What’s all the fuss about chocolate?
Published November 24, 2011It’s the chocolate effect. You’re feeling as angry as a raging beast, cross and out of sorts. Nothing’s going right. Your day is falling apart at the seams. You’re exhausted and fed up, feeling unattractive and gloom-ridden. Yet you reach for chocolate and voila – suddenly everything looks better. It’s that lovely little chocolate high. And it’s addictive!
Who first came up with the idea? Apparently the ancient Aztecs used cocoa in their grisly human sacrifice rituals. But it was Europeans who added milk and sugar to create the taste so many of us know and love today. It’s hard to imagine life without chocolate.
Different countries have different chocolate. In the USA there’s typically very little coca and loads of other junk thrown in. The texture is slimy and unpleasant and can leave you feeling slightly ‘poisoned’. In some European countries – like Belgium and Switzerland – chocolate is a fine art and they’d probably treat the humble British Mars bar with the contempt they feel it deserves! In the UK we sit on the fence. Our everyday chocs like Snickers and bars of Galaxy have enough cocoa in them to make the chocolate taste totally delicious. But there’s also a growing underground movement, now going mainstream, of people who simply adore choc with a super-high cocoa content. It’s seriously grown up, wonderfully flavoursome, rich and luxurious.
The ethical and fair trade sector is growing apace and brings its own chocolate marvels to the party. Take mouth watering Zotter chocolate, available in all manner of amazing flavours like chilli, delicious mint and the fabulously delicious Thank You Mitzi Blue Chocolate Bar, a masterpiece in quality milk chocolate liberally laced with nutty cashew pieces. There’s the intense Butter Caramel hand-scooped chocolate bar with layers and layers of caramel, soft nougat and crispy cracknel. There’s chocolate to die for with rich, dark chocolate mousse and piquant candied ginger. An enormous collection of unique Zotter chocolate treats awaiting you, each beautifully wrapped and packaged for the perfect ethical Christmas gift.
Apparently more women love chocolate than men. But once hooked, a chocolate-obsessed man can enjoy quality chocs just as much as the best of us. As a Christmas or birthday gift, you can’t really go wrong with chocolate. There are very few choc haters out there: human beings seem to be hard-wired for the stuff.
What about the kids? Weaning them on to quality choc early means they eat less sugar. On the down-side, they’ll be stealing your chocs for years to come. On balance maybe it’s best to keep your Zotter chocs to yourself and hide them from your little ones!
Fair trade ingredients for guilt-free brownies
Published September 26, 2011If you love gooey brownies, here is one of the best recipes around. People often think brownies are difficult and don’t have a go at doing them at home, but this recipe is really easy to follow. Baking your own brownies rather than eating shop bought ones means you know exactly what’s in them and while it may be calorific, at least it can be ethical. This recipe highlights which ingredients can be sourced ethically using fair trade, organic or free range ingredients. They make the perfect present and are an example of the great ethical and fairtrade gifts you can create at home for friends and loved ones. This recipe makes about 20 small squares of brownies.
- 150g fairtrade dark chocolate.
- 25g fairtrade cocoa powder.
- 150g organic butter.
- 75g plain organic flour.
- 3 medium free range eggs.
- 3/4 tsp salt (you can use more or less depending on personal preference).
1. Start by greasing and lining a medium size roasting tray and set the oven to 180 Degrees C.
2. Melt the butter and the chocolate together in a bowl placed over simmering water.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together until they are smooth and creamy. This can be done by hand or with a whisk.
4. Whisk the chocolate with the eggs and sugar, pouring it in bit by bit.
5. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and give them a good mix. Then fold them all into the mixture, followed by carefully pouring the mixture into the tin.
6. Check after 20 minutes and if it doesn’t feel set, allow another five minutes, but be careful not to overcook it.
7. Let it cool down for at least 20 minutes if you can.
These delicious, guilt free brownies are perfect to hand around for guests or give away as small fairtrade gifts. They will last a few days in an airtight container and are fine in the fridge.
