Optimize the chocolatey Advent season with water
At first glance, the sweet chocolate and the neutral-tasting water have nothing, absolutely nothing, in common. An Advent season without chocolatey foods? Hard to imagine for many! Advent calendars, chocolate Santa Clauses, pralines, cookies, gingerbread, hot chocolate with a twist… – the list of Advent treats containing chocolate is extremely extensive. The association between water and Advent is much smaller. And yet it is worth thinking about this unusual combination.
The calorie question: pleasure or health?
Unfortunately, extensive chocolate consumption quickly leads to an extra kilo or two on the scales. At 100 g of milk chocolate has a calorie content of approx. 539 kcal . The white chocolate is similar at approx. 540 kcal per 100 g. Dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 50 % provides approx. 515 kcal per 100 g. If the cocoa content is 70 %, the dark chocolate provides approx. 620 kcal per 100 g. Depending on your size, gender and stature, you would need to spend around 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours sweeping the snow in order to convert this additional energy from 100 g of chocolate quickly. Drinking water and mineral water , on the other hand, provide the body with no calories at all . Purely in terms of calories, enjoyment and health are at odds here. But a sensible approach to sweeteners, in combination with water, can certainly satisfy the palates of some connoisseurs.
Christmas time is an exceptional time: chocolatey foods
Why not enjoy a few sweets during the Advent season? However, those who enjoy the sweet side of Advent a little more intensively should make sure they get enough exercise. Nevertheless, the Christmas season is an exceptional time. In most cases, the excess kilos do not appear on the ribs in the period from December to January, but in the period from January to December. Nevertheless, chocolate and water would be a great combination for the Christmas season to balance out some of the calories. If you snack more during the Advent season and therefore consume more calories, you can balance out the energy that would otherwise come from higher-calorie drinks by drinking water and warming tea – at least to a small extent. For example, a 200 ml glass of lemonade already provides around 100 kcal of energy. A large 200 ml cup of latte macchiato with around 90 kcal is only slightly inferior to lemonade.
A great pair in the kitchen: chocolate and water
Especially at Christmas time, chocolate and water are an irresistible dream team in the kitchen. Have you ever tried a winter hot chocolate made from 3-4 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2-3 teaspoons of honey, a pinch of cinnamon, a large dash of cream and around 200 ml of hot water? This does not require any milk, is infused in no time at all and tastes temptingly creamy. A chocolatey delight that has been optimized with water.
Melted chocolate is especially needed for the Christmas bakery or for fruity chocolate fondue . Chocolates with a higher cocoa content become more liquid than those with a lower cocoa content. Chocolate melts particularly well in a bain-marie. Light chocolate varieties should not be heated to more than 45 degrees, dark chocolate to more than 55 degrees. Make sure that the water in the pan does not come into contact with the chocolate in the metal bowl. Unfortunately, water and chocolate do not mix in a perfect chocolate coating.
