The topic for today is Chocolate. And I will be informing you if chocolate is healthy, or bad. So if you’re a chocolate lover you may love this read. I have found that chocolate comes from seeds of the cacao tree that have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor.  There are many different types of chocolate. There is dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate. They are each made a little differently to make each type of chocolate.  Just differing in their components.  Chocolate was first used as a liquor drink. And have found its way into milk, hot cocoa, and the chocolate chip cookie. Chocolate is an ingredient in many recipe’s. And is a worldwide known food.

What I have found is dark chocolate is the most healthiest types of chocolate. Dark chocolate has no trans fat, 0% sodium, 14g of sugar, and is said to be a stimulant. “Consumption of dark chocolate or cocoa lowered people’s blood pressure an average of two to three points (millimeters of mercury), according to a 2012 review of 20 different studies”. (Katherine Harmon Courage). 

While milk chocolate is more fattening. It has a very high sugar content. So if you consume milk chocolate. Only eat 1 serving. Which could be 3 pieces of a chocolate bar.  Or try the mini version like: mini recess peanut butter cups, or mini snickers bar.  Read the label to see the different calories and how much you can consume.  Don’t over indulge. Chocolate is only meant to be a moderate food.  You know the saying of: “Too much of a good thing. Is too good to be true.”

Whenever you eat any type of chocolate always read the label. Even dark chocolate can be bad if you over indulge. So please read the label. “If consuming dark chocolate in moderate quantities has the ability to decrease the risk ofHEART DISEASE, it could have a role to play in reducing medical costs” as well, Farhat says.

So to end this topic. I have found a Dark Chocolate ice cream recipe. It’s healthy for you. And you don’t have to churn it.

No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream By: Leslie Bilderback
Makes about 1 quart of ice cream

I prefer my chocolate  ice  cream  deep  and  dark. If you prefer yours a  touch milkier, you can omit the cocoa powder. If you like it even darker, SUBSTITUTE unsweetened chocolate for half of the bittersweet chocolate.

1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or bittersweet chocolateCHIPS)
1 cup milk
One 13-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream

Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Bring the milk to a near boil, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Stir in sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cocoa powder, lemon juice, and salt.

In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it reaches soft peak. Fold the cream gently into the chocolate milk mixture, then transfer to a shallow freezable container.

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper pressed directly on the surface of the ice cream, and place in the freezer for 6 hours.

Scoop and serve the ice cream with fresh berries, whipped cream, bitter orange caramel, a sprinkle of fancy salt, or crushed Hawaiian-style potatoCHIPS.

Enjoy! Until next time!