Cocoa Times Three

Hot Chocolate

I love chocolate and if I get to drink it as well as eat it, I’m happy.
Chocolate is in the news right, left and central. You can’t open a magazine without an article expounding the virtues of chocolate.

Research, although preliminary, supports that antioxidant flavonoids called flavanols; that are found in chocolate; can be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease by reducing the stickiness of blood, preventing damage to the LDL cholesterol, and keeping arteries flexible. Flexible arteries are a very good thing. All chocoholics please cheer now.

However, here comes the catch (why does good news always have a catch?), not all chocolate is created equal. Some chocolate products contain essentially no flavonoids while others contain a lot. How can you pick out the good guys from the not so good guys? The rule of thumb is the darker the chocolate the higher the flavonoid content.

If you can get your hot hands on a cool Dove Bar Dark Chocolate, made by Mars, Inc., you’re going to be the most sought after chocolate supplier in town; it’s only available in the United States. Due to the a process called Cocoapro, which helps keep the antioxidant flavanol extremely high; making Mar’s Dove Dark Chocolate Bar the crème de la crème of the flavanol chocolate world. Where can we lowly Canadians get our chocolate mitts on some healthy chocolate? Try any dark chocolate that at least 70% cocoa or better yet try M&M Baking Bits or dark chocolate regular M&M’s.

Okay, you’re thinking great news about the flavonoids but what about all that saturated fat I see on the label? Saturated fat is a bad fat, isn’t? How can that be heart healthy? According the Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton of Pennsylvania State University, one of the leading researchers in this field, the saturated fat in chocolate is predominately stearic acid, which does not raise blood cholesterol.

Now before you jump in your car and head off to your nearest 24 hour convenience store for a chocolate fix remember that chocolate contains calories, a lot of calories. Dietician Liz Pearson and my co-author of The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan that Still Leaves Room for Chocolate says “It’s okay to eat a small amount of dark chocolate everyday as long as you are following a healthy diet and you can afford the extra calories.” My advice is start lifting weights so you can have your chocolate fix everyday guilt free or drink a cup of hot chocolate using cocoa powder. Try the three recipes below. All are servings for one but feel free to double, triple, quadruple…….

Cocoa
An adult version that’s not too sweet. Buy a mini whisk, sometimes called a cocoa whisk to make sure your cocoa is lump free.

1 cup (250 mL) soymilk or skim milk
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cocoa powder
1 tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar

Make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, and 3 tbsp. of milk. Heat milk till steamy either in the microwave or on top of the stove. Whisk into cocoa paste. Stir till frothy.
Serves 1.


Family Cocoa
A sweeter version of cocoa.

1 cup (250 mL) soymilk or skim milk
2 tbsp. (30 mL) cocoa powder
2 tbsp. (30 mL) granulated sugar

Make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, and 3 tbsp. of milk. Heat milk till steamy either in the microwave or on top of the stove. Whisk into cocoa paste. Stir till frothy.
Serves 1.


Rich Dark Cocoa
An adult version that’s not too sweet. Delicious enough to serve as a dessert.

1 cup (250 mL) soymilk or skim milk
1 tbsp. (15 mL) cocoa powder
1 tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar
1 oz. (30 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely

Make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, and 3 tbsp. of milk. Heat milk till steamy either in the microwave or on top of the stove. Whisk into cocoa paste. Add the chopped chocolate and stir till melted. Stir till frothy. May need to reheat slightly.
Serves 1.