To celebrate World Chocolate Day, July 7, here are seven fun chocolate facts and a boozy brownie recipe!
1. Chocolate Money in Mayan Times
The Mayans are believed to be the first to discover chocolate and, in Mayan times, your favourite chocolate bar may have been worth it’s weight in gold!
Like many early civilisations, ancient Maya would barter and trade goods instead of using coins as money. However, it’s recently been discovered that the Mayan civilisation started to use Cacao Beans as a form of currency.
2. Chocolate is good for your health
Hooray – chocolate can be good for your health! It is generally believed that the darker the chocolate, the greater the health benefits.
Recent studies have shown that dark chocolate could prove to be good for helping boost our immune system, reducing inflammation and increasing brain activity! This is all thanks to being full of antioxidants, such as flavonoids, catechins, and polyphenol antioxidants.
3. Chocolate is Mouth-Meltingly Tasty
Have you ever wondered why chocolate is so mouth-meltingly tasty?
Chocolate melts at just below human blood temperature, which is why it is so mouth-meltingly satisfying. Milk chocolate has higher levels of cocoa butter so is more likely to melt in your hand whilst dark chocolate will melt in your mouth!
4. Say it with Chocolate
Belgium is famous for its delicious chocolates. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to find out that, in 2013, Belgium issued over 500,000 postage stamps which smelled of cocoa and were coated in a varnish to look like chocolate.
The stamps even had a special glue that tasted like chocolate when licked!
If only chocolate scented and flavoured stamps where a common thing, you’d definitely catch us writing a lot more love letters and sending snail mail to all our pen pals instead of texting!
5. Power Up with Chocolate
Just like reports that chocolate is good for your health, it could also help you focus, sharpen memory and protect your brain from ageing.
A study conducted by University of Nottingham researchers in 2012 found eating dark chocolate can boost blood flow to certain areas of the brain. This chocolate-fueled boost directly leads to increase performance in tasks and general alertness.
6. Chocolate Grows on Trees
Money might not grow on trees, but chocolate does! Each cacoa tree can produce 2,500 beans with approximately 3.8 millions of cacao beans growing a year.
With such a high demand existing for chocolate, it’s important to help protect the environment by doing your bit to support cocoa suppliers who follow sustainable practices!
7. The First Ever Chocolate Bar
The first solid chocolate bar is believed to have been produced by UK company, Fry’s in 1847 and the chocolate bar market has grown tremendously since then as our famous Whittakers brand will attest. Almost 200 years later and chocolate is still one of the most-loved sweet treats in the world!
BOURBON BROWNIES
Bourbon and brownies – a dreamy combination we love to see. These bad boys are the perfect mix of smokey and sweet, and the even better news is that they’re so easy to make!
INGREDIENTS:
- 60ml (¼ cup) Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon Whiskey
- 32g (¼ cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 200g (1.5 cups) plain flour
- 200g (1.5 cups) sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 32g (¼ cups) melted unsalted butter
- 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt
METHOD:
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and unsweetened cocoa powder in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Microwave your semi-sweet chocolate chips for 25 seconds (or until they are soft) and whisk to a smooth paste in a bowl.
- In a separate large bowl, add your eggs and whisk until frothy.
- Add your melted butter, vanilla extract and vegetable oil into the same bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter. Then add your sugar, melted chocolate chips, bourbon and whisk thoroughly.
- Add half of your dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients bowl and fold gently.
- Add the remaining half into the bowl and fold gently until the flour is mixed.
- Transfer the mixture into a greased square tin with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
- Once done, cut your brownies in squares and allow to cool completely before eating.
