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"The worst is still yet to come": Grim warning for chocolate lovers

Chocolate lovers could be facing a potential nightmare ahead of the festive season as cocoa supplies hit an all time low, driving confectionary prices to a record high. Most of the world's cocoa beans are grown in West Africa, where ongoing inclement weather and crippling crop diseases, coupled with economy-wide pressures like rising labour, packaging and energy costs, have put unprecedented pressure on the chocolate industry in recent months. However, market analyst Rabobank’s Paul Joules told <a title="www.smh.com.au" href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-a-global-cocoa-crunch-will-sour-chocolate-for-years-to-come-20240927-p5ke0w.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald, </a> “the worst is still yet to come for consumers”, as the stockpiles of cocoa that manufacturers have been relying on for the past 18 months have run out. “While hedging has protected many manufacturers from the worst effects of the price rises until now, eventually all these forward contracts will get used up, and prices will have to increase to reflect the current cocoa price,” Rabobank’s Soaring chocolate prices report, released last week, read. Rabobank wanted that the increased costs of manufacturing will be passed down to consumers, with dark chocolate lovers being the most affected due to the high concentration of cocoa. Analysis by Mr Joules found that, worldwide, a 100 gram block of chocolate with 70 per cent cocoa content could rise from $4.90 to $6.50, with a “similar increase could be expected in Australia”. “It can take anywhere from six to 12 months for … price hikes to be reflected in the retail pricing of products,” Saxo Head of Commodity Strategy, Ole Sloth Hansen said. “The trend of shrinkflation is likely to become more pronounced. Consequently, while there might not be a stark rise in the price tags of chocolate items, the quantity offered for the same price will see a reduction.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Restaurant charges diners $95 to slice up birthday cake

A restaurant in Italy has been slammed online after charging a group of diners a hefty cost to simply cut a birthday cake into slices. A family attended the high-end restaurant in the southern area of Arezzo to celebrate their mother's birthday, after they had asked the restaurant in advance if they could bring in an outside cake. After enjoying their meal, which came to a whopping €659 or $1,083 AUD, they were slapped with another fee of €58 or $95 to cut the cake and bring it to the table. Local news outlet <a href="https://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/notizie/24_agosto_26/arezzo-ristorante-chiede-58-euro-solo-per-tagliare-la-torta-lo-scontrino-diventa-virale-e-il-gestore-quasi-si-scusa-267975fd-2227-4beb-9621-3bffb3aa4xlk.shtml" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corriere Fiorentino</a> reported that the cost of slicing the cake was more than the cake itself. Two of the dinner guests shared the story of the expensive fee on a local Facebook page, claiming the restaurant said it is the rule of their establishment and they were required to pay it. The owner of the restaurant told the Italian media site, "We do not charge a cover charge and we mainly serve dishes of our own production, so we try to discourage those who bring things from outside." "If we consider that in Arezzo the average cover charge is 2.5 euros per person, there is not such a big difference," they said as they explained the group of diners was 13 people. "My restaurant has to pay for the waiter who serves at the table, the dishwasher and other related services. We have to recover them somehow." However, the owner did admit, "I wasn't there that evening and my employees were perhaps too fussy in managing the situation that had arisen, perhaps cutting the usual price a little or even not charging anything for the cake." "Better 50 euros less and people going home happy than this misunderstanding in which we are all damaged." Image credits: Corriere Fiorentino / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Don’t give mum chocolates for Mother’s Day. Take on more housework, share the mental load and advocate for equality instead

