There's a very good reason why more and more people are scoffing down herbal chocolate. Every ounce of ordinary dark chocolate contains 155 calories, and is filled with sugar, preservatives and additives such as artificial flavors. Switching to healthier recipes allows people to indulge in their sweet tooth without packing on the pounds and putting their health at risk through obesity.
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.
The new recipe may include a variety of natural ingredients and herbs that can be used to make chocolates without any harmful content or excess calories. A simple choice is to use cocoa powder and some cocoa butter with honey. Additional flavoring can be added using mint, cinnamon and rose petals.
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 be powdered in order to facilitate mixing and addition of just the right measure. The tried and tested combination that provides best results is a mix of three tablespoons of cocoa to go with three cups of milk and two spoons of honey. After this, the rest of the recipe can be whipped up by a process of experimentation to find a combination that matches preferences and tastes.
Adding a couple of spoons of gluten-free organic vanilla extract will produce vanilla-flavored chocolates. To get mint chocolates, just add a few drops of organic peppermint oil. Remember that this is a concentrated and potent oil, so an excess of it will smother the flavor and taste of everything else in the recipe.
There is another possible recipe for those who want to completely avoid the carbohydrates and calories of a sweet concoction. This one replaces honey and milk with coconut oil and stevia. Add finely chopped mint leaves for natural flavoring. The cocoa powder and the rest of the ingredients must be added to heated and liquid coconut oil so that it mixes properly.
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.
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.
The new recipe may include a variety of natural ingredients and herbs that can be used to make chocolates without any harmful content or excess calories. A simple choice is to use cocoa powder and some cocoa butter with honey. Additional flavoring can be added using mint, cinnamon and rose petals.
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 be powdered in order to facilitate mixing and addition of just the right measure. The tried and tested combination that provides best results is a mix of three tablespoons of cocoa to go with three cups of milk and two spoons of honey. After this, the rest of the recipe can be whipped up by a process of experimentation to find a combination that matches preferences and tastes.
Adding a couple of spoons of gluten-free organic vanilla extract will produce vanilla-flavored chocolates. To get mint chocolates, just add a few drops of organic peppermint oil. Remember that this is a concentrated and potent oil, so an excess of it will smother the flavor and taste of everything else in the recipe.
There is another possible recipe for those who want to completely avoid the carbohydrates and calories of a sweet concoction. This one replaces honey and milk with coconut oil and stevia. Add finely chopped mint leaves for natural flavoring. The cocoa powder and the rest of the ingredients must be added to heated and liquid coconut oil so that it mixes properly.
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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