With a dollop of whipped cream or simmered over a hot stove using semi-sweet cocoa chips, hot chocolate is one of the most popular drinks in America. The history of the beverage runs deep. For thousands of years, chocolate has been transformed into beverages – starting with the Olmecs, who are considered the oldest civilization of the Americas (1500-400 BC).

The Mayans hailing from the Chontalpa region also consumed drinks made with cacao beans. Interestingly, their form of currency made quite a tasty drink. Roasted cocoa beans, water, and a little spice made what was known as ‘chocolatl’.

Spaniards drank a mix of ground cocoa beans, water, wine, and peppers. After heating the ingredients, they started to add sugar. When the hot chocolate recipe made its way to England, milk became a part of the beverage and it was consumed as an after dinner treat.

Hundreds of years later, the powdered version hit market shelves and now anyone can make hot chocolate using milk or water. If you’re interested in trying out a few international variations, consider the following hot chocolate recipes:

Italian Hot Chocolate

Also known as Cioccolato Caldo, this beverage becomes wildly popular during the fall and winter season. Some people make the drink so thick that it is the same consistency as pudding and has to be eaten with a spoon. The key to making Cioccolato Caldo is to use high-quality chocolate.

Ingredients: 5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 6 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao solids), and 2 cups milk

Instructions: Over low heat, add cocoa powder, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk into a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar melts and there are no lumps. Stir well. Bring to a low boil while stirring constantly. Add the remaining milk. Turn off the heat and add chopped chocolate – stirring until smooth. Pour into cups.

Irish Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 6 ounces very finely chopped semisweet chocolate, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons whiskey

Instructions: Combine milk, cream and cocoa powder in a medium heavy saucepan. Warm over medium heat while stirring to dissolve cocoa. Add chopped chocolate and stir until it is completely melted. Bring ingredients to simmer (but do not boil). Increase heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes – stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla. Continue to stir to allow it to cool before pouring into cups. Each cup receives 1 teaspoon of whiskey (stirred in).

Mayan Hot Chocolate

Ingredients: 2 cups boiling water, 1 chile pepper (cut in half with seeds removed), 5 cups light cream (or whole or nonfat milk), 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise), 1 to 2 cinnamon sticks, 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or 3 tablets Mexican Chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces), 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey, and 1 tablespoon grounded extra fine almonds or hazelnuts

Instructions: Over medium-heat heat, add chile pepper to boiling water in a large saucepan. Cook until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove the chile pepper and strain water. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick over medium heat – until bubbles form around the edge.

Reduce the heat to low and add chocolate and sugar (or honey). Occasionally whisk until the chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Next, add the chile-infused water (small amounts at a time). Taste-test along the way to make sure the flavor isn’t too strong. If chocolate is too thick, use a little more milk to thin out. Serve in small cups with grounded nuts and whipped cream on the side.

Chocolate covered pretzels offer a delicious marriage between sweet and salty sensations. When you’re not purchasing the decadent selections at Chocolate.com, you can create homemade pretzels dipped in chocolate with your own creative decorations. From simple embellishments to elaborate treats gift-wrapped for loved ones, consider the following ways to decorate chocolate-covered pretzels.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Recipe

Before you get started on decorating your sweet treats, you may need an easy recipe to follow. Gather 1 package chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon shortening, and pretzels (mini, regular, or rods). Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler over medium heat. Stir the mixture until smooth. Some people prefer to use a microwave to melt the chips – just make sure not to overheat and stir every 30 seconds. Allow the chocolate to slightly cool. Dip pretzels in chocolate and place on trays covered with waxed paper. Chill if needed.

Decorating Ideas

Spice up your chocolate covered pretzels with the following suggestions:

1. Chocolate Variety: Alternate the kinds of chocolate on your pretzels by drizzling white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. Not only does this make an inviting display of sweetness, but also offers a variety of flavors for your taste buds.

2. Nuts: Try plunging your chocolate covered pretzels in a bowl of crushed nuts or sprinkle on after a dip. A couple of suggestions include almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts.

3. Coconut: Add a bit of extra crunch by rolling dipped pretzels in toasted, shredded coconut.

4. Peanut Butter: Chocolate and peanut butter go together well. Before dipping your pretzels in chocolate, spread on a thin layer of peanut butter.

5. Sprinkles: Before the chocolate sets on your pretzels, get colorful with a rainbow of sprinkles. Use red, white and blue sprinkles to celebrate Fourth of July in style. Red and green make fabulous Christmas treats. Pastel-colored sprinkles make delightful Easter pretzels.

After decorating your chocolate covered pretzels, store them in an airtight container. Place layers of waxed paper between the pretzels to keep from sticking to one another.

