Candy Making

And that fresh taste - while the candy was still warm?

Oh so tasty.

Don't get me wrong, you can buy some pretty good store candy - but it just never tastes as good as candy you make yourself.

And, when you make candy yourself, you can use a spoon and scrape the mixing pan clean. Yum...

Chocolate Is Heart Healthy!
Janette Blackwell
1663 Valentine's Day chocolates have come in heart-shaped boxes for years. And during most of that time we thought chocolate was good only for the romantic heart. Not so. A certain kind of dark chocolate, rich in “flavanols,” is good for that very heart you've got beating in your chest! The research studies are being completed, one after the other, and each one points to new healthy aspects of flavanol-rich chocolate.

To take a quick look at these studies, click below:

http://www.masterfoodsnews.com/products_detail.asp?prodId=266&brandID=126

The healthy flavanols in chocolate are bitter and unfortunately are mostly removed from chocolate processed in traditional ways. The level decreases with each step, from the bean to the cocoa powder, and ultimately to the finished product. Katherine Tallmadge, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, recommends unsweetened cocoa powder, but not the alkalized “Dutch processed” kind, which has had its flavanols reduced. Next in desirability is semisweet or bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. Some chocolates contain as much as 70 percent cocoa, but they can have as little as 35 percent. The percent of cocoa in milk chocolate can be even lower, and she does not recommend it. She says, “I recommend cocoa or an ounce per day of dark chocolate, which may be about 110 to 150 calories, depending on the chocolate. Any more than that and you're probably going to take in too many calories for weight control.”

And other possibilities are coming our way. As soon as research began to hint at the health benefits of unprocessed cocoa, Mars, Inc., makers of M&Ms and other chocolate products, began a crash research program. Its researchers worked to produce cocoa pods with certain genetic qualities, produced under certain growing conditions, and processed in a way that Mars keeps secret. The result? A process Mars calls “Cocoapro,” which preserves much of the flavanol content of chocolate while still producing the flavor chocolate lovers yearn for. Mars has now begun to release these Cocoapro products for chocolate lovers who want to be healthy too.

All we need now is a way to produce the taste and the health qualities without the calories! I observe that sugar-free chocolate candies are already on the market, and my guess is that sugar-free, high-flavanol, and, most important, DELICIOUS chocolate candy is on its way.

And, while we're waiting for healthy candy, let's enjoy a heart-healthy dessert from Cinnamonhearts.com: CHOCOLATE ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH RASPBERRIES

Recipe author Dana Jacobi says, “I like serving this Chocolate Angel Food Cake with fresh raspberries or strawberries. If desired, a raspberry sauce or coulis, or a commercially-prepared low-fat or fat-free chocolate sauce to drizzle over the cake will provide an even more festive holiday touch.”

1 cup sifted cake flour 1/4 cup non-alkalized cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. salt 12 large egg whites, at room temperature 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 2 half-pints (1 pint) fresh raspberries, lightly rinsed, drained and air-dried

Set rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt into a small bowl.

In a large bowl, beat whites until foamy, using a mixer on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Mix in cream of tartar. Increase speed to high and beat whites until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over whites, beating until well incorporated. Repeat, 2 tablespoons at a time, until all sugar is beaten in.

Sift one-third of flour mixture over whites. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in dry ingredients just until combined. Repeat until all flour mixture is blended in. Do not over-mix; there may still be white streaks in the batter.

Spoon the batter into deep 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom, gently smoothing it to avoid large air pockets. Immediately place cake in oven.

Bake 50 minutes, until cake feels springy when pressed in the middle with fingertips, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert pan. Cool cake upside down, resting pan on a rack with little feet, or suspending it over the neck of a tall, heavy bottle.

Run a thin, sharp knife all around sides of cake, including center. Push up bottom and remove outside ring. Invert a plate over cake. Holding it firmly in place, flip cake and plate. Run a knife between pan and cake so it drops onto plate. Lift away pan bottom. Cover cake with plastic wrap and let rest overnight. On the counter or refrigerated, it keeps 5 days.

To serve, slice cake using a serrated knife and lay portions on plates. Surround slices of cake with fresh raspberries. If desired, serve cake with a serving pitcher of raspberry or chocolate sauce. Makes 12 servings.

Per serving: 141 Cal; less than 1g Total Fat; 31 g Carb; 104 mg Sodium; 5 g Protein; 2 g Dietary Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Bread/Starch.

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Janette Blackwell enjoys helping people uncover the “hidden treasures” of the Internet with her Tastebud Tango newsletter. It will lead you to family-safe sites with bargains and freebies, delicious food and humor, and free expert help of many kinds. Find it all at http://delightfulfood.com/Archives/index.html

One of my favorite candy recipes for cold weather is peanut brittle.

PEANUT BRITTLE
1 pound (2 cups) sugar
1 teaspoonful lemon extract
1/2 pint (1 cup) golden syrup
1 gill (1/2 cup) water
2 heaping teaspoonfuls baking soda
1/2 lb. (2 cups) shelled peanuts
1 lb. (2 cups) sugar
1 oz. (2 tablespoonfuls) butter
1 teaspoonful glucose
Cook the syrup, sugar, water, and glucose until it commences to thicken and bubble; then add the butter and peanuts and stir constantly until the nuts begin to brown. Remove from the fire, beat in the lemon extract and the soda, and stir through quickly until it foams up.
Pour out on a well-greased slab and roll out very thin. Then break into pieces.
Wonderful...

From the big book of Bon Bon Recipes.

Candy Recipes

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