!#8# Eating Dark Chocolate Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Eating Dark Chocolate Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

!±8± Eating Dark Chocolate Can Lower Your Blood Pressure

I love chocolate! I believe many would say the same thing. But until recently, I did not know that not all chocolates are created equal. I read studies that "dark" chocolate contains cocoa phenols which have shown to lower blood pressure. Not to mention it is rich in anti-oxidants which help fight free radicals, destructive molecules which contribute to heart disease and other ailments.

Now milk chocolate and white chocolate on the other hand contains very little or no health benefits whatsoever. It's delicious and palatable, I know but it is believed that the milk interferes with the delivery of any health benefits that dark chocolate possesses. Oh, and you may want to forget about washing down that healthy dark chocolate you ate with a glass of milk, also.

But how do you get pass that bitter taste that dark chocolate has? If you're like me and have a sweet tooth it is tough to enjoy a piece of dark chocolate because of that bitter taste. So let's get creative. One way I found to enjoy dark chocolate is in a recipe called Warm and Soft Chocolate.

It is a recipe for a chocolate cup cake where inside contains a warm molten dark chocolate that oozes out when you cut into it. It is amazing! It makes the dark chocolate more palatable.

Here is the recipe for the Warm and Soft Chocolate:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more to butter the molds
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons flour, plus more for dusting

Method:

1. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted. While that's heating, beat together the eggs, yolks, and sugar with a whisk or electric beater until light and thick.

2. Beat together the melted chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined.

3. Butter and lightly flour four 4-ounce molds, custard cups, or ramekins. Tap out the excess flour, then butter and flour them again. Divide the batter among the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat, for up to several hours; bring them back to room temperature before baking.)

4. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 7 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will be set.

5. Invert each mold onto a plate and let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately.