What Ingredients Lurk in Your Hot Chocolate?

Cold West Michigan winters + kids + love of chocolate = hot chocolate!

Last winter our family came in from an hour of cold snow play to cups of hot chocolate.  We weren't a few sips in and our son had a stomach spell -- again.  I flipped over the store brand package and read an extensive list of things I couldn't pronounce or even begin to understand.

Not to single out any particular brand, as all cheap hot chocolates mixes have a similar ingredient list, but really think about the stuff that is in typical hot chocolate.

My brief research led to to learn that all you really need for hot chocolate in a scoop or two of unsweetened cocoa powder of your choice along with an additional scoop or two of powdered sugar.  Perhaps ad a splash of vanilla, a dash of salt, cinnamon, Cayenne, nutmeg or flavoring of your choosing and you're good to go.

This is when I also found that it is natural in the process to have a bit of chocolate sludge at the bottom of your cup that you can choose to consume or discard because natural cocoa doesn't dissolve.

This year, I found a large pre-mixed container of Starbucks natural hot chocolate at our local Costco for $12.99 and containing 55 servings.  A serving is 2 TBS and has 80 calories, but I have found my "diet version" of 1 TBS and 40 calories to be adequate.  It really depends on the size of your cup and chocolate intensity desire.

So, we will gladly trade in our 17+ ingredient (see list on can above) stuff for a *3-ingredient (sugar, cocoa, vanilla) natural cup of hot cocoa.

*Processed with alkali is in reference to Dutch Processing and includes an acid reducer such as baking soda.  Dutch Processing greatly reduces the antioxidant power of chocolate.  To keep more of the antioxidants or avoid the alkali process, mix your own using Ghirardelli brand unsweetened cocoa powder.  They developed the Broma Process that leaves everything in its natural state resulting in a bit darker chocolate and significantly more anti-oxidants.

How to Make Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns

It took a while to crack this one.  And I suspect, if you are reading this, you've been looking/trying too!

Gluten free hot dog buns at the store are extremely expensive and taste a bit powdery and bland.  And, if you've ever baked with gluten free flours, you can forget about forming the dough into anything meaningful.  So my wife has been eating the occasional hot dog or chicken brat on a hamburger bun for the past year or so -- until now.

I recently discovered there are different hot dog bun designs such as the New England style hot dog bun.  I found a baking pan for the task that I acquired from King Arthur Flour.

I prepared an entire package of King Arthur Gluten Free Bread Mix I purchased at our local grocery store ($5.49) and poured it into the mold being certain to smooth out the top with a damp spatula.  The consistency of this mix is a bit like cake batter -- perhaps a bit stickier.  Cover the batter with a greased (I use a bit if cooking spray) plastic wrap and let rise for 30-60 minutes -- though most of the rise from gluten batter will occur in the opening moments of baking.

Once the batter is smooth, grease the underside of a baking sheet and lay on top.  This prevents too much rise and over browning.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.  Remove the baking sheet after 20 minutes to get the top a little browner before the baking has finished.



Use an instant thermometer to check the temperature.  The baking process is done when you reach an internal temperature between 205-210 degrees -- higher than the typical 190 degrees for standard wheat baking.

Remove the buns from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes, then flip the bun loaf out and let cool (about 45 minutes).  Cutting into it sooner will risk losing moisture and creating a dryer result.



After the loaf is cooled, use a good bread knife and cut along patterned lines.  This will give you 10 hot dog buns.  Take each bun and make a slice down the middle, about 75% of the way down, being careful to not cut all the way.

There you go!  Fresh gluten free hot dog buns!  Or, promptly freeze them in a good freezer bag or container and reheat when needed in the microwave.

Finally -- a real bun for brats and hot dogs!

Organic Candy Canes

In a mental lapse, I purchased "regular" candy canes at the grocery store for our son who has been asking for this seasonal treat.  Our son, who's body knows better than my mind, promptly vomited up the sweet treat he so desperately wanted -- as he does with all "junk" food.

My wife gave me the "I can't believe you would give that to him" look and I set out to find an organic candy cane -- or create one myself.

Fortunately I discovered some distributed by Tru Sweets that were available at our local health foods store (Harvest Health Foods) and were on sale for $2.99.  Another option would have been The Natural Candy Store.

I compared the ingredients in the two boxes of candy canes to discover this list of 11 ingredients in the first:

• Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Natural Flavor (Peppermint), FD&C Red 40, Vegetable Derived Glycerin, Soybean Oil, Calcium Carbonate, Carnauba Wax, Soy Lecithin, Modified Palm Oil, Petrolatum.

And this list of ingredients in the organic candy canes:

• Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Natural Peppermint Flavor, Red Beet Juice for Color.

Labels are important and in my rush of shopping I failed to read this one.  We all know and understand what is in the organic candy canes.  But there are at least two ingredients in the regular candy canes that are banned in other countries for having possible long-term side effects (Red 40 and Petrolatum).  I think it's worth the extra couple of dollars to get a quality product.

On a final note, in addition to being organic (and tasting great), the candy cane box indicates they are also Gluten Free, Vegan and Kosher.

Cast Iron Pots and Pans -- The New Old Way to Cook

When my wife and I got married she nearly begged that we not ask for non-stick pans because the the possible, if not probable, flaking and leaching of chemicals into our food.  I reassured her that top-end non-stick pans would not flake and last forever if they were well maintained.

We received a very expensive set of top-brand non-stick pots and pans for our wedding!  Hooray!

