Celebrate National Dark Chocolate Day with these Delicious Baking Ideas

The health benefits of dark chocolate are multiple, including reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, and reducing heart disease risk. But the pleasure that indulging on a delicious piece of sweet dark chocolate produces, makes this food of God’s double amazing!

This February 1^st celebrate National Dark Chocolate Day with these delicious baking ideas that you will not be able to resist. 

Dark Chocolate Treats – This Healthy Table

These simple and delicious dark chocolate treats are the perfect choice to kick-off Dark Chocolate Day celebrations. You can start small, and with easy steps that it will only take 30 minutes of preparation!

Ingredients:

6 ounces dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

2 tablespoons orange zest

1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped

Preparation:

Lay out a piece of parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate chips, in a small bowl, in the microwave for one minute. Remove and stir till all the chips have fully melted but the chocolate still remains thick.

Use a spoon to make 1 ½-inch wide discs of chocolate on the parchment paper.

Sprinkle each disc with several pomegranate seeds, a pinch of orange zest, and a pinch of pistachios.

Put the chocolate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until it has hardened.

Enjoy!

Victorian Chocolate Cake – The Food Nanny

You can plan ahead for the preparation of this cake. Make tart and then place in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving, or prepare one day ahead. You will need an 11×1 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

COURSE: Dessert

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

SERVINGS: 10

Ingredients:

Tart Crust: Makes enough for 2 tart crusts (Freeze half the dough or bake both and freeze one for later)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (Organic KAMUT® all-purpose flour is recommended)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp Gray French salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 3/4 Cups Ice water

Victorian Chocolate: Makes enough to fill 1 chocolate tart

• 1 cup good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups Heavy cream
• Sea salt to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Tart Crust:

1. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a medium-size bowl mix the flour, sugar, and salt together. Slice the cold butter into small pieces and put in with the flour mixture. With a pastry blender work the butter and flour mixture together. (Or you can use your fingers.) When you have the consistency of coarse crumbs slowly add in the ice water, 3 Tablespoons at a time. Stir with a spoon and when the dough holds together nicely without being wet or sticky you have enough water. Divide the dough in half. (If not using all the dough you can wrap one half in plastic wrap and then again in foil to freeze).
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12-inch round, using a little more flour if needed. Place the dough into the tart pan, fitting it into place, folding down any extra dough into the sides of the pan.
4. Place a regular pie pan on top of the crust (it will help the crust to stay in place) and bake at 400° for 25 min. Remove the pie pan just over halfway through the baking time.
5. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Remove the bottom of the tart pan. Set the tart aside to cool until ready to fill with the chocolate. Wrap and freeze at this point if not filling. Bake the next tart if doing so.

Victorian Chocolate:

1. In a medium size saucepan melt the chocolate with the sugar over low to medium heat. Stir until smooth. Add the cream and continue to stir over medium heat until it begins to thicken, 5 to 8 minutes. (Should be the consistency of heavy cream.) This chocolate will thicken up as it cools.
2. Take off the heat and let cool down. Stir a couple of times while cooling.
3. When your tart is cool and the chocolate has cooled but not set, fill the tart with the chocolate. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle LIGHTLY with sea salt before serving.

The Victorian Chocolate Cake can serve with a dab of whipped cream or Crème Fraîche on the side.