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-ruppanner-106371">Leah Ruppanner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> With Mother’s Day right around the corner, many grateful and loving families are thinking about what to give mum to show their appreciation. Should you give her chocolate? Nope. Fancy soaps? Nope. Fuzzy slippers, pyjamas, scented candles? No, no and no. On this Mother’s Day, keep your cash and give your wonderful mother gifts that will actually have a long-term impact on her health and well-being. <h2>1. Do a chore that mum hates and hold onto it … forever</h2> Research <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13545701.2020.1831039">shows</a> men have increased the amount of time spent on housework and childcare and that mothers, over time, are doing less (hooray!). But, women <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2008.00479.x">still do more housework</a> than men, especially when <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12497?fbclid=IwAR2dp04p2sFqbDqdehXmXgDSfTYwX3GRzP7ScMJhSOrMePTGQVErR2TTX88">kids are in the home</a>. Further, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243205285212">men tend to pick up the more desirable tasks</a>, like <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3598304">cooking and playing with the kids</a>, leaving mothers to do the less pleasurable chores (think cleaning toilets and clearing out fridges). The chore divide in same-sex relationships is generally found to be more equal, but some critique suggests equality may suffer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/16/upshot/same-sex-couples-divide-chores-much-more-evenly-until-they-become-parents.html">once kids are involved</a>. This year give your mum (or mums) the gift of equal housework and childcare sharing – start by taking the most-hated tasks and then hold onto them… forever. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.12727">Research</a> shows housework inequality is bad for women’s mental health. Undervaluing women’s housework and unequal sharing of the chores deteriorates <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11199-022-01282-5">relationship quality</a>, and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0038038516674664">leads to divorce</a>. Housework and childcare take up valuable time to keep the family happy, harmonious and thriving, often at the expense of mum’s health and well-being. So, skip the chocolates and show mum love by doing the worst, most drudgerous and constant household chores (hello, cleaning mouldy showers!) and keep doing these… forever. <h2>2. Initiate a mental unload</h2> The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-14/the-mental-load-and-what-to-do-about-it/8942032">mental load</a> is all of the planning, organising and management work necessary to keep the family running. The mental load is often perceived as list making or allocating tasks to family members. But, it’s so much more – it is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-stress-and-worry-put-the-mental-load-on-mothers-will-2022-be-the-year-they-share-the-burden-172599">emotional work</a> that goes with this thinking work. The mental load is the worry work that never ends and can be done <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13668803.2021.2002813">anywhere, anytime and with anyone</a> (in, for example, said mouldy shower). Because the mental load is performed inside our heads, it is invisible. That means we don’t know when we or others are performing this labour unless we really tune in. In fact, it is often when we tune in through quiet time, relaxation or meditation that the mental load rears its ugly head. Suddenly you remind yourself to buy oranges for the weekend soccer game, organise a family movie night and don’t forget to check in on nanna. Women in heterosexual relationships are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0003122419859007">shown to do more</a> of the mental load with serious consequences for their mental health. But we don’t have a comprehensive measurement of how much women do it nor how it is allocated in same-sex couples. So, on this mothers’ day spend some time talking about, cataloguing, and equalising the family’s mental load. This isn’t just making a list about what has to be done but also understanding <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-09-14/the-mental-load-and-what-to-do-about-it/8942032">how the mental load</a> connects to the emotional health of the family, and the person carrying this <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/blog/making-the-mental-load-visible/">invisible labour, worry and stress</a>. <h2>3. Speak up for your mum and all caregivers</h2> Families alone cannot bear the brunt of the caregiving necessary to keep us thriving. Governments, workplaces and local communities also play a critical role. For this mothers’ day, pick an issue impacting mothers (for example, equal pay, affordable childcare or paid family leave) and do one thing to help move the needle. Write a letter to your boss, your local MP, or donate money to an advocacy organisation advancing gender equality. Or, role model these behaviours yourself – normalise caregiving as a critical piece of being an effective worker, create policies and practices that support junior staff to care for themselves, their families and their communities and use these policies. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0891243216649946">Research</a> shows men want to be equal carers and sharers but often fear what taking time off for caregiving will signal to their employer despite evidence that fathers who request flexible work are perceived more <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sf/article-abstract/94/4/1567/2461609?login=false">favourably</a>. Appearing to be singularly devoted to work was shown to be impossible during the pandemic with kids, spouses, partners, and pets home all day long. Learning to create more care-inclusive workplaces and communities is critical. Paid parental leave, affordable and accessible high-quality childcare, flexibility in how, when and where we work and greater investments in paid sick leave, long-term disability support and aged care are just a few policies that would strengthen the care safety net. We will all be called upon to care at some point in our lives – let’s create the environments that support caregiving for all, not just mum.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182330/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-ruppanner-106371">Leah Ruppanner</a>, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-give-mum-chocolates-for-mothers-day-take-on-more-housework-share-the-mental-load-and-advocate-for-equality-instead-182330">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Eating some chocolate really might be good for you – here’s what the research says

