Healthy Dessert Recipes
Just as there’s no point running a race if there’s no finish line, there’s almost no point eating dinner without dessert. Usually a sweet reward, the word “dessert” originally comes from the French dessevir, meaning, “to clear the table.” The custom of a post-meal course is likely very old, dating back to the simple enjoyment of fruits and nuts. Our western tradition of dessert as a sweet, decadent treat, however, is much newer, a result of the 19th century rise of the...
Read MoreChocolate Chip Cookies
What causes the chocolate chip cookie to stand the test of time is its ability to win over the hearts of old and young alike. You would be hard pressed to find a person who didn’t enjoy some form of chocolate chip cookie, and so this amazing, simple dessert is still sought out by people looking for a great treat to make for themselves and for friends and family. And, fortunately for people who are following alternative diets, such as vegans, people with gluten intolerance, and those who are looking for...
Read MoreGluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
It’s an easy scenario to imagine: in anticipation of houseguests, you’ve spent hours in the kitchen preparing a delicious snack. Always mindful of your guests’ dietary needs and preferences, you’ve ordered vegan chocolate chips, tracked down a recipe for vegan cookies, and made all the necessary substitutions in your recipe. But once your guests arrive and it comes time to sample your snacks, several of them are forced to pass, citing a strict gluten free diet. Today, more people than ever...
Read MoreDairy Free Chocolate Coins
The current trend of using chocolate coins for promotional purposes or to celebrate special occasions is most likely derived from the tradition of Hanukkah gelt (Yiddish for “money”). Long before there was interest in dairy free chocolate coins, Jewish adults gave real coins as gifts to children in order to enhance their holiday experience. In the twentieth century, American chocolate makers caught on to the coin idea and began producing chocolate gelt, candies shaped and stamped like coins and...
Read MoreSoy Chocolate Milk
The stature of chocolate milk as a mainstay of American culture and lore needs little elaboration. From “chocolate milk comes from chocolate cows,” to Ralphie’s obsession with downing Ovaltine to acquire his beloved decoder ring in the mail, chocolate milk has been a mainstay of popular American culture throughout the 20th century. Strictly speaking, chocolate milk is a sweetened milk drink flavored with cocoa. The two traditional ways to enjoy chocolate milk are either as a pre-mixed beverage,...
Read MoreVegan Chocolate Chip Cake
Interestingly enough, the appeal of a chocolate cake containing no animal products came long before vegetarianism and veganism became popular lifestyle choices the world over. During and following World War II in Great Britain, which at the time imported roughly 70% of their foodstuffs per year, the Ministry of Food instituted rations on several dietary staples, including butter, bacon, sugar, and eggs. Each citizen had to register with local shops, and a coupon-based system was set up to ensure that individuals...
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