Cocoa butter - properties and applications. Chocolate butter Recipes with chocolate butter

A crispy bun, chocolate butter, amber rays of sunlight breaking through the curtain... What could be better than a morning like this? And so that such a wonderful breakfast is not only very tasty, but also as healthy as possible, let’s not be lazy and prepare everyone’s favorite delicacy from childhood - chocolate butter - at home.

Taste of childhood

Once upon a time, back in Soviet times, chocolate butter was produced in dairies. The classic recipe for chocolate butter in those days involved the use of fresh cow's milk and natural cocoa. This delicacy was fed to schoolchildren in pioneer camps and sanatoriums, and it was sold in culinary and confectionery shops.

Later, when the Iron Curtain opened and overseas products became available, new technologies gradually replaced the good old classics. Moreover, the domestic industry was going through hard times. The variety of recipes instantly won many fans. And only years later people began to think about quality again. The imported dessert butter that was popular by that time, chocolate and vanilla, flavored with nuts and powders, often contained completely unhealthy vegetable fats, emulsifiers, synthetic dyes and flavors. This is where the time has come to think about a long-forgotten taste from childhood.

Cooking concept: only the healthiest!

Every mother strives to give her children only the best. The question of usefulness does not lose relevance even when it comes to a favorite product, which for many is chocolate butter. Its recipe should not contain ingredients harmful to children's health. Therefore, let's put aside margarine and spread, store-bought confectionery additives, vanillin and bright dyes. For our dessert we will use only the most delicious and healthy.

Making classic chocolate butter at home

The simplest way to prepare this delicacy gives excellent results. For it we need a pack. You can hold it in a water bath or melt it in the microwave. When the butter becomes soft enough, add 3-4 tablespoons of confectionery cocoa powder and stir with a wooden spatula until it is completely dissolved. To make the butter soft and spread well on the bread, add a third of a glass of milk. How much powdered sugar to add is up to everyone to decide for themselves, based on their own taste. Usually half a glass is enough.

Once the mixture becomes homogeneous, you can add nuts - they are healthy, and their taste goes well with the chocolate base. Hazelnuts, peanuts, cashews, walnuts and pine nuts are suitable. Before adding them, you need to cut them into pieces with a knife or pound in a mortar and fry a little in a dry frying pan.

Unexpected decision

Recently, another wonderful chocolate butter recipe has been gaining popularity. Although in fact, this is not butter at all, but... fruit puree! But the taste is in no way inferior to it. This wonderful dessert is based on homemade puree, for the preparation of which you can use apples, pears, apricots, plums and even pumpkin. Fruits boiled with sugar just need to be crushed until smooth in any convenient way and boiled until thickened. Cocoa powder is added at the rate of 3 tablespoons for every 250 grams of puree. As in the classic recipe, you can add nuts, dried fruits, and sesame seeds here.

By the way, such “butter” can even be prepared for the winter by rolling it into jars.

Serving and serving

The serving classic is, of course, sandwiches. Whether it's a store-bought loaf or the freshest homemade pastries, homemade chocolate butter can turn an ordinary breakfast into a little celebration of taste! It is served with cookies and waffles, gingerbreads, shortcakes and the most ordinary bread.

Chocolate butter, prepared at home, can be a lifesaver for those mothers whose children do not like dairy products. Who would refuse a portion of cottage cheese flavored with this aromatic delicacy?

Due to its structure, this product can not only be spread on bread with a knife, but also squeezed out with the help of giving it the necessary intricate shape.

Brewed teas, coffee, milk, and cocoa are ideal drinks for sandwiches with homemade chocolate butter.

Composition and nutritional value

The oil contains the following vitamins: A, K, E, PP, D, the oil also contains monounsaturated oleic acid, 150 fatty acids, of which 20 are essential. The composition of the oil includes:

  • Carbohydrates, proteins, potassium, calcium, iron.
  • Magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, zinc and sodium.

