Chocolate : History,Health Benefits, and Favorite Recipes
By bayoulady
IN LOVE WITH CHOCOLATE AND IT'S OKAY!
Copyright DMCA by Jackie D. Kimball
Most of us today have had a love affair with chocolate since we were toddlers. Teachers attest to the fact that if you give a kid a choice of chocolate milk or regular milk at school, more than half will select the silky chocolate beverage. Since the Mayans and the Olmec and later the Aztecs cultured the cacao bean and drank it as a bitter drink, chocolate in every form has been revered.
Olmecs and Mayans
In fact ,the bean was so valued that it could be used as currency. An ancient document from the mid 1500s was found that showed that a tomato was worth one cacao bean, while a turkey was valued at 100 cacao beans. History indicates that at that time only the wealthy could consume the bitter, frothy beverage.
About this same time, the first Europeans in Spaniard King Phillip’s court began to consume the bitter chocolate drink, soon adding honey to make it more palatable. By the seventeenth century, the now sweet drink had become known through much of Europe, though still not affordable by many.
The late 1700s saw chocolate in the colonies, still a beverage of the elite. By the mid 1800s chocolate was being made into a sweet edible concoction, the first prototype of the modern candy bar. From the drink, to candy, to syrup, to chocolate chips ,chocolate has become one of the most popular sweet treats worldwide. The love affair continues.
Good News About Chocolate
If asked, many people will share their favorite way to consume chocolate, be it hot chocolate, candy, brownies, cakes, pies, cookies, or Easter bunnies.
For years, chocolate was forbidden or only given rarely as a treat to children because it was thought to be an unhealthy treat. Now there is good news for self -proclaimed chocoholics. In moderation, chocolate-especially dark chocolate, has numerous health benefits.
Know why some say chocolate makes them happy? There are actually scientific studies that collaborate this claim. The body produces endomorphins, the “feel good” chemicals in larger amounts. Serotonin levels increase, which can counteract depression and anxiety.
Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has been found to have large amounts of antioxidants which aid the body in ridding the body of free radicals. Dark chocolate has more antioxidants that green tea and red wine, and other well known foods that are rich in antioxidants.
Magnesium in chocolate is said to be heart healthy, can reduce inflammatory diseases and aids in preventing type two diabetes.
Additionally, some antioxidants called flavanols have other amazing properties. The USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (J.B.B.), Tufts University, Boston, Mass., reported that “Consumption of flavanols that are rich in dark chocolate has been shown to decrease blood pressure and and insulin resistance in healthy subjects."
The reason is that the flavanols relax the blood vessels. Another study indicated that that the flavanoids, when relaxing the blood vessels prevents by inhibiting the inflammatory enzymes.
There is even good news for expectant mothers. Pre-eclampsia is drastically reduced by about 50% with just three servings (one ounce) of dark chocolate a week. The endomorphins produced are thought to lower pain sensitivity.
American Academy of Neurology's reported on a study with 44,000 subjects .Participants who ate one weekly serving of dark chocolate reduced strokes by 22 percent less than the subjects who didn’t eat chocolate.
Chocolate Fudge Pie
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Gather these ingredients:
1 1/2 stick of butter, unsalted
4 medium eggs
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken
6 tablespoons of self rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 baked pie crust
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Filling: Melt the butter and chocolate, stirring to blend, and then remove from heat. Let this cool to room temperature.
(1)Beat the eggs and, then gradually add the dry ingredients. (sugar, flour and salt)
(2)Using a whisk, add the vanilla to the cooled chocolate.
(3)Mix the chocolate mixture to the other ingredients and stir.
(4)Pour the filling into the baked piecrust and bake for 35-40 minutes. The pie is done if an a knife inserted one inch can be clean when pulled out
(5) Cool the pie on a rack to avoid sweating on the bottom
Top with your favorite toppings such as whipped cream with shaved chocolate, whipped topping with maraschino cherries, or perhaps an icing of peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar.
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
This is a popular snack in Louisiana, and I have no idea who originally created this cookie. I know that it has been a favorite in my family for over thirty years.
Gather These Ingredients:
1/3 cup plus one tablespoon of cocoa (not instant)
2 cups sugar
¾ stick of butter (not margarine)
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
One teaspoon of pure vanilla
Tiny pinch of salt (about 1/6 of a teaspoon)
3 cups quick-cooking oats
Instructions:
(1) In a large boiler or pot add sugar and cocoa and stir. Add milk and stir.
(2) Add butter and stir, then add the pinch of salt.
