the runs. The moment things get tricky, they reach for a chocolate truffle or Burnt Almond bar and, presto, back to normal. It looks like we should clear a special place in our medicine cabinets for chocolate. Hot chocolate should be made with real (Fry's) Cocoa to get the immune system benefits. The cocoa we find in the supermarket is next to worthless. Dark chocolate cake is great as is triple chocolate cookies. Who would have thought that something so sinful could be good for us? If you can tolerate coffee (doctors now say that one cup a day in the morning is actually good for an energy boost and is not damaging to the body. Here are a couple of recipes for chocoholics. Mocha on a Cloud (makes 6 cups, so if it's just you and the other half..halve the ingredients 5 cups Vanilla Soy milk (Organic) 1 vanilla bean or 3 drops real vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups freshly made strong coffee sugar or honey to taste 3 tbsp vanilla sugar (made by adding vanilla extract to 3 tbsp sugar and allowed to sit) 4 oz unsweetened chocolate (baker's chocolate) 6 cinnamon sticks ground nutmeg to sprinkle on top Heat 3 cups of soymilk in a saucepan with the vanilla bean till hot (but not boiling.) Set aside for 10 minutes and remove vanilla bean. If using extract, add the vanilla sugar after heating and proceed. Mix coffee with rest of milk in a large heatproof jub and add sugar to taste. Remove the vanilla bean from the pot and add chunks of chocolate gradually, whisking to blend well while heating. Pour all ingredients into the jug (except for cinnamon sticks and nutmeg)and whisk until frothy. Serve in tall mugs with whipped cream (or whipped soymilk if you're lactose or fat intolerant,) nutmeg and a cinnamon stir stick. ----------------------- Chocolate Truffle Filo Parcels This recipe is easy to prepare with frozen filo sheets and will be a hit at any dinner party. 1 tbsp finely chopped mint 3/4 c. ground almonds 2 oz dark chocolate, grated 2 apples, peeled and grated r oz creme fraiche or ricotta cheese 9 large filo pastry sheets 1/3 c. butter, melted 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar (icing) 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder to dust Preheat oven to 375. Mix mint, almonds, chocolate, creme fraiche and grated apples in a large bowl. Cut filo pastry into 3 inch squares and cover with damp cloth. Brush one square of filo with butter at a time and add second, brushing again. Add a spoonful of filling in the middle and join the four corners, twisting carefully to close. Repeat till you've got 18 packages. Place on a greased cookie sheet and brush or spray with melted butter. Bake for approx. 10 minutes. Leave to cool on cookie sheet and dust with icing sugar and the cocoa powder. Serve lukewarm or cool. To your health! Back to the Writing Index