100g of chocolate butter contains:

  • Water – 25.
  • Proteins – 1.5.
  • Fats – 62.
  • Carbohydrates – 18.6.
  • Kcal – 642.

50g of creamy chocolate butter contains 1/3 of the daily requirement of vitamin A, necessary for vision and the immune system.

Benefits of chocolate butter

  • The oil is useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It heals small ulcers in the stomach. Recommended dose – 15g.
  • Oleic acid, which is contained in the oil, helps reduce the incidence of cancer.
  • The oil is useful for residents of countries with harsh climates (helps to warm up, promotes the renewal of brain cells).

Harm from consuming oil

  • Creamy chocolate butter should be consumed in moderation as it contains high amounts of cholesterol.
  • Read the chocolate butter packaging carefully. If the product contains emulsifiers, dyes, stabilizers, then it is better to avoid such oil.

How and where to use chocolate butter

  • Chocolate butter is consumed as an independent dessert (toast with chocolate butter, spring rolls, and also as a confectionery decoration).
  • Using chocolate butter, patterns are applied to finished pies and cakes.

On the shelves of domestic stores you can find chocolate butter of various fat contents. This product is a finished confectionery product. It contains cocoa powder, food additives and butter. Chocolate butter has an excellent taste and smell of a long-known delicacy from childhood. If you want to pamper your household with delicious and healthy chocolate butter without harmful additives, prepare homemade chocolate butter.

Homemade chocolate butter recipe. Buy high-quality butter from a trusted manufacturer (200g). Powdered sugar - three tablespoons. Cocoa powder - three tablespoons. Vanilla sugar – 10g. Beat all ingredients with a mixer until smooth and place in the refrigerator. Bon appetit!

Useful information for those who count grams in their diet:

  • One teaspoon contains 4.6g of chocolate butter.
  • One tablespoon contains 14g of chocolate butter.
  • One package contains 200g of chocolate butter.

Chocolate butter- one of our favorite delicacies that we remember from childhood. In the USSR, this product was produced in dairies, and every child dreamed of it, because the product had the taste and smell of chocolate, but was somewhat cheaper. Today, chocolate butter is usually purchased for baking. It is an important ingredient in a large number of confectionery products. The simplest treat is to spread chocolate butter on bread. It remains to understand the benefits of the product, as well as understand what it can be used for.

It is important! It is not always possible to purchase a truly high-quality product in stores and markets. Often these are freeze-dried masses without taste or smell, which have an unknown origin. That is why more and more people are deciding to make chocolate butter at home.

Benefits of chocolate butter

The benefits of chocolate butter are only possible if it is made from high-quality products. This can be achieved by cooking at home or buying a high-quality product (their price is usually quite high). If everything is so, then we can highlight the following beneficial properties for the body:

  • stimulating memory by nourishing the brain (recommended in small quantities for people who engage in mental work, schoolchildren, students and the elderly);
  • normalization of blood pressure (especially useful for low blood pressure);
  • general improvement in well-being during colds, bronchitis, and flu due to its expectorant property, which helps cope with cough;
  • preventing the formation of blood clots that can form in blood vessels.

Harm to the product

Harm to the product is possible if you thoughtlessly consume chocolate butter in unlimited quantities. In this case, there is no need to talk about benefits. This product is very high in calories. That is why people who are obese are advised to limit or completely stop consuming the product. Also, people who suffer from diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases should not get carried away with chocolate butter.

But during breastfeeding and pregnancy, the use of chocolate butter is not prohibited. Of course, you need to choose exclusively products with natural ingredients, preferably prepared by hand.

Cooking features

Knowing the features of making chocolate butter at home, you can prepare a tasty and healthy product. It contains butter (by the way, it can also be made at home), a little milk, cocoa powder or grated chocolate, sugar or powdered sugar. Also add cinnamon, vanilla and nuts if desired.

