Chocolate chocolate – everybody screams for chocolate!

Best combo for the winter = hot cocoa ……with a choc chip cookie

Some facts about chocolate – use it…don’t use it

 

• The smell of chocolate increases brain waves, which triggers relaxation
• White chocolate isn’t technically chocolate.  As it contains no cocoa solids or cocoa liquor
• It takes approximately 400 cocoa beans to make 450 g of chocolate
• M& M’s were created in 1941 for soldiers to enjoy chocolate without melting
• Eating dark chocolate every day reduces the risk of heart disease by one-third (now that is what I’m talking about!!!!!)
• Chocolates can sicken or even kill dogs.  (keep it with you at all times……)

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1  cup                  Brown sugar

1  cup                  White sugar

250g                    Butter

2                           Eggs

3  cups                 Cake flour

3tsp                      Baking powder

200g                    Chocolate chips

1tsp                       Vanilla essence

 

Method:

Creamy brown sugar, white sugar and butter together until creamy.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla essence.  Mix the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the butter mixture.

Roll into balls or shapes and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C.

Cool down on a cooling rack and hide the cookie jar!!!!

Hot Cocoa (makes 2 cups)

 

Ingredients:

4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tbsp sugar (if you like it sweet)

pinch of salt

2  cups milk

2 chocolate lindt balls

mini marshmallows

 

Method:

Mix cocoa, salt, sugar and bit of milk together to make a paste

Add rest of milk and bring to boil in a pot. Pour hot chocolate into your favourite mug and finish it off with your favourite lindt chocolate balls and a handful of mini marshmallows.

 

Pork without apple is like ‘’slap chips’’ without vinegar……..

Pork chops with apple sauce and crushed herb potatoes

 

Ingredients:  Pork chops with apple sauce

2tbsp                    Oil

2                            Pork chops

½                          Onions, sliced

2tbsp                    Balsamic vinegar

120ml                   Chenin blanc

1tbsp                     White sugar

120ml                   Water

40ml                     Cream

½                          Green apple, skin on and cut into wedges

½                          Red apple, skin on and cut into wedges

 

 

Method:

Sear pork chops in hot pan with oil.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan and keep aside while preparing the sauce.  In the same pan:  fry onion until golden brown, add more oil if necessary.  Add balsamic vinegar, chenin blanc, white sugar and water and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the pork chops back into the pan with cream and apple wedges.  Simmer for another 10 minutes and serve with crushed herb potatoes.

 

 

Ingredients: Crushed herb potatoes

2tbsp                   Canola oil

Spring onion, chopped

4                           Medium potatoes (cut into wedges and roasted with skin on for 20 minutes)

2tbsp                   Butter

10ml                    Chopped chives

5ml                      Lemon zest

60ml                    Full cream milk

 

 

Method:

Heat canola oil in a pan and add spring onions.  Fry for 2 minutes and add roasted potatoes, butter, chopped chives, lemon zest, salt, pepper and full cream milk.  Fry for 5 minutes and take a whisk and crush the potatoes in the pan.