Believe it or not, to satisfy a real chocolate craving, it doesn't have to be fattening. These days chocolate is in rennaisance! There are hoards of recipes for cocoa drinks which are not even sweet, but savory and herbed, many even spicy peppery hot ! Well, let me tell you this, if you buy unsweetened cocoa, you have a very versatile ingredient. The quality of the cocoa really makes a difference, but there's a big difference in price as well, so whatever you can afford.
Here's my recipe for a cocoa paste you can keep in the fridge and whip into a hot or cold drink anytime you have a craving for chocolate :
In small jar, measure desired amount of unsweetened cocoa, and add just enough sugar to make it palatable, and (suggestion might be, to a 1/4 cup cocoa, add 1 to 2 Tblsp sugar, or honey, or maple syrup (or why not sugar substitute?) -- and drizzle just enough really hot water over it to make a thick pasty syrup. Adjust sweetener if too bitter, but keep it as bitter as you can stand, because you will be training your tastebuds to taste the chocolate, and not the sugar. A tiny splash of vanilla or almond extract goes a long way in the way of flavor, without adding sugar or calories.
Now, from this jar you can take a spoonful as a base for hot chocolate made by pouring boiling water over it, and top it off with milk (like one does with coffee)....or.... stir a spoonful into nonfat/lowfat milk, hot or cold...or into your coffee for a mocha. Voila!
This can't be half bad, goes a long way as far as satisfying chocolate cravings. You might love it so much you'll be needing to make larger batches.
Note: I have found this paste doesn't last too awfully long in the fridge, probably because of the low sugar content, so watch it past a week, or just make up some more.
~ A Healthier Cocoa Choice ~