The cooking technology involves the following steps:

  • melt the chocolate in a water bath;
  • add butter, vanillin, sugar;
  • stir until smooth and add cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg;
  • The mass must be mixed well until smooth, tasting and adding ingredients if necessary;
  • All that remains is to pour it into a mold and put it in the refrigerator to harden.

You can decorate the chocolate butter on top using nuts or store-bought sprinkles. We'll figure out how to use this chocolate spread below.

The above recipe also answers the question of how to make chocolate butter from butter. In fact, it is very simple: you need to add cocoa powder, grated chocolate and sugar to it, melt the products and mix well.

  • the chocolate butter cools for 10-15 minutes;
  • You need to melt the chocolate to obtain the mixture in a water bath, and the water temperature should not exceed 70 degrees;
  • It is best to replace sugar with powdered sugar, since due to its fine consistency it dissolves faster and allows you to obtain a homogeneous mass.

Best before date

The shelf life of chocolate butter is prescribed by GOSTs, according to which it is no more than a month. Some products can be stored longer if they contain special additives, but in this case there is no need to talk about benefits.

The optimal shelf life is:

  • 10 days in parchment;
  • 20 days in foil;
  • 30 days in an airtight glass jar.

What can you make from chocolate butter?

What can you make from chocolate butter? The list is quite extensive. In addition to the fact that this sweet delicacy can be eaten pure or spread on bread, it can be used to prepare:

  • cookies;
  • cakes;
  • cupcakes;
  • cakes (for example, potato cake);
  • cupcakes;
  • glaze or cream;
  • homemade sweet sausages;
  • homemade condensed milk;
  • biscuits;
  • muffins;
  • pies;
  • sweets

How to use chocolate butter? It is usually simply added to dough, cream, icing or syrup as a substitute for regular butter. As a result, you can bake almost any type of baked goods. They will acquire an amazing chocolate aroma and taste. As a result, there will be no need to add cocoa. By the way, you can add peanut or coconut oil, mint essence or vanilla, getting a healthier product with an unusual taste.

This is interesting! Today you can find chocolate oil in cosmetic stores. This is a completely different product that is useful for improving the condition of your hair and face. It has a liquid consistency and is intended for the formulation of cosmetic products and for use in cosmetology in general, for example for massage. At home, it is better to use chocolate for these purposes (you can mix it with cosmetic oils), since butter has very few beneficial properties for skin and hair.

How to replace oil?

You may need to change the butter in baked goods for various reasons, including:

  • allergy to oil;
  • high calorie content of the product;
  • desire to make a leaner dish.

You can easily find a replacement for a chocolate product; for example, cocoa with:

  • grated avocado;
  • grated banana;
  • butter;
  • fat sour cream;
  • heavy whipping cream;
  • vegetable oil (olive, rice or sunflower);
  • soybean oil;
  • margarine;
  • almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts ground to a mushy state;
  • cocoa or coconut oil;
  • fruit puree;
  • yogurt.

Of course, you should prepare for the fact that the product will have a slightly different taste. It will not be bad, just unusual, because it is without oil. The most useful replacements include banana, avocado, natural yogurt and fruit puree. In this case, baked goods and desserts can be eaten by diabetics and women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

There are so many myths associated with chocolate that it is difficult to understand its real benefits or harm to health.

Chocolate is studied by scientists, loved by adults and adored by children.

Is this delicacy harmful or beneficial - a sweet greeting from the long-vanished mysterious Mayans?

Chocolate: composition, calorie content, how to use it

Modern chocolate bars have little in common with the chocolate that Americans and Europeans fell in love with after the triumphant return of Columbus and the conquest of the American continent. The Aztecs brewed “chocolatl” without sugar, thickening the drink with maize flour. They hardly enjoyed it, but they were vigorous, cheerful and healthy.