(3) Place on low to medium heat and continue too stir, being careful not to let mixture stick to the pan.
(4) When the mixture has completely melted, turn stove to medium heat and stir.
(5) At the point that the chocolate comes to a FULL boil, cook exactly four minutes.
(6) Remove from heat. Now add the oatmeal and vanilla and nuts if desired. (I like to add 4 T of crunchy peanut butter. (stephick's recipe for homemade peanutbutter cups.)
(7)Stir immediately and drop by teaspoon on the wax paper and let them cool.
Here is another hubbers no bake chocolate cookies recipe that is almost the same as mine, but uses cocoa. I have served these many times, and they are a hit with every one.Just click the highlighted words! Rich No Bake Cookies
The 2Patricias have a hub Chocolate For All Occasions. ENJOY!
My Mama said,"Life is like a box of chocolates.You never know what you're gonna get." ~~Forest Gump.
But Beware
The good news is that chocolate, especially dark varieties, has many healthy benefits. However, chocolate should be consumed in moderation. The sugars, fat and calorie dense ways that chocolate is consumed makes it a cautionary treat.
Hi. I'm the author of this article. Please leave a comment below, and if you liked my article, please rate me up! Thanks!
This article is copyrighted 10/16/2010
By Jackie D. Kimball / all rights reserved by DMCA
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Comments
up and beautiful! Well written, nice recipes, hurrah for chocolate...
That chocolate fudge pie, looks so good, yet maybe too sweet:) Never heard of no bake, oatmeal cookies! Thanks for the recipes.
katrina, Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I really appreciate it.
Samson, Thanks for rating up! You betcha! I love chocolate! It was hard not to make a cup of cocoa while I was writing this, and I did give in and eat a few dark chocolate baking chips! (No,really, I DID!)
heart4theword, Thanks for commenting! Yes, it is a bit sweet for some. You could probably use part Splenda , but I don't know.
Loving you for writing this hub. You assuage my guilt like no other bayoulady!
Go ahead dosters!DARK chocolate though. Sorry, but we ain't talkin' about a MARS bar!!
bayoulady - You might want to check out the recipe for Black Bottom Pie. Chocolate at its very best.
Gus :-)))
It is good that something that taste good also can be useful! Well written hub with recipe that looks delicious! Voted up!
Up and useful! Thanks for sharing.
GUS...I'll check that out!Thanks for stopping by!
thoughtforce-Thanks for the vote up and the hurrah!
dallas=Thanks for the vote up . Do you want a hershey bar now?lol!
What's going on. Everyone's writing these great hubs on food and I'm getting hungry. Thanks for yours, bayoulady. Enjoyed it!
hey friend...Me? I am just looking for the best excuse to eat chocolate!lol!Gotta go....and lowere my blood pressure.(eat 20 dark chocolate frozen chips...fun!)
I love this hub. I am trying the no bake chocolate oatmeal recipe. I am bookmarking it. I vote up awesome and useful. Thanks
Oh that all looks SOOOO good - I unfortunately can't eat chocolate but I surely love to cook with it just for the smell alone! Great recipes and will have to try these out on my family and friends!!
Healing touch, I can't make them very often!(It's hard to stop eating them!) My sister-in-law has another recipe for the no bake chocolate cookies made with Hershey's cocoa that I'm going ask for to add to this hub.
Akirchner..CAN"T EAT CHOCOLATE? Oh my! How terrible! Yes, chocolate cooking in the kitchen is a tantalizing smell!Thanks for your comments!
Jeepers, now I have to make that chocolate fudge pie! I really have only craved chocolate the last couple of years and i found out it helps high blood pressure so an added benefit! Great hub!
Chocolate is ALWAYS good, I eat dark organic chocolate just about every day. I'm headed to the store to get what it takes to make that Chocolate Fudge Pie
it looks so delicious. Can't wait. Thanks for the great chocolate history benefits and favorite recipes, this is a keeper and a vote up!
I love dark chocolate. This is another hub that needs a yummy button :-)
****Pollyannalana ....HA! It HAS truly helped my blood pressure! How cool is that!????!!!!
*****Katiem2.......I am going to make the pie this weekend, but w/o the crust. I think it will still be delish!
******Joymk.....Yeah, we SO need a yummy button for all the good recipe hubs out there!
THANKS,Y'ALL FOR READING AND COMMENTING< HUGS TO YOU!!!!
Thank you for these delicious treat ideas. Great Hub! Love you forever till eternity. God Bless You Dear Heart, and be well in God's loving arms.
It is nice that they have found health benefits for chocolate consumption since so many people like it. No bake chocolate oatmeal cookies intrigue me. Might just have to give them a try someday. Thanks!
