February 8, 2001

Prairie Fare: Here’s to Chocolate Lovers

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

It’s been said that if chocolate melts in your hands, you’re eating it too slowly. Chocolate has tempted palates for hundreds of years. After his trip to America, Columbus brought cocoa beans to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand, who weren’t overly impressed and didn’t imagine the possibilities.

Another Spanish explorer, Cortez, observed the Aztecs enjoying a bitter beverage made with cocoa beans. Ever the entrepreneurs, Cortez and other Spaniards tweaked the appeal of the chocolate beverage by adding cane sugar to suit the tastes of Europeans.

Spanish monks later developed a way to process cocoa beans, and when a cocoa press was invented in 1828, the supply increased, making it more accessible to everyone. The first chocolate factory was established in the United States in 1765 and the popularity of chocolate soared.

Going from cocoa beans to chocolate requires several steps. The beans are roasted and cooled and the shells are removed. The shelled product is then crushed and separated into liquid chocolate and cocoa butter.

Making high quality chocolate is a real science. Cocoa butter, sugar and unsweetened chocolate are blended to make a dough. Milk chocolate, as you’d suspect, contains milk and less unsweetened chocolate. Next the mixture passes through rollers that make its consistency very smooth, and then it goes through a procedure called "conching." This kneading process is designed to improve the flavor. Sometimes another process, emulsifying, is done to break up sugar crystals and ensure the product is at its smoothest. The chocolate is then heated, cooled, reheated and finally molded into a variety of shapes and sizes.

Chocolate is a much-loved food that some may feel guilty about eating. Actually chocolate may not be as unhealthy as you might imagine. Milk chocolate contains several different types of fatty acids, including oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid which is also found in olive oil. Oleic acid is considered to be a "heart healthy" fat.

While research has shown a link between saturated fat intake and heart disease, one type of saturated fat in cocoa butter, stearic acid, seems to behave differently. A study conducted at Pennsylvania State University showed that even regularly eating 10 ounces of milk chocolate did not raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol or total cholesterol. Do you suppose they had to turn away chocoholics who wanted to participate in the study?

Chocolate also is a good source of antioxidant nutrients known as polyphenols. Antioxidants protect cells and tissues from damage by "free radicals" that roam the body and promote cardiovascular diseases and other health problems. Some studies have shown that chocolate may contain more antioxidants than tea.

Based on these studies, should you turn to chocolate as the ultimate health food? Any food can fit into a healthful diet, but moderation, balance and variety remain the keys to healthful eating. The occasional chocolate bar, cup of cocoa or rich chocolate dessert can easily fit into a healthful diet.

If you’re trying to lose weight, remember that chocolate bars are energy dense at 240 calories and and 13.5 grams of fat per typical 1.6 ounce bar. Too many calories, regardless of the source, can lead to weight gain. If you have a chocolate craving, try a few chocolate kisses to quench your craving. Unwrapping each chocolate kiss takes time.

Did anyone ever tell you to cut out chocolate to avoid getting acne? Scientific evidence hasn’t shown a link between acne and chocolate. One study included 80 Navy enlisted men with acne. One group, the "control group," avoided chocolate for four weeks. The second group, the "treatment group," consumed at least three chocolate bars every day. No differences in their skin were noted, although the control group probably was quite envious of the treatment group.

Chocolate also doesn’t appear to be as bad for the teeth as was once believed. Researchers at the Eastman Dental Center in New York reported that milk chocolate may even protect tooth enamel because of the protein, calcium and phosphate it contains.

Here’s a chocolatey recipe that originally appeared on Mazola Margarine packages. Each cupcake contains 156 calories and 7.9 grams of fat per serving. To reduce fat and cholesterol in baked products, usually two egg whites can be substituted for one whole egg.

Cocoa Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 egg whites

Procedure:
Place paper liners in 18 muffin pan cups. Sift together dry ingredients. Place margarine in mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until soft. Add vanilla. Add sugar gradually while beating. On low speed, add flour mixture alternately with water. In separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and gently fold into batter. Spoon into muffin cups, and bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, they are done. Cool in pans. Tops may be sprinkled with powdered sugar when cool. Makes 18 cupcakes.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu