The Essential Chocolate Recipe Guide

It’s the news chocolate lovers have been waiting for – chocolate is good for you! Indulge your sweet tooth with delicious chocolate treats, without feelings of guilt. 

Suggested Recipes:

Macadamia Fudge Torte
Chocolate Truffles (French-Style)
Chocolate Raspberry Streusel Squares

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans from the cacao tree, which is native to South America. Research studies have shown that eating chocolate with a minimum content of 70 percent chocolate solids can provide cardiovascular health benefits. Cocoa contains nearly twice the amount of antioxidant power of red wine, 2-3 times that of green tea, and 4-5 times that of black tea. Chocolate contains high levels of flavonoids, which help the body process nitric oxide, a compound that facilitates healthy blood flow and blood pressure and prevents the clogging of arteries.

Chocolate is loved by people across the globe for hundreds of years. There are many different types of chocolate such as unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.

Unsweetened Chocolate

A bitter chocolate that contains almost 100 percent cocoa solids. Since no sugar has been added to the chocolate, it has an extremely bitter taste and is therefore only used in cooking and baking.

Bittersweet Chocolate

Dark, but slightly sweeter than unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate contains up to 75 percent cocoa solids. Bittersweet chocolate has become popular with professional chefs.

Semisweet Chocolate

A dark chocolate slightly sweetened during processing that contains 40-62 percent cocoa solids. It is frequently used for cakes, mousses, brownies and cookies.

Milk Chocolate

This is probably the most common chocolate for eating, but is rarely used in cooking. As the name already suggest, mild chocolate has more than 12% milk and approximately 20 percent cocoa solids.

White Chocolate

It is made with cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids and vanilla flavoring. Due to its lack of cocoa solids, many people do not consider white chocolate to be chocolate at all. Nevertheless, because it comes from the cocoa plant, white chocolate is placed in the same classification as milk and dark chocolate. Its mild and delicious flavor can be used to make white chocolate mousse, panna cotta, white chocolate chip cookies and many other delicious desserts.

No matter which type of chocolate you prefer, nothing screams decadence like a mouth-watering chocolate dessert.

Chocolate Truffles

These rich and elegant, bite-sized round petit fours are one of the most popular and attractive of all chocolates. They are easy to make, heavenly in taste and lovely to present.

Chocolate Mousse

Perhaps it’s the combination of rich chocolate flavor and light airiness that makes this dish so irresistible. Chocolate mouse is easy to make, can be prepared a day or so in advance and never fails to impress.

Chocolate Cake

No chocolate lover can resist a rich, moist, and so chocolate-y chocolate cake. It’s the perfect end to any meal.

Hot Chocolate

Indulge your taste senses and chocolate cravings with a rich and creamy hot cocoa. It not only takes the chill off your bones on cold and rainy days, but also fills your body with sweetness. Cozy up with this classic favorite of all ages.

Suggested Recipes:

French Silk Chocolate Pie
Double Chocolate Muffins
Frozen Maple Walnut Mousse Pie
Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies
Chocoholics Cookies