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396">Dan Baumgardt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a> Although it always makes me scoff slightly to see Easter eggs making their first appearance in supermarkets at the end of December, there are few people who aren’t delighted to receive a bit of chocolate every year. It makes sense that too much chocolate would be bad for you because of the high fat and sugar content in most products. But what should we make of common claims that eating some chocolate is actually good for you? Happily, there is a fair amount of evidence that shows, in the right circumstances, chocolate may be both beneficial for your heart and good for your mental state. In fact, chocolate – or more specifically cacao, the raw, unrefined bean – is a medicinal wonder. It contains many different active compounds which can evoke pharmacological effects within the body, like medicines or drugs. Compounds that lead to neurological effects in the brain have to be able to cross the <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-13443-2_7">blood-brain barrier</a>, the protective shield which prevents harmful substances – like toxins and bacteria – entering the delicate nervous tissue. One of these is the compound <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3672386/">theobromine</a>, which is also found in tea and contributes towards its bitter taste. Tea and chocolate also contain caffeine, which theobromine is related to as part of the purine family of chemicals. These chemicals, among others, contribute to chocolate’s addictive nature. They have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, where they can influence the nervous system. They are therefore known as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15549276/">psychoactive</a> chemicals. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HloqayQdR6M?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> What effects can chocolate have on mood? Well, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/71/10/665/1931144?login=false">a systematic review</a> looked at a group of studies which examined the feelings and emotions associated with consuming chocolate. Most demonstrated improvements in mood, anxiety, energy and states of arousal. Some noted the feeling of guilt, which is perhaps something we’ve all felt after one too many Dairy Milks. <h2>Health benefits of cocoa</h2> There are other organs, aside from the brain, that might benefit from the medicinal effects of cocoa. For centuries, chocolate has been used as a medicine to treat a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10917925/">long list of diseases</a> including anaemia, tuberculosis, gout and even low libido. These might be spurious claims but there is evidence to suggest that eating cacao has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. First, it can prevent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8068178/">endothelial dysfunction</a>. This is the process through which arteries harden and get laden down with fatty plaques, which can in turn lead to heart attacks and strokes. Eating dark chocolate may also reduce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1537189115001135?via%3Dihub">blood pressure</a>, which is another risk factor for developing arterial disease, and prevent formation of clots which block up blood vessels. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8VUcPCbSSCY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Some studies have suggested that dark chocolate might be useful in adjusting ratios of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20968113/">high-density lipoprotein cholesterol</a>, which can help protect the heart. Others have examined insulin resistance, the phenomenon associated with Type 2 diabetes and weight gain. They suggest that the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996900000697#:%7E:text=Cocoa%20is%20rich%20in%20polyphenols%20particularly%20in%20catechins,and%20cocoa%20powder%20have%20been%20published%20only%20recently.">polyphenols</a> – chemical compounds present in plants – found in foodstuffs like chocolate may also lead to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29993262/">improved control of blood sugars</a>. <h2>Chocolate toxicity</h2> As much as chocolate might be considered a medicine for some, it can be a poison for others. It’s well documented that the ingestion of caffeine and theobromine is highly toxic for domestic animals. Dogs are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4801869/">particularly affected</a> because of their often voracious appetites and generally unfussy natures. The culprit is often dark chocolate, which can provoke symptoms of agitation, rigid muscles and even seizures. In certain cases, if ingested in high enough quantities, it can lead to comas and abnormal, even fatal heart rhythms. Some of the compounds found in chocolate have also been found to have potentially negative effects in humans. Chocolate is a source of oxalate which, along with calcium, is one of the main components of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20301742/">kidney stones</a>. Some clinical groups have advised against consuming oxalate rich foods, such as spinach and rhubarb – and chocolate, for those who suffer from recurrent kidney stones. So, what should all this mean for our chocolate consumption habits? Science points in the direction of chocolate that has as high a cocoa solid content as possible, and the minimum of extras. The potentially harmful effects of chocolate are more related to fat and sugar, and may counteract any possible benefits. A daily dose of 20g-30g of plain or dark chocolate with cocoa solids above 70% – rather than milk chocolate, which contains fewer solids and white chocolate, which contains none – could lead to a greater health benefit, as well as a greater high. But whatever chocolate you go for, please don’t share it with the dog.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/226759/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396">Dan Baumgardt</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-bristol-1211">University of Bristol</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/eating-some-chocolate-really-might-be-good-for-you-heres-what-the-research-says-226759">original article</a>.

