Chocolate cakes are relatively healthy desserts if you use good quality chocolate with high percentage cacao. Now days, organic dark chocolate are available almost everywhere, and will allow to make this recipe even more healthy.

In addition, this recipe does not use wheat, so it can be tasted by anyone, even people having allergies.

Sugar is not considered as healthy but brown sugar or honey will be a better choice than white sugar. Be careful to allergies. Some people may be allergic to honey.

History of Chocolate:

The cacao seeds were discovered in South America, 2000 years ago, by the Maya and Aztec populations. Later, in the 1500s, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds in Europe. Since then it is the favorite desert of European and North Americans.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

• 800 gr dark chocolate (70% or more)
• 180 gr butter
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar

Optional: orange juice 1/4 cup or orange zest, vanilla seeds, ginger powder, pepper/species (not for children)

Time Required:

20 minutes preparation

20 minutes cooking

Preparation:

• Before starting the recipe, if it is possible, put the butter out of the fridge on a counter top to warm-up at room temperature.
• Spray a round baking cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter spread a thin layer of butter.
• Just before starting, preheat oven at 180ºC or 350ºF.
• Cut the chocolate in several big pieces.

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat the butter over low heat, pour over the chocolate, stir together chocolate and butter until you get a homogenous paste.
2. Stir in four eggs and sugar. Mix well.
3. Optional: add a taste of orange, vanilla or ginger. Pour orange juice and mix well. Do not put too much juice (the cake will be too liquid). Add vanilla seeds or ginger powder and mix well.
4. Spread batter in the baking pan sprayed with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180ºC or 350ºF, until center of the cake gives slightly when touched with finger or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.
6. Optional: decorate the cake by dusting powdered white sugar and/or chocolate chips
7. Let cool completely before cutting.

This recipe has many variations. Instead of one cup of dried fruit, you can use 1/2 cup fruit and 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips just to add a little bit of choclate goodness to your Thursday.

Ingredients

Makes 20 cookies

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup dried peaches, apricots or other dried fruit, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced almonds or other chopped nuts
• 1 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until meringue forms stiff, yet billowy, glossy peaks. Set aside.
3. Mix dried fruit, nuts, cornstarch and cinnamon, if using, in separate bowl. Fold meringue into nut mixture.
4. Spoon heaping tablespoon-sized dollops onto greased baking sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper (or for ease, use 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop to drop perfect mounds).
5. Bake 40 minutes, or until meringues are lightly browned, set on outside and spring back when gently pressed in centers.

We made a batch with the choclate chips and they were gone after one afternooon. Yum.