Dark Chocolate Nut Butter Bars...and how I'm choosy with my chocolate

Chocolate. Love. Ohhhh…they just go together like coffee and cream or like pumpkin and pie or like sweet potatoes and a pad of real butter. Need I say more? Chocolate holds my heart’s hand and every time I come up with a new concoction, it has me smitten all over again!

I LOVE chocolate. I’ll be honest, I eat some every single day. I’m a dark chocolate girl so even a few small morsels taste like bittersweet, indulgent perfection.

Light chocolate feels waxy and tastes too sweet to me.

White….well, I don’t consider the washed out, white stuff chocolate at all. Sorry, friends!

For me, dark chocolate just does it. In the afternoon with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea. In the evening with a petite pour of red wine, alternating soothing sips with delicious nibbles.

My relationship with chocolate has developed and grown to maturity over the years. I no longer accept just any rendition. It needs to meet my specifications. I mean, come on! Part of growing up means only making room in your life for the real deal, right? That applies to chocolate, too (and as far as I’m concerned, it applies to everything we eat…and, well, whatever we engage in relationships with! Anyways, I digress…).

So, here’s how I suggest being CHOOSEY with CHOCOLATE:

• At least 70% cocoa content: The higher the percentage, the MORE nutrient dense cocoa mass and less space is wasted on the schwaggy stuff like refined sugar, processed oils and flavorings. If the package does not list the percent, don’t buy it!
• Read the ingredients: Really HIGH quality chocolate only contains a few ingredients: chocolate, cocoa bean, cocoa mass, cocoa liquor, sugar (organic preferably), ONLY REAL natural flavors if any at all (like pure vanilla, espresso beans, mint leaf, etc.). If the list includes oils, emulsifiers, lecithin or milk products, you’re not getting the best of the best (and for me, to really LOVE something, I need the best of the best!)
• Buy organic when you can: Cocoa plants are one of the most highly sprayed crops in the world. That means that pesticide residues are left on the final product…unless you buy organic. For someone like me who eats it every day, that becomes an issue.
• Consider the process: So, this might require more work than you’re willing to commit. BUT, putting a little leg work into any relationship really pays off! If the cocoa beans are dried in the sun instead of roasted, the final product will contain MANY more of the nutrients chocolate is known for, like antioxidants and polyphenols. Also, ‘Dutching’ is a process that actually purposefully removes polyphenols in order to result in a more bitter taste.
• Consider its impact: Who wants to love something that hurts someone!? Not me. That’s why I only keep company with fair trade chocolate, even if it’s not organic. Cocoa farmers and their families often work for low wages and can suffer poor working conditions. Fair trade is a certification that ensures farmers are paid and treated properly AND the environment is protected.

So, there you have it! My love affair with chocolate defined…and now, it’s been redefined in this indulgent, not-too-sweet but certainly delicious cakey bar!