08
Feb
Chocolate and Valentine’s Day come hand in hand, and it’s true that chocolate has been the most popular gift idea to celebrate the romantic season.
There is always something so alluring about chocolate that makes it difficult to resist, especially for a romantic gesture. The taste is heavenly. Not only it melts in the mouth with overflowing divine flavors, but it also melts the recipient’s heart in delight.
Considering the number of chocolates bought every year for Valentine’s Day, asking the reason why chocolate is the most preferred gift is a valid question.
Chocolate has aphrodisiac qualities
According to legends, chocolate contains aphrodisiac qualities which makes it the perfect goodie during Valentine’s Day.
It is believed that chocolate can fuel desire and make people more open to romantic relationships. Eating chocolate is known to release soothing chemicals producing a feeling of high, a similar sensation to being in love.
Chocolate affects people emotionally
It has been proven that chocolate can uplift people’s mood, having a huge effect on them emotionally.
Giving chocolates is not only to commemorate one’s love, but is also used in various ways whether to show gratitude, express apologies, regenerate old friendships, or even to simply enhance one’s mood during times of misery.
Chocolate has various health benefits
Chocolate is good for the heart, and we mean it literally. Dark chocolates, especially chocolate couverture, are beneficial for your health being. The darker the chocolate, the more health benefits it covers.
Some benefits include chemicals that can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure to keep your heart healthy and may also lower the risk of cancer.
Other evidence also says that dark chocolate may improve brain function by increasing your concentration as it contains stimulating substances.
For those who love chocolate but are worried about gaining weight, you don’t need to. Dark chocolate couverture, when consumed in a reasonable amount, may actually help reduce the desire to eat unhealthy foods, thus maintaining your weight.
Furthermore, chocolate is even better for skin. Dark chocolate contains substances that increase hydration and skin density, creating a glow and youthful look to your face.
Choosing your chocolate gift for Valentine’s Day
Not only is chocolate tasty and packed with healthy benefits, chocolate is great to be mixed with all sorts of other ingredients such as almonds, cookies, peanut butter, cashews, and more.
Make your Valentine’s Day even more special by creating a simple homemade chocolate praline for your loved one. Some ideas may include:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle
- Dark Chocolate Balls Filled with Pecans
- Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Squares
- Chocolate Pretzel Truffles
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
To take full of advantage of dark chocolate’s benefits, make sure to choose premium quality chocolate products with high cocoa content like the ones that Puri Pangan Utama offers.
As Bali’s leading food distributor, Puri Pangan Utama strives to provide the best quality products for your Valentine’s Day celebration.
Dark Chocolate Balls Filled with Pecans Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 ounces of Schoko Dark Chocolate Couverture
- 2 ½cups of pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of vanilla
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- ¼ cup of bourbon
Steps
• Using a medium-sized bowl, stir pecans, crumbs of graham cracker, salt, and brown sugar together until it forms a well-combined mixture.
• Add vanilla, maple syrup, and bourbon to the bowl. Stir accordingly.
• Use your hands to make sure it is thoroughly mixed together.
• Form the mixture into small balls. Place the balls on a sheet and freeze for at least 2 hours.
• Separately, melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set on top of boiling water.
• Take the frozen balls and dip it into the melting chocolate.
• Place the chocolate balls on a baking sheet and let it sit until firm.
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