Body

Here’s why having chocolate can make you feel great or a bit sick – plus 4 tips for better eating

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saman-khalesi-366871">Saman Khalesi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Australians are <a href="https://www.retail.org.au/media/sweet-spending-boon-predicted-for-easter-retail">predicted</a> to spend around A$1.7 billion on chocolates, hot cross buns and other special foods this Easter season. Chocolate has a long history of production and consumption. It is made from cacao beans that go through processes including fermentation, drying, roasting and grounding. What is left is a rich and fatty liquor that is pressed to remove the fat (cocoa butter) and the cacao (or “cocoa”) powder which will then be mixed with different ingredients to produce dark, milk, white and other types of chocolates. There are several health benefits and potential problems that come in these sweet chocolatey packages. <h2>The good news</h2> Cacao beans contain <a href="https://foodstruct.com/food/cocoa-bean">minerals</a> like iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus and some vitamins. They are also rich in beneficial chemicals called <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23150750/">polyphenols</a>. These are great antioxidants, with the potential to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465250/">improve heart health</a>, increase <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25164923/">nitric oxide</a> (which dilates blood vessels) and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3488419/">reduce blood pressure</a>, provide food for gut microbiota and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/1908">promote gut health</a>, boost the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5465250/">immune system</a> and reduce inflammation. However, the concentration of polyphenols in the chocolate we eat depends largely on the cocoa solid amounts used in the final product. In general terms, the darker the chocolate, the more cocoa solids, minerals and polyphenols it has. For example, dark chocolates may have around <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2011.614984">seven times more polyphenols</a> compared to white chocolates and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2011.614984">three times more polyphenols</a> compared to milk chocolates. <h2>But also some bad news</h2> Unfortunately, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/treat-or-treatment-chocolate-is-good-but-cocoa-is-better-for-your-heart-3084">health benefits of cocoa solids</a> are easily offset by the high sugar and fat content of modern-day chocolates. For example, milk and white chocolate eggs are on average 50% sugar, 40% fat (mostly saturated fats) – which means a lot of added kilojoules (calories). Also, there may be some side effects that come with ingesting chocolate. Cocoa beans include a compound called theobromine. While it has the anti-inflammatory properties responsible for some of the health benefits of chocolate, it is also a mild brain stimulant that acts in a similar way to caffeine. The mood boost it offers may also be partly responsible for how much we <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2015.00030/full?crsi=662496658&cicada_org_src=healthwebmagazine.com&cicada_org_mdm=direct">like chocolate</a>. Dark chocolate has higher theobromine compared to milk and white chocolate. But accordingly, overindulging in chocolate (and therefore theobromine) may lead to feeling restless, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3672386/">headaches</a> and nausea. <h2>What else is in your chocolate?</h2> Milk and dairy-based chocolates may also cause stomach upset, abdominal pain and bloating in people with <a href="https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/health-advice/lactose-intolerance">lactose intolerance</a>. This happens when we don’t produce enough lactase enzymes to digest milk sugar (lactose). People with lactose intolerance can usually tolerate up to 6 grams of lactose without showing symptoms. Milk chocolate can have around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310258/">3 grams of lactose</a> per 40 grams (the size of a standard chocolate bar). So two chocolate bars (or the equivalent in milk chocolate eggs or bunnies) may be enough to cause symptoms. It’s worth noting that lactase enzyme activity dramatically declines as we age, with the highest activity in newborns and children. So lactose sensitivity or intolerance may not be such an issue for your kids and your symptoms may increase over time. Genetics also plays a major role in how sensitive people are to lactose. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6815241/">Allergic reactions</a> to chocolate are usually due to the added ingredients or cross-contamination with potential allergens such as nuts, milk, soy, and some sweeteners used in the production of chocolate. Symptoms can be mild (acne, rashes and stomach pain) or more severe (swelling of the throat and tongue and shortness of breath). If you or your family members have known allergic reactions, make sure you read the label before indulging – especially in a whole block or basket of the stuff. And if you or your family members do experience symptoms of an allergic reaction after eating chocolate, <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/allergic-reactions-emergency-first-aid">seek medical attention</a> immediately. <h2>4 take home tips</h2> So, if you are like me and have a weakness for chocolate there are a few things you can do to make the experience a good one.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202848/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <ol> <li>keep an eye out for the darker chocolate varieties with higher cocoa solids. You may notice a percentage on labelling, which refers to how much of its weight is from cocoa beans. In general, the higher this percentage, the lower the sugar. White chocolate has almost no cocoa solid, and mostly cocoa butter, sugar and other ingredients. Dark chocolate has 50–100% cocoa beans, and less sugar. Aim for at least 70% cocoa</li> <li>read the fine print for additives and possible cross-contamination, especially if allergies might be an issue</li> <li>the ingredients list and nutrition information panel should tell you all about the chocolate you choosing. Go for varieties with lower sugar and less saturated fat. Nuts, seeds and dried fruits are better ingredients to have in your chocolate than sugar, creme, syrup, and caramel</li> <li>finally, treat yourself – but keep the amount you have within sensible limits!</li> </ol> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/saman-khalesi-366871">Saman Khalesi</a>, Postdoctoral Fellow of the National Heart Foundation & Senior Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Nutrition, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-why-having-chocolate-can-make-you-feel-great-or-a-bit-sick-plus-4-tips-for-better-eating-202848">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

