Chocolate history begins two thousand years ago, when cacao trees used to be cropped in South America. The Maya cropped cacao trees which they brought from the tropical rainforests.
They harvested, fermented, roasted and grounded the cocoa seeds in order to transform them into a paste. This paste was then mixed with water, chili peppers and corn flour to make a foamy, spicy chocolate drink.
Christopher Columbus (1502) was the first explorer who took contact with New World cocoa beans. Brought to Europe, they didn’t get too much attention because no one knew what they were good for.
Even though chocolate wasn’t very appreciated in the past, because nobody knew how the cocoa beans were to be prepared, slowly it became a true delicacy. Nowadays chocolate is made in different shapes and ranges.
What started out as being a spicy, bitter drink used in religious processions ended up as the most loved sweet product of the world.
In the following you’ll find out chocolate preparation tricks and some delicious chocolate recipes, even vegetarian ones.
How do we melt chocolate?
Chocolate can be melted in the microwave oven as well as using the bain-marie technique. There are a couple of elementary rules you should have in mind when melting chocolate:- Chocolate must be cut in even parts, so it’ll melt evenly;
- Avoid water contact, make sure that the containers and the tools that are to be used are dry;
- Melt the chocolate at a low temperature so it won’t clot;
- Frequently stir the melting chocolate using a plastic spatula.
Chocolate delicacy
Here’s a great chocolate dessert, very tasty and easy to make.Chocolate cheesecake
Ingredients:24 crumbled cocoa cookies
¼ cup of melted butter or margarine
200 grams of cream cheese (Philadelphia or something else, they could even be mixed together)
1 cup of sugar
2 spoons of flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavored sugar
200 grams of melted (unsweetened) baking chocolate
4 eggs
½ cup of bilberries (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven at 170° C.
Mix the cookie crumbs with the butter, layer on the bottom of a 22 x 12 cm oven tray and press, the oven tray has to have baking paper on. Let in the oven for 10 minutes.
Mix the cream cheese with the sugar, flour and vanilla flavored sugar using a mixer until they’re all homogenized. Add the melted baking chocolate and mix well. Add the eggs one by one and mix them at a low speed until they homogenize. Pour this mix over the cookie crust.
Leave in the oven for 45 minutes, until the center of the cake is almost ready. Let it cool down and then put it in the fridge for 4 hours. Use the baking paper to take the cake out of the oven. Add the bilberries on top.
Vegetarian chocolate delights
Even though you’re a vegetarian, you can still treat yourself with some chocolate delights. Here are some ideas:Chocolate cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup of flour
1 cup of white sugar
¼ cup of cocoa
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ tablespoon of salt
1/3 cup of vegetal oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla flavored sugar
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 cup of water
Preparation:
Preheat the oven at 175° C, grease an oven tray (22 x 12 cm). The composition can be put in muffin shapes.
Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla flavored sugar, vinegar and water. Then homogenize until this mixture becomes a cream.
Put the mixture in the tray and then in the oven (at 175° C) and leave it there for 45 minutes. After it’s ready, take it out of the oven and let it cool down.
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