For a long time in Europe (America too) chocolate was known as a drink, the recipe of which was kept in the strictest confidence. Medieval Spaniards, for example, without trial or investigation, chopped off the heads of irresponsible citizens who dared to brew chocolate without a separate permit. Still would! State secret...

For a very long time, cocoa beans were so expensive that only royalty could afford a cup of the drink. By the end of the 19th century, a solid chocolate recipe was developed, which brought down the sugar and cocoa markets. Since then, you can buy a chocolate bar without any problems.

Modern chocolate is produced in three types: dark (or black), milk and white. Tiles differ both in color and quality, that is, composition.

Dark chocolate contains:

Grated natural cocoa beans in powder form;

Cocoa butter;

Emulsifiers.

In dark chocolate maximum amount of valuable nutrients. The taste of the product is more bitter, rich, bright. The content of cocoa beans in the product is at least 55 percent. It contains organic acids, dietary fiber, saturated fatty acids, and starch.

The benefits of dark chocolate are explained by the content of vitamins B, E, PP, as well as minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, iron.

In milk chocolate part of the natural powder obtained from beans replaces milk powder. Hence the “pale” appearance, less bitter taste, and distinct creamy tint. The solid components in the product should be at least 25 percent, in high-quality chocolate - up to fifty.

In white chocolate There is no cocoa powder at all. However, one cannot deny his involvement in chocolate. After all, the product includes cocoa butter (at least 20 percent), milk powder or condensed milk (14 percent), milk fat (about four percent), and sugar (55 percent).

The calorie content of chocolate, regardless of type, is approximately the same: 540-550 kcal per hundred grams. A lot of? Certainly. But if you limit yourself to 25-50 grams of delicacy per day, for a healthy person without an allergy to cocoa products there will be no harm from chocolate, but there will be a lot of benefits.

Chocolate: what are the benefits for the body?

The benefits of chocolate come from cocoa beans. Therefore, bitter varieties of delicacy are certainly healthier than dairy varieties. The beneficial properties of bitter or dark chocolate are enormous:

It contains antioxidant substances (procyanides, flavonoids, epicatechins). It is these natural substances that protect the body from free radicals, preventing the formation of cancer tumors;

Due to the high content of polyphenols, caffeine, and theobromine, the benefits of chocolate for the body are manifested in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases;

Reduces the risk of sudden strokes and heart attacks, as it effectively prevents blood clots;

Reduces the risk of acquiring diabetes by normalizing the process of absorption of sugars;

Stabilizes blood pressure, normalizes the functioning of the heart muscles;

Increases the elasticity of blood vessels;

The health benefits of chocolate are known for people suffering from inflammatory diseases of the autoimmune system, arthritis;

Stimulates brain activity, improves the quality of intellectual work, improves memory, especially in old age;

It has a general strengthening effect due to the high content of the vitamin complex.

Many have heard that chocolate treats depression, and this is actually true. A piece of a healthy treat promotes the production of endorphins and serotonins - “happiness hormones”, which really improve your mood and alleviate depression. The benefits of chocolate for the body in this sense are undeniable.

Here's a common opinion about the dangers of chocolate for teeth and gums nothing more than a myth. The supposedly sweet product destroys tooth enamel. In fact, the dark variety product contains a natural antiseptic, which improves the condition of the oral mucosa, disinfects the gums, reduces the rate of tartar growth, and prevents caries.

The list of myths about the dangers of chocolate is supplemented by two more unsubstantiated claims..

1. Chocolate causes acne. In fact, rashes are a consequence of dysfunction of the hormonal system, disruption of the skin.

2. Chocolate causes allergies. Chocolate itself very rarely causes an allergy, but it can actually be strengthened.

The benefit of chocolate for human health also lies in the fact that it stimulates digestive processes and intestinal motility, and prevents the formation of ulcers. A sufficient dose is 50 grams of product per day.

By the way, this same amount is enough to to prevent the formation of cancer cells. The Japanese follow the “50 grams” rule strictly: every day the islanders take their dose of sweet medicine. Cancer and ulcers are very rare diseases for them.