3 health benefits of dark chocolate

Although it seems too good to be true, dark chocolate can actually be good for you! When consumed in moderation, this delicious treat has some powerful health benefits. Following are three of the major reasons to indulge. 1. It can help prevent heart disease Like tea, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are compounds that act as antioxidants. Flavonoids protect cells from harmful molecules – called free radicals – that are produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed to sunlight or smoke. Free radicals can cause cell damage that leads to heart disease. Flavonoids can also lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol (ie, the bad cholesterol) by up to 10%. 2. It can improve your mood Dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that bring on feelings of pleasure. It also contains the chemical serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant. 3. It can protect your skin German researchers found that the flavonoids in dark chocolate absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, and improve skin’s hydration and complexion. Here's the caveat For all of its health benefits, though, dark chocolate does contain a lot of calories. So, experts recommend sticking to no more than 60g – about two to three squares – of the sweet stuff per day. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/uncategorized/3-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Food & Wine

Major Cadbury change is a far cry from a fan favourite

Fans of Favourites have been left scowling - or delighting, as lines were drawn on both sides of the great Flake versus Twirl debate - at their chocolate over an update by Cadbury. The confectionary giant made the now-controversial choice to swap out the classic Dream and Flake feature items, replacing them with the likes of Caramilks and Twirls. And when one Reddit user made the realisation, they wasted no time in taking to the popular internet forum to get the opinion of fellow sweet-toothed users. “Shrinkflation has reached Favourites,” they titled their post. “Dream and flake [are] now replaced with Caramilk and Twirl.” Alongside the text, they shared two images: one of the front of two Favourites boxes, and another of the back. The differences in their content was immediately obvious, as well as the 50g decrease between the two, with over 800 flocking to the comments section to share their thoughts on the matter. “No Flake = No Favourites,” one declared. “Why replace the best two?!!” another asked. Meanwhile, someone else had a slightly different - but still pressing - concern, asking, “can’t they, like, remove Picnics?” Many were of the opinion that it was actually a good move by Cadbury, believing Twirls to simply be the new-and-improved version of a Flake. However, most seemed to agree that Caramilk wasn’t nearly as desirable as the discarded Dream. “Twirl is just a better version of Flake,” one said, “with the extra coat of chocolate to keep the mess from falling out of your hand.” “Twirl is just a more structurally-sound version of Flake. Definitely an improvement IMO [in my opinion],” another said. “A Flake with its sh*t together,” came the agreement from another commenter. “A business Flake, if you will.” Someone else swooped in then to add that it was just “a Flake that’s been to therapy.” “Twirl replacing Flake is fine but no Dream?? That’s like my favourite… (caramilk is no dream replacement imo),” one lamented. And when someone stated that a Twirl is just a superior Flake, another user did agree, but not without adding “[I] am devo about dream though”. “All youse out here claiming Twirls are better than Flakes are nuts,” someone argued anyway. “The crumbly texture is so much better. Plus Flake in a 30c cone is one of the all time combos.” One even came equipped with a new tagline suggestion for the company, writing “Cadbury Favourites: ‘I wanted to get you a gift, but I didn’t want it to be nice’.” And some simply wanted to keep the peace, pointing out that “they're called Favourites, Cadbury probably changes them up to reflect what are selling better at the time”. Images: Reddit

