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.
There's really no specific formula that has to be followed. The main ingredients included in most recipes are milk and dark chocolate. If sweetness is an essential requirement, then sugar can be replaced with honey as the third main item in the recipe.
The cocoa should preferably be in powdered form, so that it can be easily and precisely added in just the right measure in combination with the rest of the items in the recipe. For optimum results, add two tablespoons of honey and three cups of milk for every three spoons of cocoa. The rest is just a matter of experimentation to get the right balance of flavor and health benefits.
It's possible to create chocolates with a vanilla flavor simply by adding two spoons of organic and gluten-free vanilla extract. Those who favor a minty edge to their concoction just need to throw in a few drops of peppermint oil. This is an organic and highly concentrated form of mint, and excessive use will overpower all other flavors and tastes.
Another good example is the use of coconut oil as a replacement for milk. Couple this with stevia to replace honey, and it makes the recipe completely free of the high calories and carbohydrates that ordinary chocolates contain. Mint leaves chopped fine can provide additional natural flavoring. It works best when the coconut oil is heated and in liquid form, so that it mixes properly with the rest of the ingredients.
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.
There's really no specific formula that has to be followed. The main ingredients included in most recipes are milk and dark chocolate. If sweetness is an essential requirement, then sugar can be replaced with honey as the third main item in the recipe.
The cocoa should preferably be in powdered form, so that it can be easily and precisely added in just the right measure in combination with the rest of the items in the recipe. For optimum results, add two tablespoons of honey and three cups of milk for every three spoons of cocoa. The rest is just a matter of experimentation to get the right balance of flavor and health benefits.
It's possible to create chocolates with a vanilla flavor simply by adding two spoons of organic and gluten-free vanilla extract. Those who favor a minty edge to their concoction just need to throw in a few drops of peppermint oil. This is an organic and highly concentrated form of mint, and excessive use will overpower all other flavors and tastes.
Another good example is the use of coconut oil as a replacement for milk. Couple this with stevia to replace honey, and it makes the recipe completely free of the high calories and carbohydrates that ordinary chocolates contain. Mint leaves chopped fine can provide additional natural flavoring. It works best when the coconut oil is heated and in liquid form, so that it mixes properly with the rest of the ingredients.
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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