Chocolate festival. Let’s talk about chocolate, have you already enjoyed in your mouth?
Perhaps you will think of the film with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche where they fell in love in a French town between one praline and another. Or the last chocolate cake you gave up for its high caloric intake. I’m sure nobody has thought about the benefits that chocolate gives to body and mind, just knowing how to choose the right one.
Chocolate festival
The chocolate landed in Europe in 1502 and became a medical remedy, it was thought in fact, that it was a drug for digestion, the proper functioning of the organism and that it even healed from depression. So it was beliefs, that cocoa paste has superlative properties, today we have the security.
A basic requirement for a quality product is cocoa paste as the first ingredient, therefore attentive to labels. Bad news for lovers of the white and milk variants, the ally of our health is the flux, which should contain at least 70% cocoa; the higher the percentage, the better it is.
Chocolate festival
The cocoa, in fact, contains the flavonoids, powerful antioxidants that we also find in berries, in red wine and citrus fruits. But why are they so important for our health
- They prevent cardiovascular diseases
- They protect the arteries
- They improve memory
- Antivirals
- Anti-inflammatories
- Antiallergeni
- They fight obesity
- They help the immune system
The positive effects are many and worth taking into consideration, however we must not forget the fact that chocolate is a very caloric food, 100 grams of product bring about 500 kcal, but if introduced into a healthy and balanced diet, some small picture is it will be able to taste without guilt.
CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
An unmissable event for chocolate lovers, this year Perugia will host the Eurochocolate, at its twenty-fifth edition. From October 19th to 28th the Umbrian capital will be invaded by thousands of gluttons. For the occasion, three “tourist” packages have been created, which will allow participants to take part in the most prestigious chocolate festival on the peninsula. Below you will find descriptions of the travel offers and their prices:
Chocolate festival
Day trip, return journey by bus + day to Eurochocolate 49 euros
Weekend travel, return journey by bus + 2 days to Eurochocolate + one night in hotel (half board) + guided tour of Assisi 129 euro
Deluxe travel, return journey by bus + 2 days to the Eurochocolate + 2 nights at the hotel (half board) + guided tour of Assisi 219 euros
And if you are a lover of art, you can not miss the open-air gallery that offers Eurochocolate every year; the most admired are the sculptors, who succeed in modeling huge blocks of chocolate, creating works worthy of a museum.
Chocolate festival
RECIPE MUD CAKE
We could not finish an article on chocolate without giving you a recipe, we present the Mud Cake, or as it is called in its country of origin “Mississippi Mud Cake”.
Literally means mud cake but do not be fooled, it has been named for its soft and creamy texture, which reminds the banks of the Mississippi River. In the United States this sweet is present in the recipes of all families. Absolute protagonist, it can only be him, the CioccoRe, which makes this cake very substantial and therefore unsuitable for frequent consumption. For special occasions, it is a pity of throat that can be granted. A delight for the palate that will bring your taste buds on an entrancing journey.
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of butter
250 grams of extra dark chocolate (70% minimum)
250 grams of sugar
130 grams of milk
4 eggs
1 sachet of vanillin
1 cup of coffee (optional)
50 grams of cocoa powder
200 grams of flour
1 sachet of baking powder
150 grams of extra dark chocolate
60 grams of fresh cream
grains of hazelnuts and pistachios
METHOD:
The first thing to do is to melt the chocolate in a bain-marie with the butter and sugar, mix all the ingredients and add the milk and the cup of coffee, continuing to mix over medium-low heat.
In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients, then the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and vanilla sachet. Mix the ingredients and gently add the mixture previously dissolved in a bain-marie.
CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL
Take another container, break the eggs and after adding a pinch of salt, use the whisk or electric mixer for a few minutes at medium speed, until they are light and fluffy.
Add them to the mixture and mix with a spatula from bottom to top, this step is very important to avoid disassembling the mixture.
The game is done; take a 22 cm diameter cake tin, with butter and flour and then pour the mixture.
Static oven at 150 degrees for an hour and a half.
Now comes the easy and fun part, the preparation of the chocolate ganache; Once again melt the remaining chocolate (150 gr) with the bain-marie liquid cream, stirring occasionally. When it has reached a smooth and shiny consistency and the kitchen will be flooded with the dense scent of chocolate, you can pour it on the mud cake. To decorate, add the grains of hazelnuts and pistachios or alternatively a small pile of red fruits in the center. Enjoy your meal!
“There is not so much metaphysics on earth as in a chocolate”
(Fernando Pessoa)
Read also: How to prepare a good cake with honey