Food & Wine

Gluten-free chocolate chip biscuits

Switch up your usual flour for coconut flour to make these delicious gluten-free chocolate chip biscuits. Makes: 20 biscuits Ingredients: <ul> <li>⅔ cup of coconut flour</li> <li>⅓ cup of arrow root flour</li> <li>½ teaspoon of baking powder</li> <li>¼ teaspoon of bi-carb soda</li> <li>⅓ cup of coconut or brown sugar</li> <li>1 teaspoon of vanilla extract</li> <li>2 eggs</li> <li>½ cup of chocolate chips</li> <li>4 tablespoons of coconut oil, melted</li> <li>4 tablespoons of softened butter</li> <li>3-4 tablespoons of water</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 180°C.</li> <li>Mix all dry ingredients excluding chocolate chips in a large bowl.</li> <li>In another bowl, mix coconut oil, butter, chocolate chips and eggs.</li> <li>Mix wet and dry mixes together.</li> <li>Add water, mixing to form a batter.</li> <li>Place balls of batter on a lined baking pan five-cm apart.</li> <li>Bake for 14to 16 minutes. Let cool.</li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Tropical banana cake with salted peanut caramel sauce

If you’re really looking to go all out, this tropical banana cake with salted peanut caramel sauce is a striking dessert that tastes as good as it looks. If there are any leftovers of, they will keep for a few days in the fridge. Serves: Six to eight Ingredients: Banana cake <ul> <li>125g butter, softened</li> <li>1 cup brown sugar</li> <li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li> <li>2 tablespoons rum</li> <li>2 eggs</li> <li>3 ripe bananas, mashed</li> <li>1/4 cup coconut milk</li> <li>1/2 cup desiccated coconut</li> <li>1/2 cup chopped tropical dried fruits, plus extra for garnish</li> <li>2 cups self-raising flour</li> </ul> Salted peanut caramel sauce <ul> <li>200g caster sugar</li> <li>60ml (4 tablespoons) water</li> <li>60g butter, cut into small cubes</li> <li>1/2 cup cream</li> <li>1 teaspoon soy sauce</li> <li>80g salted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped</li> </ul> Filling <ul> <li>300ml cream</li> <li>1 tablespoon icing sugar</li> <li>250g sour cream, whisked</li> <li>2 bananas, sliced, tossed in a little lemon or lime juice to prevent browning</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm spring-form tin.</li> <li>Cream butter and brown sugar together. Add vanilla and rum, beating to combine. Beat in eggs, mashed bananas and coconut milk. Add desiccated coconut and dried fruits, sift the flour over and gently fold to combine. </li> <li>Spoon into prepared tin and bake 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool. The cake can be made the day before it is needed.</li> <li>For the sauce, place caster sugar and water in a small saucepan and swirl the pan over a medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.</li> <li>Bring to the boil and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until a rich caramel colour. Add butter carefully (mixture may spit) and whisk to combine.</li> <li>Add cream and soy sauce, whisking to combine.</li> <li>Add half the chopped peanuts. Serve immediately or leave covered on the bench (the sauce will become solid if refrigerated). </li> <li>For the filling, whip cream with icing sugar then mix into whisked sour cream.</li> <li>Keep chilled until needed. </li> <li>To assemble, split the cold cake and cover the bottom piece with a layer of sliced banana. Top with half the cream mixture then add the other layer of cake.</li> <li>Cover the top with remaining cream and garnish with remaining peanuts and extra dried tropical fruits. Pour over the caramel sauce and serve.</li> </ol> Written by Bernadette Hogg. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Shoppers left feeling nostalgic over new chocolate treats

