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Chocolate Quote for the Week

“Everything exists in limited quantity-especially chocolate, so eat it while you can.” -Picasso (Quote was edited.)

The History of Chocolate

    For some of you history is just an annoying thing you have to do for school, for some of you it is fascinating facts. Either way you are sure to enjoy this story about chocolate, where it came from, how it was used, and other interesting facts.
   
  The tasty secret of the cacao tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. The pods of this tree contain seeds that can be processed into chocolate. The story of how chocolate grew from a local Mesoamerican drink into a global sweet encompasses many cultures and continents.

   The first people known to have made chocolate were the ancient cultures of Mexico and Central America. These people, including the Maya and Aztec, mixed ground cacao seeds with various seasonings to make a spicy, frothy drink.

    Later, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds back home to Spain, where new recipes were created. Eventually, and the drink’s popularity spread throughout Europe. Since then, new technologies and innovations have changed the texture and taste of chocolate, but it still remains one of the world’s favorite flavors.

Chocolate’s Roots in Ancient Mesoamerica

We tend to think of chocolate as a sweet candy created during modern times. But actually, chocolate dates back to the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica who drank chocolate as a bitter drink.

  The first people clearly known to have discovered the secret of cacao were the Classic Period Maya (250-900 C.E. [A.D.]). The Maya and their ancestors in Mesoamerica took the tree from the rainforest and grew it in their own backyards, where they harvested, fermented, roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste.

When mixed with water, chile peppers, cornmeal, and other ingredients, this paste made a frothy, spicy chocolate drink.

One-bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake

    For a coffee break that’s over the moon, pair your next cup with this beauty. Brewed coffee and chocolate morsels make our One-bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake a taste sensation!



Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups All-purpose flour

1 cup Granulated sugar

1 cup Packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup Unsweetened cocoa

1½ teaspoons Baking soda

1½ teaspoons Baking powder

½ teaspoon Salt

1 cup Reduced fat mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Canola oil

1 cup Hot strong brewed coffee

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

⅓ cup Semisweet chocolate morsels

Cooking Spray



Mocha Cream:

¼ cup Boiling water

1 tablespoon Instant coffee granules

1 (7-ounce) Jar marshmallows

1 (8-ounce) Container frozen light whipped topping, thawed

⅓ cup Light chocolate syrup (such and Hershey's light syrup)



1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredient in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and oil; beat with a mixer at low speed until well blended. Slowly add brewed coffee and vanilla; beat at low speed one minute or until well blended. Stir in chocolate; pour batter into a 13x9-inch baking pan coated with baking spray. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
3. To prepare Mocha Cream, combine water and coffee granules in a large bowl; stir until granules dissolve. Add marshmallow cream; beat with a mixer at low speed until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread Mocha Cream over top of cake; drizzle with chocolate syrup. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 16 servings.