Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for you. Under certain circumstances.

Katherine Tallmadge, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says, in the February 9, 2005, WASHINGTON POST, that “cacao, or cocoa beans, contain ‘flavanols,’ naturally occurring plant compounds also found in tea, red wine, and apples. Their properties have been studied as heart disease inhibitors.”

Carl L. Keen, chair of the department of nutrition at University of California, Davis, states in the same article that “the flavanols in cocoa help maintain a healthy vascular system. They reduce blood clotting -- an aspirin like effect -- reduce oxidative damage and improve blood flow.”

Unfortunately the flavanols in chocolate a Chocolate Is Good For You Recipe

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Why Chocolate Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hand

by News Canada

(NC)—Ever wonder why those delicious little chocolates hardly ever melt in your hand? Pop them in your mouth, and they transform into soft, gooey liquid. Here's the secret…

The way chocolate is manufactured has changed considerably. Originally, chocolate was made with cocoa butter, derived from cocoa beans. Cocoa butter naturally melts at the temperature in your mouth: 37ºC. This is about as hot as a tropical jungle! Over time, the price of cocoa butter escalated, and its supply became somewhat unstable. As a result, chocolate manufacturers turned to cocoa butter alternatives like those derived from coconut oil, palm oil, and shea oil – which comes from the Shea-Karite tree, native to tropical Africa.

However, these butters don't possess the Why Chocolate Melts In Your Mouth, Not In Your Hand Recipe

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Chocolate Cookie Buttons

by News Canada

1/2 cup (125 ml) butter, softened

1/2 cup (125 ml) dark brown sugar

1/3 cup (75 ml) granulated sugar

1 egg

4 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla

1 -3/4 cup (425 ml) Five Roses All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp (2 ml) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt

Coating:

12 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped

3 squares White Chocolate

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). In a bowl, cream butter. Beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until very smooth. Beat in egg. Microwave chocolate on medium for 1 min. Stir until smooth. Stir chocolate and vanilla into creamed mixture. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Roll teaspoonfuls (5 ml) of dough into small balls. Place on lightly buttered baking sheet and s Chocolate Cookie Buttons Recipe

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