Programming Resource Center

Today we’re talking about chocolate. Why? Because chocolate is delicious. Because we already have a BBB about chocolate that you can check out. And because making chocolate is actually a pretty easy (and, as I said before, delicious) program.

HISTORY

Chocolate comes from the plant theobroma cacoa  (meaning food for the gods) and was used in Mayan and Aztec religious events, where cacoa seeds were presented as gifts to the gods and hot chocolate was drunk by the people. Europeans added sugar and milk to the cacoa, making it more like the chocolate we know and love today. They also added emulsifyers to make chocolate stay hard longer and retain its shape. The industrial revolution allowed the joy of chocolate to spread world wide.

Today, Western Africa produces almost two-thirds of the worlds cocoa.

OTHER FACTS

-16 of the top 20 20 chocolate-consuming countries are European

-Americans eat about 3 billion pounds of chocolate each year, totaling over $13.1 billion dollars in sales

-Chocolate has over 500 flavor components. That’s more than twice the number of flavor components in strawberry or vanilla

-chocolate contains the stimulant phenylethytamine, which creates a slight sensation of euphoria

-eating chocolate more than 3 times a week has been associated with living longer

-chocolate is rich in copper magnesium, iron, and antioxidants

THE PROGRAM

Makes 16

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

-Microwave and freezer

-Baking sheet

-Parchment paper

-Cookie cutters in desired shapes (available for check out in the PRC, although if you have metal cookie cutters available those work better)

-1 lb milk chocolate (chocolate chips recommended)

-Microwavable bowl

-Spoon

-Other candies (like crushed nuts, M&Ms, etc) if so desired

HOW TO DO IT

1. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Arrange cookie cutters on the parchment paper.
2. pour chocolate in a bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well. Repeat until all chocolate is melted.
3. Spoon the chocolate into the cookie cutters, and try to spread the chocolate evenly. If you have enough hands, once the cookie cutters are all filled you can hold them all down and gently tap the sheet on the surface of the table. This will help smooth out the chocolate and get rid of any air bubbles.
4. If desired, add other candies or nuts.
5. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10+ minutes.
6. Gently/ slowly flip the parchment paper over on the cookie sheet and tap lightly on each chocolate to detach it from paper. If the chocolate is still in the cookie cutter after this, tap the chocolate at the edges to remove it.
7. Eat and enjoy!