Life is about finding balance: healthy eating and sweet indulgences, work and play, dark and light, fire and water, yin and yang, and socializing and solitude. Therefore, last week’s Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes must be countered with today’s chocolate recipe.

High-quality dark chocolate is actually beneficial to one’s health. It is rich in antioxidants, improves cognitive function, and protects the body from free radicals — also known as the toxins that cause disease in the body. No candy bar can do any of that!

The catch is moderation. I’m not saying this to deprive you of one of the most divine foods on the planet, I’m saying this because I care about you random person reading this, whoever you are. I want you to be healthy, live your dreams, become a better person, create world peace, explore the Milky Way, and take me with you because I’ve always wanted to travel to outer space.

Back to the point. Chocolate. And enjoy this recipe.

Chocolate consumption releases endorphins, the feel-good hormone, but it also reminds us of the pleasant memories that we associate with chocolate, like birthdays, hormones, breakups, failures, rejection, bad choices, and bar mitzvahs. Wait, bar mitzvahs are technically also birthdays… It’s no wonder chocolate is a classic comfort food.

In this recipe, I use a combination of pumpkin seeds, cranberries, peanuts, and shredded coconut for color and taste. You can experiment with any dried fruit or nuts based on your own preference. Regardless of the filling, the dark chocolate is nonnegotiable. Sorry. Should I apologize for that? I’m sorry for apologizing. Ah, my Canadian side is showing.

The basic recipe for dark chocolate is a combination of sugar and cocoa beans. For the antioxidants and other perks, you want more cocoa content than the sugar. Many experts agree that 72% is the lowest percentage of cocoa that contains the health benefits of chocolate. Do not use milk chocolate in this recipe or else you will be banned from space travel. You have been warned.

Sorry.

Easy Chocolate Drops

Ingredients:

• 2 cups 72% chocolate chips or chunks
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup coconut shavings

Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave.
2. Stir the pumpkin seeds, nuts, cranberries, and coconuts into the chocolate until they are all well-coated.
3. Drop the chocolate mixture by the spoonful onto a lined baking sheet.
4. Either freeze the tray for 20-30 minutes or refrigerate for about 1-2 hours until the chocolates harden.
5. Store the chocolates in a sealed container in the freezer.

Recipe request? Questions? Remarks? Comment below!

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