**********STARS******** Hello,and thanks for the sweet comments. Y'all take care down there in cajun land!
Peggy, I really appreciate you stopping in! I loved your skunk hub! I laughed myself silly! The no bake cookies keep for a week, if you can leave them alone that long. We can't!
So glad to hear of the benefits of chocolate. Nice to read a bit of history, too. Thank you for this pleasure.
James,thanks for all of your positive comments. Hurray for chocolate!
Yummy, yummy hub! Voted up!
Thank you habee.Hugs to you and your Johnny!
Bayoulady, Great! Delightful hub! Thank you for sharing the Healthy, Educational as well as Tasty Tips on Chocolate! Yum, Yum! I must try the no bake cookies... THANK YOU!
Awwwww,Deborrah,how "sweet" chocolate that is! I still need to get and add my sister-in-law's no bake chocolate cookie recipe that uses Hershey's cocoa,instead of of block chocolate.
YUM! My favorite crutch! How wonderful of you to share with us those fabulous recipes! I will be trying these out-- at Thanksgiving!
I am happy to hear that chocolate has health benefits! That is the best news I have heard all week! Bless you for sharing--you are an angel! =)
Helloooooo laurie! Thanks for all the "sweet" comments on chocolate!(Get it? Sweet...as in chocolate!)
Thank you for the wonderful history and chocolate recipes. I have bookmarked this hub and voted it up. I told my doctor, once , that if I was allergic to chocolate I would go out and buy one last designer box... Great Hub!!
hi fetty!Funny how we love our chocolate!thanks for commenting!
Chocolate is the BEST! Great hub! Yummy recipes! Thank you!
erthfrend~~~~~~Thank you for your nice comments.
Chocolate simply has to be rated AWESOME! Love the no-bake cookie recipe. My kids and I will be hanging out in the kitchen this weekend. Cheers, Steph
My favorite food, and the most important of ALL food groups! Thanks for this........... I'll make sure to bookmark so I can pull it out during my next round of defense ;-) Love it! Kaie
~~~~~Stephhicks68~~~~~~I made the cookies yesterday! I'm SOOOOooooooooo bad.....
~~~~~~~Kaie~~~~~~~~~~~AS I just said....OOoooooh I have been so bad. I can't go tooo long without something chocolate!
Alas, I can't have chocolate anymore and it has been an every day treat for 30 years!
Loria, that is pitiful news! There are so many benefits besides it being such a tasty treat! thanks for reading and commenting!
I rated this up. This is very informative hub about chocolate, bayoulady! I love the pictures and the recipes. Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic hub of yours.
Hello Michael Jay . Thank you so much for the rate up and encouraging words!Now go nibble on some dark chocolate!Ha!
After reading this wonderful hub, I had to stop and say thank you for your wonderful comment and link. Now I need to drift off for a chocolate fix. Wonderful hub! I rated it up!
~~~~tlpoague~~~I was happy to link to your recipe.it is good to know that if you don't have baker's chocolate you can used powdered cocoa with great success!Thanks for the rate up!
Good evening, my friend. How I miss this hub? But better late than never. Chocolate is my favorite. I love your presentation. Very delicious recipe. I'll bookmark this one. Thank you very much. Rating Up
Prasetio
I love dark chocolate also, and always have. This is a great hub with a lot of info and your recipes look very good! Thank you.
Yum! Thanks for this hub...I love chocolate!!! : ) I've bookmarked it, and voted it up!
~~`Myster!ous~~thanks for your enthusiastic comments!
~~~~Prasetio~~~ Thank you so much for you faithful following. HA! It is okay if you miss some of my hubs. I know you are very active and have many follwers! you are much loved on hubpages! I appreciate you and your comments!
~~~~samiaali~~thanks for the great comments. I have had to learn to like dark chocolate, but now I love it!
~~~~~shygirl2~~~Thanks for the rate up!!!!!
We both love chocolate, and find it hard to keep to any kind of healthy intake. However, one day we may learn discipline, and until then we'll keep practising.
We like this hub so much that we have added a link from our hub on Chocolate for all occasions. Hope this keeps up your views, as you deserve it.
We've rated your Hub up!
~~~~2patricias~~~~~Thank you for you comments and link! I'll link to yours as well.Now, during the coming winter holidays, is when i will have the worst chocolate overindulgences!
Love chocolate. Health benefits have given me an excuse to eat dark chocolate, which is my favorite anyway.
susie duzy~~~~~~Thank you for stopping by and making such nice comments.