Chocolate: what is harmful to health?

Despite the undoubted health benefits, chocolate can be harmful. Primarily due to the sugar content. Unfortunately, diabetics are not allowed to consume this treat..

You'll have to give up chocolate and overweight people. In any case, they definitely cannot eat milk and white chocolate, but a slice of bitter chocolate from time to time will not do much harm.

Due to its ability to increase allergies, you should not eat chocolate during an exacerbation of the disease and during antihistamine treatment. When the symptoms go away and the result of the treatment is established, you can sometimes indulge in chocolate, but only with the permission of your doctor.

But if a true allergy to cocoa beans or any component contained in a sweet bar is detected, you will have to stop eating chocolate forever.

For pregnant and nursing mothers: the dangers of chocolate

Should pregnant women and nursing mothers eat chocolate or not? The question is complex, even if you easily refer to your “interesting situation” according to the principle “pregnancy is not a disease!”

What do the doctors say?

The benefits of chocolate for a pregnant woman’s body are as follows:

Magnesium strengthens nerves, increases immune defense, and relieves anxiety. It is also useful for the fetus, as it has a positive effect on brain formation;

Potassium normalizes blood pressure and metabolic processes;

Flavonoids also strengthen the body of the expectant mother;

Theobromine stimulates the heart;

Vitamins and macroelements necessary for a pregnant woman’s body are found in chocolate. Iron is useful for the formation of the body of the unborn baby.

The beneficial properties of chocolate are explained primarily by its composition. Since chocolate reduces anxiety, it is unlikely that the newborn will bother the mother by crying and hysterics. The baby will grow up calm.

Of course, we are talking about dark chocolate. A pregnant woman can eat a little of it.

On the other side, The harm of chocolate to a pregnant woman’s body can also be significant.

You should avoid this product during pregnancy if your relatives are allergic to this product. Allergies are no joke.

The caffeine contained in chocolate bars can harm the health of both mother and fetus. In addition, it can cause insomnia.

Eating large amounts of chocolate is likely to increase heartburn, which affects almost all pregnant women.

Excessive consumption of chocolate, including bitter chocolate, can reduce the intensity of blood supply to the uterus and cause oxygen starvation of the fetus.

Low-quality chocolate, in which cocoa butter is replaced with hydrogenated fats and vegetable oil, will not bring any benefit to the body, only extra calories. Excess weight during pregnancy can complicate its course.

You should give up chocolate in the second and third trimester when intensive formation of the unborn baby’s immune system occurs. There is a high probability that the child’s immunity will be weakened, intestinal problems and skin rashes will appear.

While breastfeeding, it is better to avoid eating chocolate, at least for two to three months after the baby is born. This will help avoid unnecessary intestinal problems.

Chocolate for children: good or bad

Pediatricians do not recommend giving chocolate to children under three years of age. Until this time, immunity is formed, and there is no need for extra stress. The content of nitrogen compounds in chocolate can disrupt metabolic processes in a child’s body.

By the age of three, the body is already sufficiently formed to gradually become familiar with “adult” food. A child can consume one hundred grams of real dark chocolate a week without harming himself.

The benefits of chocolate for a child’s body:

The presence of potassium and phosphorus has a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular system of the child’s body, its formation and development;

High quality dark chocolate is good for bowel function;

The product improves mood, so a small dose of chocolate can calm a crybaby;

Chocolate is good for teeth because cocoa butter, enveloping the teeth, prevents caries.

However, the baby's body doesn't like chocolate harm can cause real:

Cause allergies, sometimes very serious (even bronchospasm). Therefore, children with a history of allergies should not be given chocolate;

Sugar can cause obesity and disrupt the functioning of the pancreas, and this is a direct harm to chocolate;

In addition, large amounts of sugar can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, and heartburn due to increased production of gastric juice.

