Chocoholics: Friday Was World Chocolate Day, But You Can Still Splurge

White, dark, sweet, semi-sweet, baked into a cookie or added to a cup of coffee, chocolate always seems to sweeten the deal.

Yesterday, Oct. 28, was considered to be World Chocolate Day which basically meant you could splurge and not feel guilty, because after all, it was a holiday, right? You still can.

History of Chocolate:

According to altiusdirectory.com, "Chocolate is a sweet food made from the seed of Theobroma cacao tree. This Cacao tree cultivation was documented way back from 1100 BC in Mexico, Central and South America. The seeds of this Cacao tree have a little bitter taste and this is fermented and developed into a tasty flavor. Today, chocolates are in the form of cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, and sugar. Milk chocolates are also found, which contain milk powder or condensed milk. However, white chocolates are also very popular among chocolate lovers, which contain cocoa butter, sugar, and milk without cocoa solids."

Fast-forward, these days chocolate can be found everywhere we look from simple candy bars at  to bulk bags of holiday candies at  to heavenly truffles at specialty stores such as Gelson's. You can even get your fix of chocolate in a blended coffee drink at your favorite  or in the icing of a warm pastry at the. If you're feeling nostalgic,  in Laguna Niguel has candies and chocolates from days gone by.

Importance of Chocolates for Human Body:

Eating chocolate can also be a good thing, and not just for your taste buds. Altius says, "chocolates contain alkaloids namely theobromine and phenethylamine, which are important for human body. The research says that the risk of heart problem is very less among chocolate eaters. Chocolate eating can also reduce blood pressure. Chocolate can sharpen the brain. There are many other important factors behind for eating chocolates. However, people who are suffering from obesity should avoid chocolates as it contains maximum fats."

Since we've now made your mouth water for anything chocolate, here is a recipe for the Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies seen above from Chef Marissa Gerlach at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.

Ingredients:
5 oz. 70 percent dark chocolate
6 oz. Cake flour
1 oz. Cocoa powder
1 t. Baking soda
5 oz. Butter, soft
4 oz. Sugar in the raw
3 T. Sugar
½ t. Vanilla extract
½ t. Fleur de Sel (Salt)

Preparation:
1.) Cream butter, no lumps
2.) Add sugars and Salt
3.) Add vanilla
4.) Add sifted dry ingredients
5.) Add finely chopped chocolate

Bake @ 370 Degrees 8-10 minutes
(Cookies should be soft, let cool for 10 minutes.)

Once you've had your share of chocolate, take our poll and tell us if you prefer white chocolate or dark chocolate.