Chocolate lovers are in for a treat with Cadbury’s new range hitting supermarket shelves. The confectionary giant’s new “slices” range may feel quite familiar to some, especially those who often follow their sweet tooth into well-stocked bakeries, which makes perfect sense when considering the new blocks are inspired by the likes of crackle, hedgehog, and mint cream slices. <a href="https://www.cadbury.com.au/brand/cadbury-slices">The Cadbury Slices</a>, which carry a price tag of $5.50, are described by their makers as being “inspired by iconic Australian bakery slices and mixed with our iconic Cadbury chocolate to create a new way to enjoy icons, perfect for sharing.” They were an immediate hit with the masses, with one social media snack reviewer even declaring one of the new blocks to be “up there with some of my current favourites”. In a video posted to her Instagram account, she could be seen entering a Woolworths supermarket to pick up the new range, and outlined her journey before reviewing the goods. She did not, however, try the Old Gold mint cream, noting that she wasn’t really a fan of mint chocolate to begin with. First up was the Caramilk hedgehog, and after explaining the “classic Aussie no-bake slice”, she described how the block had a Caramilk base and contained almonds, toasted coconut, and rice crisps, before noting that she “absolutely loved the taste”. Next came the block “inspired by a chocolate crackle”, which also featured rice crisps and toasted coconut, and “definitely resembled the chocolate crackle flavour”. She noted that it had that “recognisable Copha taste”, although she didn’t believe that was one of the ingredients. “It was so delicious,” she surmised, “and I hope this one stays around for a while.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cr7-qyFJS1q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Snack Reviews Aus (@snackreviews_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> Her joy at the range and their nostalgic flavours were exactly what the company had been aiming for, and as Paul Chatfield - vice president marketing for ANZ Mondelez International - told news.com.au, “the new Cadbury Slices range, features a variety of familiar and nostalgic flavours that Cadbury and chocolate-fans alike will enjoy. “We know Aussies share fond memories of bakery slices and hope they too will build new memories with family and friends as they share a Cadbury Slices block.” Images: Instagram

Food & Wine

Super simple cake decorating ideas

Whether you’re making a cake for a special occasion or simply want to create something extra fancy for a family dinner, you’d be surprised how easy it can be to decorate a cake into something fit for a cooking show. Whether it’s using a few store-bought meringues, slicing up some strawberries or using your favourite biscuits to make a balloon feature, you’ll never make a plain old cake again after reading our super simple cake decorating ideas. Meringue on the mind For an effective alternative to piped-frosting rosettes or expensive store-bought edible roses, opt for some mini meringues from the supermarket. Use them around the edge of the cake for a simple yet stylish finish that packs a crunchy punch. Up, up and away with cookies Whether you want to make biscuits of your own or buy your favourite biccies from the shop, once you’ve iced your cake arrange a cluster of biscuits nearer to one end of the cake and use liquorice shoestrings (or another thin long lolly of your choosing) to form the balloon strings coming from the biscuits. You may want to knot the strings for extra detail. Another tip you may want to use is, if your biscuits are on the plan side, cover them in different colour frostings and then decorate them with colours sprinkles. Strawberry fields Sometimes things in your very own fridge make the perfect cake decorations. Strawberries not only taste delicious and fresh, their vibrant colour makes them an eye-catching decoration. Thinly slice one punnet of fresh strawberries. Starting from the outside perimeter, place a ring of strawberries around the cake, pointed facing out. Continue layering rings around the cake until you reach the centre. Shaved Chocolate For all the chocoholics out there, this one’s for you. A decadent way to decorate a cake is with shavings of chocolate. If you’re worried you won’t be so good at making your own shavings, some stores do sell them. You can mix and match milk, white and dark chocolate and even throw in a few different flavours – think orange, mint or chilli chocolate. While there are many ways you can arrange the shavings, the circular, ring-type layering described above in strawberry fields works well. Spotty dotty Polka dots are all the rage and white frosting dots on a cake that has been iced in a pale colour, will look extremely lovely. For neatly piped dots, you’ll want to use a pastry bag. Hold the pastry bag in both hands; keep the tip just above the cake's surface, at a slight angle. Gently squeeze out icing, release, and pull back. Frosting dots will also help to hide smudged edges or spotty icing. You can either use different size dots or big and small ones. But whatever you do, start with the large ones. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

