What if? A nutritious chocolate

I was reading labels--again.

This time it was on the back of some chocolate chips, left over from the time I demonstrated my new Cookies and Milk cookies.

I was thinking....

What if? I could improve chocolate?

What if? the amount of cocoa butter could be reduced? Cocoa butter, although a vegetable oil, is 60% saturated, mostly long chains of saturated fat.

What if? some short-chain saturated, some mono-unsaturated and other poly-unsaturated fatty acids could be used, easier to digest and easier to assimilate. And all from a fresh natural source?

What if? I could use some of my stabilized cream to improve the nutritive status of chocolate?

What if? I could add vitamin A; thiamin; riboflavin; niacin; pantothenic acid; vitamin B-6; folate; vitamin B-12; retinol; and choline?

What if? I could also include trace minerals such as calcium; phosphorus; potassium; iron; magnesium; selenium; zinc and copper?

What if? the end result was softer? smoother? and less calories?

What? Less calories? Well yes, because the part of the stabilized cream also contains water, and there are no calories in water.

And one third less sugar. The package I was reading said that sugar was the largest ingredient. I just cut the sugar content by one third.

What if? it had even more chocolate taste. How? because I found that the chocolate taste is not dependent upon the sugar content. It can be enhanced with protein. Yes, protein. It makes the chocolate taste last longer in the mouth. In fact, the chocolate taste feels more potent when not overwhelmed with sugar.

What if? I could add some of these proteins?

So I did: tryptophan; threonine; isoleucine; leucine; lysine; methionine; cystine; phenylalanine; tyrosine; valine; arginine; histidine; alanine; aspartic acid; glutamic acid; glycine; proline and serine.

So what kind of chocolate is this? Maybe an adult's type of chocolate. Smooth, rich in chocolate taste without the sugary after-taste. Potent in a delectable way. And less calories as well, 43 less calories per 60 gram serving. Easier to digest, with a nutritional component as well.

Since we already consume 3 billion pounds of chocolate in the US [1], why not make chocolate that tastes better, stronger, is leaner and better for us?

[1] http://www.sfu.ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/consum/consum.html

To recap: Increased protein, additional minerals and vitamins. Reduced saturated fats and sugar. Increased taste, reduced calories and absence of sugary aftertaste. All because someone asked What if?

What if? A new type of cookie

As I was walking along the corridors of the university, I saw a row of vending machines. The machines held a variety of cookies among other things. When I saw the cookies, I thought, "Wow, it would be nice to have milk and cookies." But there was no milk to be found, anywhere in that hallway, or the next; or in that building, or the next.

So I thought, What if? I could incorporate milk into a cookie? What if? I could make it stable so that it could be vended without refrigeration? And think of all the cookies which are eaten on any given day. What if? I could makes each cookie more wholesome? Added calcium, phosphorus, both bone-building nurtients. Added protein, and lipids. Protein builds all our tissues. Lipids help build the myelin sheath around each nerve and the majority of our brain matter.

So I invented two ways to incorporate milk into cookies. And then the trials, the lovely trials, in which I made these and then tasted them.

In the first trial, the dry components of non-fat milk are used. This makes a much nicer cookie than using just plain flour because the added protein tends to make a more moist cookie. I have used these trials to devise ways to make a much more nutritious flour. But that is for another post.

The second way has been to incorporate a much more condensed form of stabilized milk which is heat tolerant and survives baking. These cookies are the best!! But because they are so moist, they have a shorter shelf-life than the dry method.

I call these Cookies & Milk (c). I have been told to patent the recipe as soon as possible. I am also working on Brownies & Milk (c).

I have also received permission to make some and share with my laboratory classmates next month. Then they can post their comments here.