Cooking Made Simple

Chocolate. Dark, melty and delicious chocolate. I even love the word…chocolate. I’ve been assuming that good chocolate was out of the picture for us since becoming Diabetics. You know what happens when you assume! Well, I was wrong, and I wasted a whole year+ of not having the heavenly pleasure of just buying a chocolate bar and eating it. I’ve made chocolaty treats using unsweetened bakers chocolate, melting it and mixing it with some heavy cream and sucralose sweetener, but it’s different to pick up a chocolate bar from the store to eat. I was missing out!

I have found in some online reading that it is ok for Diabetics to try really dark chocolate at 70% cacao or higher. I turned my nose up at the thought though, and just kept feeling sorry for myself. One day while shopping with my daughter, we came across a couple chocolate bars that were marked down in their price, so I took it as a sign from God that I MUST give this chocolate a try. Thanks to God I now know that 72% cacao and even 86% cacao bars are a wonderful treat! At first the flavor is a little shocking because our mouths expect the chocolate that we have always given it, but after a moment you begin to really taste it. Letting the chocolate melt on your tongue allows you to really enjoy the true flavor of the cacao. To me, there is a slight dark berry flavor at the end. There is no need for a whole chocolate bar at once. Just one square can usually satisfy my cravings. We have only tried a couple of brands so far, but our favorite is

Ghirardelli Intense Dark Premium Dark Chocolate Assortment 20.26 ounce bag

This package gives you a choice of 60% or 72% cacao. We also enjoy

Ghirardelli Chocolate Intense Dark 86% Cacao Midnight Reverie Gift Bag

Besides, chocolate is good for us, right?! If you have a favorite brand of chocolate bar that is 70% cacao or higher, let us know and we will give it a try and post a review!