Chocolate gifts for Valentine’s Day are a  traditional sign of love and affection, and this year Bittersweet Café, the Bay Area’s bean-to-bar Bittersweet Origins chocolate maker and chocolate cafés, has a full array of its own chocolate collections and special gift packaging ready for your special Valentine sweetheart. 
Bittersweet’s three Bay Area locations are a Valentine gift central with delicious, high quality chocolate gifts ranging from $4.95 to $34.95.  

Valentine tins, Share the Love tins and Big Love Pails are popular Bittersweet signature gifts.  The Mint Tin includes Dark Chocolate Holland Mints and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads while the Fruit and Nut Tin features Dark Chocolate Dried Strawberries, Dark Chocolate Cherries and Dark Chocolate Pistachios.
 
The Share the Love Tin provides a quarter pound each of Mint Mix (Dark Chocolate Holland Mints, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Shortbreads) and Fruit and Nut Mix (Dark Chocolate Dried Strawberries, Dark Chocolate Cherries, and Dark Chocolate Pistachios), Solid Milk Hearts and Solid Dark Chocolate Hearts. 

Fabulous handmade Bittersweet truffles are available in a variety of flavors, from hand-rolled dark, Fleur de Sel, raspberry liquor-spiked Framboise, and the scintillating Spicy, to the elegant finish of heart-shaped Blood Orange, Passion fruit and Cinnamon.

Other unique Bittersweet Valentine offerings are the Love Letter and the Tasting Tins.  The Love Letter is a modern-retro envelope, enclosing a note card, one New Tree Alpha Disc (an unusual and incredibly delicious bar -flax seeds give it an unusual crunch and make it rich in anti-oxidants) one of their best-selling Vosges Mini Bars and a $10.00 Bittersweet Gift Card.  

Tasting Tins include How Many Ways Do I Love Thee (a wide selection of small bits of some of the world’s most delectable chocolates) and the popular Heart of Darkness Collection.   The collection also includes an outline of the most recent findings about the health benefits of chocolate with high cacao content.

And, for those quick and inexpensive gift needs, Bittersweet is offering Chinese Take-Away Valentine Boxes with Solid Dark and Milk chocolate hearts, along with Raspberry Cream, Caramel and Mint Crunch Hearts.

About Bittersweet  Origins and Café
Bittersweet Origins is a manufacturing and retailing company which creates craft chocolate and coffee in handmade, micro-batches to engage the senses and the mind.  Bittersweet Café retail stores’ ambience and furnishings reflect the one-of-a-kind nature of its chocolate bars, chocolate drinks and coffees.  The warm and welcoming spaces furnished with unique tables, benches, carts and artwork from local craftspeople and artists create a gathering place for the community to savor locally made chocolate delicacies, coffee and tea.  The Bittersweet Cafes are located in San Francisco on Fillmore Street, College Avenue in Oakland and the Rose Garden Shopping Center in Danville.  For more information, visit www.bittersweetcafe.com/ or call 510-705-1860.

For chocolate lovers, you can never have too many options in the sweet treat department. When it comes to chocolate covered creations, strawberries are probably one of the first items that come to mind, right along with nuts and pretzels. While small chocolate covered pretzels make a tasty treat, keep in mind that chocolate dipped pretzel rods make exquisite gifts. Covered in chopped nuts, caramel, sprinkles, and other embellishments, this sweet indulgence illustrates the versatility of chocolaty treats. Other ideas include:

Candy Apples

From light drizzles of milk, dark or white to a full blanket of velvety chocolate, caramel isn’t the only topping used to completely cover an apple. Often times, chocolate-dipped apples are decorated with extra trimmings, such as cookie crunch, chocolate chips, marshmallows, M&Ms, or sprinkles.

Fruit

Whether fresh or dried, chocolate covered or dipped fruit go beyond Valentine’s Day strawberries or your typical box of Raisinettes. There is no end to the fruity sweet treats that take advantage of a chocolate makeover. Take a walk on the wild side and sample berries, figs, cherries, dried apricots, and dried apple rings drenched in chocolate.

Fortune Cookies

You’ll certainly feel lucky when you indulge in a chocolate dipped fortune cookie. This small treat is often dressed with extra toppings, such as mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts (like almonds and peanuts).

Potato Chips

Chocolate covered potato chips represent the ultimate union between salty and sweet. When making at home, choose potato chips with ridges because they keep their shape and crispiness despite coming in contact with heated chocolate. Feeling adventurous? Decorate with toffee bits or crushed hazelnuts.

Cookies and Brownies

A drizzle of chocolate or generous coat of the sweet stuff transforms a simple oatmeal cookie or walnut brownie into an addicting treat. Generally, brownies and cookies are halfway dipped in chocolate to avoid an overload of sweetness. One of the most sought-after of chocolate covered cookies is the Oreo, which comes in milk and white chocolate varieties.

