dark chocolate ingredients
Dark Chocolate Ingredients
This Buzzle article is a must read for all dark or black chocolate fans out there. Get to know about its beneficial ingredients and also for those sitting at home, an easy recipe to satisfy those cravings for dark chocolate.
What do we, the Mayans and the Aztecs have in common? The answer is our love for chocolate! Some people like it sweet or milky, while others like bitter or without milk additives. Dark chocolate is one such popular chocolate that does not contain any milk additives. Today, it would pretty difficult to find someone who does not love chocolates. It has always topped the charts of comfort foods since it is quite healthy too. In this article, we are going to take you through this sinfully mouth-watering treat, and try to find out what does dark chocolate really contain.
So, now that you know how beneficial it is for your health, why not include it in your daily balanced diet. However, make sure that you have the one that contains over 60% cocoa. Even though you can gorge on it without having any guilt, make sure that you have it in moderation because anything in excess is bad, isn't it?
Ingredients
A good dark chocolate is one with a high cocoa content in it. One cannot talk about this chocolate without talking about its health benefits. Dark chocolate has no milk in it; this gives it a rich brown color. The content of sugar varies making it either sweet, bitter, or semi sweet. We have often seen statements like 30%, 75%, or 80% dark chocolate. These percentages signify the cocoa content in the chocolate, which attributes to the bitterness in the taste of the chocolate.
It goes without saying that soul of all the ingredients in dark chocolate lies in cocoa. Without cocoa, there would be no chocolate. Then we have sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla essence as the other ingredients. Chocolate has a substance known as lecithin. Lecithin benefits our heart by breaking down the cholesterol, thus, preventing heart diseases. The ingredients are packed with antioxidants known as flavonoids, which help control blood pressure and protect the heart. It is known as one of the foods that lower the blood pressure. Other than the body, dark chocolate also affects the serotonin levels in the brain. It is known to instantly uplift one's mood and induce a feeling of well-being and elation. This is because of the presence of alkaloids like theobromine and phenylethylamine, which release the feel-good hormone in the brain. Amongst the many other benefits of chocolate, it is known to have anti-diarrhea properties. Another good news for all the girls out there, acne is in no way connected to eating chocolate, so munch away on as many as you want!
Preparing Dark Chocolate
We're sure you wouldn't want to miss out on this opportunity. So get in the kitchen and whip yourself your very own dark chocolate.
You will need ...
- Cocoa Powder, 2 cups
- Cocoa Butter, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
- To begin with, heat the sugar in a pan with one cup of water.
- Stir till the sugar melts, and then add cocoa powder and stir to avoid the formation of lumps.
- Add as much cocoa butter as you like.
- The mixture should not be watery. If that is the case, then you can add more cocoa powder. You can add a bar of a commercially available dark chocolate too.
- Pour the mixture into molds and refrigerate to make your own chocolate slab.
- Viola! Your dark chocolate is ready to be munched upon!