Saturday, 5 October 2013

Herbal Chocolate Recipes And Benefits

By Angel Dudley


Herbal chocolate is not just a passing trend, because it's already a part of healthy lifestyles for people all over the world. The problem with traditional sweet chocolates is that every ounce contains 155 calories. It is choc-a-bloc full of sugar, along with an array of additives and preservatives. A healthy recipe would eliminate these harmful substances and allow people to enjoy the delicious sweetness without worrying about their weight or health risks.

Chocolates are usually made through a complicated process that begins with harvesting cocoa beans, followed by stages such as refinement and fermentation. The roasted and grinded beans are then mixed with milk and sugar to provide flavor, and the resulting viscous liquid is stored for chopping up into smaller units. Converting this into an herbal product requires a few tweaks to the traditional recipe.

A large selection of herbs and naturally available ingredients can produce delicious chocolates with none of the excess calories or harmful additives. The simplest option is to mix honey with cocoa butter and some powdered cocoa. Flavoring may be added using mint, lavender, rose petals or cinnamon.

It doesn't have to be a specific recipe. The core items are milk and dark chocolate. Those who need it to be sweet can replace sugar with honey, which then serves as the third key ingredient.

The cocoa should preferably be in powdered form, so that it can be easily and precisely added in just the right measure in combination with the rest of the items in the recipe. For optimum results, add two tablespoons of honey and three cups of milk for every three spoons of cocoa. The rest is just a matter of experimentation to get the right balance of flavor and health benefits.

It's possible to create chocolates with a vanilla flavor simply by adding two spoons of organic and gluten-free vanilla extract. Those who favor a minty edge to their concoction just need to throw in a few drops of peppermint oil. This is an organic and highly concentrated form of mint, and excessive use will overpower all other flavors and tastes.

Another good example is the use of coconut oil as a replacement for milk. Couple this with stevia to replace honey, and it makes the recipe completely free of the high calories and carbohydrates that ordinary chocolates contain. Mint leaves chopped fine can provide additional natural flavoring. It works best when the coconut oil is heated and in liquid form, so that it mixes properly with the rest of the ingredients.

There's no way for these experimental recipes to be as famous and easily available in the market as the ordinary chocolates produced by big brands with their factories and global network of distributors. But that's not stopping people from finding these healthy alternatives for indulging their insatiable appetite for sweets. There's always the option of whipping up a batch of herbal chocolate at home. Either way, it is an ideal gift for family and friends during the holiday season, and for birthdays and other celebratory events.




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