If you are part of the group of “chocolatiers anonymous” you will understand how any time is good to consume this food, but the coldest days give us especially good reasons to make a hot chocolate already.
From the acquisition of the ingredients for the confection, to the preparation, until ending with the long-awaited tasting, the preparation of this drink requires more care than you can imagine.
Everything so that, in the end, it looks perfect and you can enjoy yourself on the sofa, with a blanket over your knees, watching a movie. As such, check out good reasons to make a hot chocolate now.
CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH
This is not to say that you should eat chocolate as if the world were ending tomorrow, but a square of dark chocolate per day, as it is the purest of all, it can have great benefits. So, if you still doubt whether you have good reasons to make hot chocolate now, check out the benefits of chocolate for your health.
1. It’s good for the heart and circulation
A recent study found that dark chocolate helps restore flexibility in the arteries, as well as preventing white blood cells from building up in the walls of blood vessels – both common causes of arterial blockage.
2. Reduces the risk of stroke
Researchers from Finland found that eating chocolate reduces the risk of suffering a stroke – by an astonishing average of 17% when compared to people who don’t consume this food.
3. It is rich in minerals
Dark chocolate is packed with beneficial minerals such as potassium, zinc and selenium, and a 100g bar of dark chocolate 70% or higher provides 67% of the recommended daily allowance of iron.
4. Lowers cholesterol
Consumption of cocoa has been shown to reduce bad cholesterol levels and help improve good cholesterol levels.
5. It’s good for your skin
The flavonoids in dark chocolate can protect the skin from sun damage.
6. It can help you lose weight
Yes it’s true! Neuroscientist Will Clower says that a small square of good dark chocolate melted on the tongue 20 minutes before a meal triggers the hormones in the brain to assume they are full, thus decreasing the amount of food you can consume.
7. It’s good for mothers and baby
A Finnish study found that chocolate reduced stress in pregnant women and that the babies of such mothers smiled more often than the offspring of parents who did not eat chocolate.
8. Can prevent diabetes
It sounds like a highly contradictory idea, but cocoa has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. So dark chocolate—again, when consumed in moderation—may delay or prevent the onset of diabetes.
9. Chocolate is good for the brain
Flavonoids are thought to reduce the memory loss in older people and the anti-inflammatory qualities of dark chocolate have been found to be beneficial in treating brain injuries such as contusion.
10. Chocolate makes anyone happy
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, which is the same chemical your brain creates when it feels like it’s falling in love. Therefore, by consuming chocolate you are encouraging the brain to release happy endorphins.
5 TIPS FOR THE BEST HOT CHOCOLATE EVER
It’s a simple drink to prepare, but it requires some care. Check which ones:
1. Start by choosing a high quality chocolate – the purer the better.
2. If using powder, be sure to use chocolate in chocolate and not cocoa.
3. Decide how strong or sweet you want your hot chocolate.
4. Consider how thick and how it feels.
5. Indulge!
caramelized hot chocolate
Kitchen:Portuguese
Type:candy
Setup time:00:30
Ingredients
- 150g dark chocolate
- 250ml of milk
- 250ml of cream
- 75gr of sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 80gr of hazelnuts
preparation method
- Make the caramel by putting the sugar in a pan until it melts.
- Meanwhile, mix the milk with the cream and the previously crushed hazelnuts.
- Place this mixture in a pan over medium heat until it boils.
- As soon as the milk threatens to spill, turn off the heat and cover the pan.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Once the caramel has formed, add the milk mixture to incorporate.
- Add the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean.
- Let it boil for 3 minutes.
- Place the chopped chocolate in a container and pour the hot strained milk over it.
- Mix until the chocolate melts and then use a whisk to make it more homogeneous.