I love chocolate and eat it every day! Great article!
BTW, it's mommy from IB! I'm following you now!
who doesn't love chocolate, your oatmeal drop cookies sounds really good,I think I will give them a try tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe. Vited up awesome.
~~~~~~mommy~~~thanks for your comments and for following me!(Gotta get back over to IB soon,mommymommymommy!
~~~~~~~~vietnamvet68~~~Thank you so much for commenting! The cookies are easy and delicious!
Bayoulady,
omg I am a fan of chocolate. Loved your hub.
my mom called them boiled cookies and I still make them every Christmas...bout the only things good I can make have to do with sugar and chocolate :) I let baby girl and hubby do the actual cooking...what?
you mean we have to eat something nutritious every now and then?
well now I can show them your hub and vindicate my indulgences right?
Thank you Wendy, for your comments!
RNMSN
Barbara, that is what we called them,too. They taste more like fudge to me. at any rate, they are cheap and easy to make. best of all, when company is coming, you can have them made and cooled in 20 minutes!true..we ARE vindicated..lol!
im english and theres so many differant types over here like caburys and yorkie bars
Just found out I can't have chocolate anymore. :-( Heart condition + caffeine = chest pains. I'm really going to miss it.
I love chocolate! That chocolate fudge pie looks so delicious. The cookies look good too. Thanks for the recipes and the information.
Thanks for making it permissable to love chocolate! LOL Great hub. I voted it awesome. Yummy. thanks for sharing and Happy Holidays to you.
loria ,thanks again..lol! ( we forget,don't we? You have already been a sweetie and commented!lol!)
AliciaC Thanks,you really should try the cookies. So quick,cheap , and delicious. not fattening at ALL....No really.... only 3 calories per platter of them...ha!
Denise,you are very welcome. You go eat that chocolate !It's Christmas!
Wow probably the best hub ever. Anything that says positive things about chocolate gets my vote!
Love your articles, thanks.
I'm a huge chocolate lover and I plan on putting these recipes to good use. Thanks!
Oh my, oh me...what better excuse than this hub to make one of these wonderful recipes! Yes, yes, moderation, but isn't that a relative term??? ;)
RTalloni,thanks for your enthusiastic comments!Definitely moderation,but I must confess...IT'S so HARD!
One of my favorites, for sure. I try to eat a square of Lindt chili chocolate every day. Both chili and chocolate are good for us.
Thanks for your message-- yes I have been extraordinarily lazy at posting hubs-- though I have a few in progress.
Good to see you are keeping up-- such interesting stuff!
chocolate is my favorite treat. I love the news of the report that it is good for you, gives me an excuse to have a piece each day.
Racing to the kitchen on this one. What wonderful recipes and great information. Thanks for sharing and sorry it took so long to get over here and read it!! Have a blessed and safe day...I hear LA is having really bad weather today in the form of freezing rain??? Stay warm!
Gotta love the chocolate. Awesome hub. Best wishes to you. Hope all is well.
I like chocolate , thanks for sharing this information.
mmmmmmmmm so good! Going to get me something chocolate right now!
MMM That pie and the oatmeal cookies look like must tries! Possibly for my next card party. I am a New Orleans Lady and love your Fleur de Lis picture Bayou Lady. Sue
Well friend, I am going to go get a chocolate bar right now, lol. You have hit me at a hungry moment!
I wonder how these foods were kept from the common folk, i.e., "a beverage of the elite." I suppose it all had to do with money, but were there shops off limits to the poor by way of dress codes or simple social etiquette? These questions just occurred to me. I hadn't thought about it before.
Well, thank you for stretching my mind and my stomach! Great job, bayou girl!
One of the reasons I believe in God...chocolate. Love this...love chocolate more, but I love this. Up!
Story teller and hostage...My apologies for delaying my response. My daughter is very ill, and I haven't been writing or reading hubs in a good while now. I appreciate both of your comments so much!
Mmmm! Yummy article about chocolate. Great pictures and information.
Deborah-Diane Thanks for stopping in to comment! I'm so sorry I am late in replying. As you know I am over at webanswers, because it is a bit less taxing than articles. My daughter recently had a stroke, and she is with me, so I have been very busy with her.
Awesome hub.
Halo mam your chocolate is sweetly.thanks
thanks Amil and honey.Also thanks leroy64! i appreciate the comments!
Thank you for this yummy hub! Now you've provoked an intense chocolate craving within me. :D Well-written, well-researched. Thanks again!
katrinasui 19 months ago
No doubt, dark chocolate has many benefits. Great hub!