Fast forward four years and, you guessed it, the pots and pans we used so delicately being ultra careful not to scratch or place in the dishwasher started to flake leaving small particles of non-stick stuff in our food.

With a degree of "I told you so", we set out to find new pans.  And, instead of the big sets that include many more pots and pans than most people need, we determined we only really needed a few pieces.

We settled on the age-old cast iron pan.  It has been the pan of choice for hundreds of years and they can last that long too!

Why cast iron?  They really do last a lifetime or two or three or more.  They are very inexpensive.  They are naturally non-stick.  They do not have harmful chemicals and even add a touch of iron to the food you prepare in them.  They are enviornmentally firendly.  The pans and pots (dutch ovens) also retain heat and sear so well that it makes preparing foods a joy.

The only downside we could come up with was the weight, but I know there are some lightweight versions now available.

There is a little bit of maintenance involved.  Never place cast iron in the dishwasher, but simply clean with a brush and some hot water.  Most new cast iron is pre-seasoned, but don't overlook a good cast iron pan at antique shops or garage sales.  Many people see rust on cast iron and discard.  To remove any rust or to reseason watch the video below.

These are two of our most used pans.  We have a third frying pan, but could have done just fine with two.  The one of the right came from IKEA and was made in China, our others were from Lodge Manufacturing -- the only cast iron manufacturer remaining in the United States.

Enjoy cooking healthy and purchase the last set of pans/pots you will ever need.

Never Bleached. Never Bromated. King Arthur Flour.

Does Flour Matter for Health and Results?

Two years ago I began baking for our family.  Cakes, brownies, cookies and perhaps pastries come to mind when I write "baking", but bread was my intent.

I read books about bread making and set out.  And, if you're like me, and have tried bread, it isn't nearly as easy as directions make it seem.  I had my share of burnt loaves, flat loaves, loaves with massive air pockets, and bread that is as a dense as a brick.  You may know my pain.

But not wanting to give up, I discovered a little flour company in Vermont on my grocery store shelve.

I, like most I assume, was buying the store-brand flour.  When the next best brand went on sale I bought it and discovered that my bread was a bit better.  Following a hunch, I sprang for the most expensive flour one time and purchased my first five-pound bag of King Arthur brand flour.

I can buy 5 pounds of the store-brand for $1.49.  King Arthur sits atop the flour board at $3.75 at my grocery store.  Many of us are programmed on cost, but really, for most, $2.25 more is not sending us to the poor house.  And, that $2.25 divided by the many baking projects from that one bag doesn't add a huge financial burden to any baking project.  It's worth it.

From the moment I opened the bag I knew my baking would somehow be different.  The very feel of the flour is different, better.  The baking projects, while always having its unique challenges, ended significantly better.

Being the inquisitive person I am, I set out to learn more about this company that supplied my wonderful flour.  The history is long and fascinating and dates back to the late 1700's making this the oldest flour company in America.  It is employee owned and they offer plenty of baking resources and supplies through their mail-order catalogue and even offer extensive baking classes in Vermont.

But what sealed the deal for me was the phrase on their bags "Never Bleached.  Never Bromated."  Bleached?  On my return trip to the store I visited the flour isle to see if my previous flour purchases had been bleached.  Yes, yes, and yes.  In fact, every brand of flour I previously purchased was bleached.  How about bromate?  Ditto.

What is Bromated?

I didn't even know what bromate was, so I conducted a bit more research and discovered it was an unnatural additive linked to cancer:

Potassium bromate (KBrO3), is a flour “improver” that strengthens dough and allows for greater oven spring and higher rising in the oven. Potassium bromate, commonly referred to as simply “bromate” is a slow-acting oxidizer, contributing its functionality through out the mixing, fermentation and proofing stages, with important residual action during the early stages of baking. Azodicar-bonamide (ADA), potassium and calciumiodate, and calciumperoxide arerapid-acting oxidizers, while ascorbic acid (vitamin C) work s at intermediate rates, but all release their activity in mixing and proofing bromate, when applied within the prescribed limits (15 - 30ppm ), is completely used up during the bake leaving no trace in the finished product. How ever, if too much is used, or the bread is not baked long enough or at a high enough temperature, then a residual amount will remain.

The primary concern regarding the use of bromates in baking is its demonstrated link to cancer in laboratory animals. It was first found to induce tumors in rats in 1982. However, since 1991, instead of banning bromate outright the FDA, with somewhat limited success, has merely encouraged bakers to voluntarily stop using it.

Bromates have been banned in numerous countries, including the United Kingdom in 1990 and Canada in 1994. In addition, in 1991, California declared bromate a carcinogen under the state’s Proposition 65. As such, baked goods sold in California would have to bear a store level cancer warning if they contained m ore than a certain level of bromate. As a result, most California bakers have switched to bromate-free processes.  

This information was taken from the King Arthur Flour website.

The Bleaching Process

The bleaching process isn't necessary and only speeds up the product to the store shelves -- thereby making the sponsoring flour company a bit more money.  Flour has a yellowish color when it is first processed and the yellowing naturally fades away during aging, but most flour companies speed the whitening process though a process of bleaching generally using benzoyl peroxide -- yes, the same stuff used for cleaning wounds and acne!  It also has some altering effects on the wheat such as reduced Vitamin E and Protein.  This process is banned in Europe, China and Canada over health concerns.

Conclusion

In the end, it was worth it to me to pay a few extra pennies (maybe nickels) toward each baking project to have a better finished result and a healthier family.