It is very important to follow some rules for the consumption of chocolate by young children. Firstly, it is forbidden to give even a small amount of treats on an empty stomach.

Secondly, children can only eat milk chocolate. Black is too rich in theobromine, an alkaloid that can actually poison a child. Such poisoning is fraught with vomiting, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, headache, and nausea.

Chocolate: harmful for those losing weight

Milk and white chocolate are harmful for weight loss due to their high sugar and fat content. You definitely cannot eat such a product on a diet, because just a few pieces of a sweet, fatty delicacy can negate a week or two of intensive struggle with fat.

As for dark chocolate, we can still argue. The fact is that such a delicacy can dull the feeling of hunger and actually reduce appetite. And this will allow you to more confidently control your weight and reduce cravings for fast carbohydrates. Therefore, if a person strives to maintain a normal figure, then, regardless of the calorie content of chocolate, a small amount is more likely to be beneficial.

A useful property of chocolate for weight loss is its ability to quickly satisfy hunger and give the body a lot of energy. The presence of potassium and magnesium makes the product useful even if you are overweight.

The harm of chocolate for weight loss lies in the accumulation of excess carbohydrates in the form of fat. Milk and white chocolate are the most dangerous in this sense. But dark chocolate bars, despite the high calorie content of chocolate, in reasonable sizes (no more than 25 grams per day), on the contrary, promote weight loss due to phenols and caffeine, which have fat-burning properties.

Whether chocolate is good or bad depends on the state of the body. Used in moderation, it will only benefit a healthy person.

One of the fastest and most delicious desserts that can be prepared in a few minutes is chocolate butter spread on fresh bread or toast. They can be used to decorate baked goods, or used as a filling in buns or pancakes. Chocolate butter retains its taste and aroma when frozen, so it can be prepared in bulk and stored in the freezer.

The benefits and harms of chocolate butter

If we talk about chocolate butter prepared at home from high-quality products, we can safely highlight several properties that are beneficial for the body:

  • It nourishes the brain well, stimulates memory, and is an indispensable delicacy for schoolchildren and the elderly.
  • When consumed, blood pressure normalizes.
  • For flu, acute respiratory infections and bronchitis, you can spread it on toast with herbal tea. Chocolate oil has an expectorant effect.
  • Prevents the formation of blood clots in blood vessels.

But it is worth considering that all the beneficial properties of chocolate butter will disappear if it is consumed in unlimited quantities. This is a very high-calorie product, so it should be consumed with great caution and in minimal quantities by people with diabetes and obesity.

Soft chocolate butter recipe

There are many options for making chocolate butter, ranging from the simplest to complex, multi-component ones. This recipe is good because the finished product can be used both as a classic hard butter and as a soft paste.

Set of products for delicate chocolate butter:

  • Two hundred grams of high-quality butter, better.
  • A tablespoon of milk (or water).
  • One hundred grams of dark chocolate, which contains more than fifty percent cocoa.
  • A teaspoon of cocoa powder. If the chocolate is bitter, then there is no need to add cocoa powder.
  • Three tablespoons of powdered sugar.
  • A level teaspoon of nutmeg.
  • A teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • A pinch of vanilla sugar.
  • Favorite nuts for sprinkling.

Cooking steps:

  • The chocolate needs to be broken and placed in a water bath, add milk and wait for the chocolate to melt.
  • Add butter to chocolate in small pieces.
  • Add vanilla sugar and three tablespoons of powdered sugar.
  • Stir everything well until it cools down.
  • Add cocoa.
  • Carefully add cinnamon and nutmeg in small portions, tasting the mixture so as not to overdo it.
  • Mix everything thoroughly. If the room is cool and the oil begins to thicken quickly, you can melt it again in a water bath and mix thoroughly.
  • Pour the mixture into a beautiful mold, sprinkle with nuts and put in the refrigerator. The unfrozen mass can be used as chocolate paste.