Valentine’s Day for many is more than a dozen red roses and a Hallmark card. It’s all about chocolate. Melted, poured, frozen, boxed, wrapped, in a pie shell or on a cake.
Chocolate sales boom this time of year, according to Susan Whiteside, vice president of communications for the National Confectioners Association, which represents American-made chocolate and cocoa products.
“Around Valentine’s Day, sales of all candy are estimated to be about $1 billion, and 75 percent of those sales are chocolate,” Ms. Whiteside said.
Chocolate has long been known for its powers of romantic persuasion, but only recently has it come to light as being good for your heart. It’s a powerful antioxidant, filled with flavonoids that can reduce platelet activation in your blood cells, help to relax blood vessels and be an overall aid to improve heart health.
Don’t go out and buy a Snickers quite yet, though, and put down that bag of M&M’s. The darker you go, the more health benefits chocolate has, according to information from Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic.
Milk vs. dark chocolate
Because dark chocolate retains the most flavonoids when it’s processed from bean to bar, dark chocolate is a better choice than milk chocolate for health benefits. But its bitter taste can be a turnoff. Some chocolate manufacturers are studying ways to retain the highest level of flavonoids while still providing acceptable taste, according to Clinic news.
As the health benefits of dark chocolate have become known, sales have increased, Ms. Whiteside said.
“In fact, dark chocolate sales for the last several years have risen about 20 percent,” she noted. “And that figure is significantly ahead of where it was four years ago.”
Chewing the fat
Chocolate does have fat, but it’s the good kind, such as what’s found in olive oil. But you must be careful. It also contains palmitic acid, which has been shown to negatively affect cholesterol levels. But, according to the Cleveland Clinic, palmitic acid comprises only one-third of the fat calories found in chocolate. So eat only a small piece of dark chocolate — the darkest your palate can tolerate — a couple of times a week, the clinic advises.
Since it’s Valentine’s Day, you might give in to a little more temptation. Small splurges can make life — and love — worthwhile.
Classic Chocolate Soufflé
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70 percent)
Pinch of salt
5 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease one large soufflé dish or 6 small soufflé dishes. Melt the chocolate over hot water (in a double boiler). Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk with an electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Add 1/3 cup of sugar gradually while whisking with the electric mixer. Mix gently the melted chocolate with the egg yolks and approximately one cup of the whisked egg whites. Fold in the remaining part of the whisked egg whites. Bake in the middle of the oven until crusted on top and practically cooked in the middle, 25-35 minutes for a large soufflé dish. Serve warm with whipped cream and strawberries, optional.
— www.cacaoweb.com
Flourless Chocolate Cake
1/8 cup cocoa powder
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 ounces (1 stick) sweet butter
8 eggs, separated
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
Heat oven to 275 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with 1/8 cup cocoa powder; remove excess by shaking pan. Set aside. In top of double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together until smooth. Remove from heat. Quickly whisk egg yolks into melted chocolate. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy with an electric mixer on high speed. Then slowly add sugar and beat until medium peaks form when beaters are lifted. Do not overbeat. In thirds, gently fold egg whites into melted chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick.
— www.cooks.com
Black-Bottom Chocolate Pie
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
2 cups low-fat (1 percent) milk
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Crumb Crust:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 ounce bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
30 chocolate wafer cookies
Topping:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon dark rum
Chocolate curls
For filling: Whisk first 4 ingredients in heavy, medium saucepan to blend. Whisk in egg yolks to form thick paste. Gradually whisk in milk, then cream. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and boils 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Transfer filling to frozen crust. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
For crust: Spray 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with nonstick spray. Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add chocolate mixture. Process until crumbs are moistened. Press crumb mixture into prepared pie dish. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
For topping: Beat first 3 ingredients in large bowl until firm peaks form. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe rosettes around edge of pie. Garnish with chocolate curls. (Can be made 4 hours ahead; chill.)
— www.epicurious.com
CHOCOLATE BITS
* Americans eat about half the world’s yearly supply of chocolate.
* Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a substance your body manufactures when you’re “falling in love.” That’s why so many people have considered chocolate an aphrodisiac.
* One chocolate chip gives the average adult enough energy to walk 150 feet. To fuel yourself for a hike around the world, you’d need almost 900,000 chocolate chips.
— www.extremechocolate.com