Rural Missouri - February 2013 - (Page 24)

H E A R T H & H O M E Show your love with delicious chocolate treats this Valentine’s Day A by Heather Berry hberry@ruralmissouri.coop page design by Megan Schibi ccording to Lindt, the master Swiss chocolatier, chocolate is so vital that every single American and Russian space voyage has included chocolate bars for the astronauts to enjoy. While there are some people who say they don’t love the confection, it certainly is one — if not the most — popular ﬂavor on Earth. From candy kisses to towering wedding cakes, we consume it with a passion. And yes, for some it’s as vital as that cup of coffee to begin each day. Although America doesn’t produce as much of the delicious stuff as European countries, we do consume nearly half of the world’s chocolate supply. While a steady diet of it might cause a slight tightening around the waistline for some addicts, chocolate, in small doses, might actually be beneﬁcial — just buy bars with a higher cocoa content. Chocolate is known to offer antioxidant beneﬁts, which help rid our bodies of those free radicals that cause us to age. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, dark chocolate offers more bang for your antioxidant buck than blueberries. The bottom line is that indulging in a bit of the decadent treat, whether you choose light or dark, might satisfy you better than the Big Gulp fountain soda you down daily. No need for guilt when you enjoy chocolate in moderation. Chocolate Chippers Double Chocolate Cake 3-1/4 cups ﬂour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1-1/3 cups butter, softened 1-1/4 cups sugar 1 cup light brown sugar, ﬁrmly packed 2 eggs 4 teaspoons vanilla 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional) 1 18-ounce package chocolate cake mix 1 4-ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix 4 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup water 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ﬂour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat butter and both sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and ﬂuffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in ﬂour mixture on low speed until mixed well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Note: For another variation, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the ﬂour mixture. Add 1 cup each dried cranberries, chopped macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips in place of the semisweet chocolate chips and walnuts. Dangerous Chocolate Chocolate Marble Loaf 1/3 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups cake ﬂour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 2/3 cup milk 3 egg whites, well beaten 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted 2 tablespoons hot water 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Cream shortening and sugar together; add vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold egg whites into mixture. Combine melted chocolate, water and baking soda; add to half of the batter, stirring gently until blended. Alternate light and dark batters by spoonfuls into a greased and ﬂoured 4-by-8-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Note: For a twist, add 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to light batter and continue with recipe. 24 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, sour cream and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips; pour into prepared pan. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool a half hour, then invert onto a serving plate. WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP 4 tablespoons ﬂour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 tablespoon chocolate chips 1 egg 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil 3 tablespoons milk 1/4 teaspoon vanilla A pinch of salt Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Dump all the ingredients into a coffee mug and mix thoroughly. (You don’t want any powdery mixture in the bottom.) Put the mug in the microwave for about three minutes on high, depending on your microwave. (The center should still be a bit wet when it’s done.) Let the chocolate mixture cool for a minute or two before eating. You might ask, “Why this is is called “Dangerous Chocolate?” Well, because now you’re always only 5 minutes away from a rich chocolate cake treat any time of day — and that could be extremely dangerous. http://WWW.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - February 2013

Rural Missouri - February 2013
Table of Contents
Comments
Columns
A lasting tribute
Preparing for the worst
Whittling wildlife
Outdoors
Out of the Way Eats
Our history with Missouri’s future leaders
Hearth and Home
The cowboy way of life
Co-ops care
Around Missouri
Marketplace
Neighbors
Just4Kids

Rural Missouri - February 2013