Spoons

Add a bit of pizzazz to hot chocolate or coffee with a chocolate dipped spoon. To create your own at home, simply dip a plastic spoon in melted semi-sweet or white baking chips. Cool on a sheet of wax paper before placing in the freezer.

Other chocolate covered treats to consider include:

• Rice Krispie Treats
• Cheesecake Bites
• Shortbread
• Marshmallows
• Mints
• Cubes of Pound Cake
• Bananas

Truffles. Photo courtesy of mhaithaca

Any true chocoholic has spent a lot more time then they’d care to admit either pressing their noses against the front window of a chocolaterie, or drooling over a beautiful glass display case, housing the most beloved and cherished chocolaty treat of all time – truffles. 

Invented in 1625 by John Labarge, the humble chocolate truffle is traditionally a sphere like entity with a chocolate ganache center, encompassed by more chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. However, history has seen several changes made to this cute confectionery – cream, nuts, liqueurs, berries, nougat, toffee, caramel, marshmallow, even wasabi has made its way into the recipes and hearts of chocolate lovers around the world. 

But one need not wander a chocolate shop dreamily, wishing for lots of money to throw down on a $4 or $5 taste of heaven. In fact, these delightful delicacies can be made right in the comfort of your own home at very little expense. 

THE BASIC TRUFFLE:

The trick is to begin with something simple, like a plain chocolate truffle, nothing fancy, but still sinfully good. Then later, once you have perfected your truffle technique, you can add different extracts and flavours to modify the original recipe. 

Ingredients:

- 12 ounces of chopped or broken bittersweet chocolate 
- 1/3 cup of cream (heavy cream is ideal, but ordinary cream will suffice) 
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

photo courtesy of photojenni

Method:

1. Heat cream and chocolate together in a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture luxuriously smooth.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add vanilla extract and whisk, whisk, whisk!
4. Pour into a new container or dish and leave to cool in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour, until sufficiently cooled, but not hard.
5. Roll into balls and roll in the topping of your choice.
6. (TIP: When rolling truffles, keep placing your hands on a package of crushed ice to keep your hands cool. This helps avoid melting the truffles into gooey messes.)

And there you have it – truffles galore right in your very own kitchen! Also, truffles make excellent gifts if packaged in tissue paper and presented in a pretty little box. Nothing says love quite like a homemade truffle (and nothing tastes quite as sweet either)!

The next time a dark chocolate candy bar with nuts is calling your name – you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in its rich, smooth sweetness. Dark chocolate actually possesses a handful of health benefits that goes beyond tasting good and serving as a remarkable comfort food.

There’s no denying the power of chocolate, as it contains ingredients that stimulate the body in more ways than one. The serotonin found in dark chocolate works to decrease stress and combats depression. Other ingredients increase the production of endorphins, which fills your body with that unforgettable feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. Other substances, such as theobromine and caffeine, contribute an energetic and pleasing boost of energy that lifts the spirits.

The Health Factors of Dark Chocolate

Since chocolate comes from a plant, it offers some of the same health benefits as dark vegetables. Like other plants, it contains flavonoids, which provide beneficial antioxidants to the body. Eat dark chocolate in moderation and you can lessen the damage of free radicals, which contributes to heart disease and causes your body to age at a faster rate. When compared to strawberries, you’ll be surprised to know that dark chocolate contains nearly eight times more antioxidants.

It’s the flavonoids in dark chocolate that also aids in maintaining a healthy blood pressure and helps create a balance in hormones throughout the body. Studies have proven that daily consumption of just a small amount of dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure in patients that suffer high blood pressure. An up to 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) is also linked to eating dark chocolate.

However, many people shy away from chocolate because they feel it contains a lot of calories, but you’ll be pleased to know that some of the fats in chocolate are healthy. Oleic acid is the same healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, while stearic acid provides a saturated fat with a neutral effect on cholesterol. The saturated fat linked to raising cholesterol levels and increasing the risk for heart disease only accounts for one-third of the fat content in chocolate.

5 Stay-Healthy Chocolate Tips

From promoting a physically fit heart to serving the cardiovascular system, you don’t have to feel guilty about routinely eating a small bar of dark chocolate. A few suggestions to help you get the most out of dark chocolate health benefits include:

• Don’t exceed more than 100 grams (or 3.5 ounces) of dark chocolate per day in order to maximize health benefits.
• Choose dark chocolate containing a 65% or higher cocoa content.
• Resembling chocolate chips, many organic trail mixes contain raw cacao in the form of cacoa nibs – unroasted, unsweetened bits of healthy chocolate.
• Add raw organic cocoa powder to soy ice cream or refreshing smoothies.
• For a flavorful healthy treat, select dark chocolate with nuts, orange peel, and natural flavorings.

Great resources for dark chocolate: Chocolate.com, See’s Candies.