Indulge Your Taste for Chocolate - Guilt-free
Posted on 27 October 2007 under Uncategorized
Indulge Your Taste for Chocolate - Guilt-free
By Revka Stearns
What do you do when you love chocolate but are concerned about the calories, caffeine, and other harmful substances it contains?
That is the question with which my mother dealt while I was growing up. My father is border-line sugar diabetic, but he has a sweet tooth, particularly when it comes to chocolate. His all-time favorite cake is still German chocolate cake. Mom checked into healthy alternatives for chocolate and discovered carob powder.
Because they taste very similar, carob powder is a great substitute for cocoa, and it s a breeze to use: just replace the cocoa powder prescribed in any recipe with the same amount of carob powder. By so doing, you will get the chocolate taste you crave without putting your health at risk.
UCLA Professor Arthur C. Gibson teaches a course on economic botany and has written the manual used as a textbook for the course. In his informative essay on carob located on UCLA s botanical garden web site, Professor Gibson describes the nutritional advantages of carob powder when compared with cocoa powder:
“Although this product has a slightly different taste than chocolate, it has only one-third the calories (total 1595 calories per pound), is virtually fat-free (chocolate is half fat), is rich in pectin, is non-allergenic, has abundant protein, and has no oxalic acid, which interferes with absorption of calcium. Consequently, carob flour is widely used in health foods for chocolate-like flavoring.”
Carob powder is generally available from health food stores and can also be purchased over the Internet.
Here is a recipe from Barry Farm Foods to start you on your path to guilt-free indulgence:
CHOCOLATE FUDGE
2 c. sugar
6 T. Carob powder
2 T. butter
2/3 c. milk
Pinch of salt
1 t. vanilla
Combine sugar, milk, salt and carob powder. Bring mixture to boil, not stirring. Boil to soft ball stage (234-238°F).
Make Your Chocolate Habit More Healthy With Chocolate Covered Strawberries
...
Forget About Sex And Have Some Chocolate Instead
...
Why Sweets Make You Feel Good
...
Gourmet Gift Ideas for Chocoholics
...
Why Do We Love To Eat Chocolate?
...
NOTE: If you want nutty fudge, add 1/2 c. chopped nuts when you add the vanilla.
Enjoy your guilt-free “chocolate” indulgence!
Revka Stearns is a SAHM whose blog, The Porch Light, shares her thoughts and ideas about family, faith, parenting, and life in general. You can view The Porch Light at ourfamilyporch.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Revka_Stearns
http://EzineArticles.com/?Indulge-Your-Taste-for-Chocolate—Guilt-free&id=361364
XHTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
* Required. Your email will never be displayed in public.