“What do I actually do?”: Woman’s costly chocolate-coated crisis

A woman in the United States has been left with quite the mess on her hands after her cake order took a questionable - and rather expensive - turn. In a video posted to TikTok, by user @libbycarlsonn, she revealed what had become of her $300 USD (~$443 AUD/NZD) request after it had been dropped off by the baker. The clip featured her with a hand covering her face and the text “guys I paid $300 for this and the lady just dropped it off what do I actually do” across the top of the screen. It continued on to show an image of a carefully constructed chocolate cake, the one that the TikToker had been hoping to receive, and concluded with what she’d actually been delivered: something best described as a sort of chocolate avalanche, with chocolate melting down haphazardly placed chunks of cake, and a dusting of sprinkles over it all. “TikTok, work your magic because I need advice right now," her caption read. The video gained over 3.7m views, and over 4,000 comments, though most weren’t offering advice so much as commiserating with her, or poking fun at the sillier side of her situation, and many were of the opinion that she should demand a refund immediately. “When you say dropped it off, did she literally drop it?” one user wanted to know. “Also how is that the same as the one in the photo??? HOW?” Another pressing concern came soon after, with someone asking “why are there sprinkles???” “Put it in the fridge probably just melted a bit,” one suggested. “No way that’s what they gave you!! I would’ve flip[ped] that cake onto their face. Wow!!” another said. “Tbf…. I prefer the disaster cake,” one shared, “it looks tastier but I’d definitely ask for a refund.” Another felt quite strongly about that, telling the TikToker “well obviously it's false advertising and that's illegal”. One, however, simply refused to accept that the story was true, writing “I’m sorry I literally do not believe you”. “Girl you made that. Quit playing! Lol,” another agreed. And as one said, “honestly, there’s no way this is true or you dropped it before posting.” Images: TikTok

Food & Wine

“Grandma meant Elmo”: Cake-maker reveals hilarious baking blunder

An American baker has left the internet in stitches after misreading her customer’s custom cake request, instead delivering a baking blunder for the Sesame Street history books. In a video posted to her TikTok account, Brianna Romero - who is known professionally as Brinni Cakes - confessed her mistake to the world, recounting the story of how a recent order from a grandmother had led her to the creation of her new friend ‘Emo Elmo’. “So my worst nightmare happened,” she said, with audio playing over a timelapse of Brianne constructing another cake. “Last week a lady DMed me and asked me if I could make her an emo cake, and I was thinking ‘yes, of course, I love emo and I love goth, and I know I’ve been perfecting my black frosting so I’m ready for this’.” Brianna went on to explain that she’d gotten all of her customer’s information, and set to work. However, an hour before she was set to deliver the cake, she decided to offer the woman a number candle - an offer that was soon accepted. “She said ‘yes, the cake is for my granddaughter and she’s turning four’”, Brianna explained in the clip. “And I thought that that was a little bit weird, ‘cause I don’t know an emo four year old.” After trying to understand the weird request, Brianna figured that the little girl must just be a fan of something like Netflix’s Wednesday series. Unfortunately, this was not the case. “Something felt wrong,” she noted, before describing how she’d reach out again to ask what the theme of the party was, only to find out it was Sesame Street. “So my heart sinks a little bit because this is now making sense to me,” she said. It was then that Brianna returned to the original exchange between herself and her customer, and had her worst fears confirmed. “I misread emo,” Brianna admitted, “and it said an Elmo cake.” Luckily, Brianna was a quick thinker in her time of stress and rushed out to find an Elmo topper for her cake, before offering the cake for free. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610.266px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7212109376436391210&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40brinnicakes%2Fvideo%2F7212109376436391210&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Fe19d4562cc04495c8778154678f1d382_1679200086%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-useast5-i-0068-tx%2F1ad8d307d5f74948880bf2e0f91228f3.image%3Fx-expires%3D1683669600%26x-signature%3DCxdjPe36YRrx4SrRRwvAPwRsevY%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> Brianna’s audience were obsessed with her tale, and the video shot to viral heights, with over 11.7 million views to its name. “As soon as you revealed it was for a 4yr old I was like ‘oh no, grandma meant Elmo’,” one follower wrote. “Praying it’s Elmo with a side bang,” said another. Her misfortune drew in over a thousand comments, but there was a recurring thought that stood out among the chorus, and that was a request to see the baked blunder. And while Brianna admitted in an update that she hadn’t had the time to snap pictures on the day of delivery, she did her best with her follow-up video, sharing photos of cakes that looked “almost exactly” like her own, to the delight of her worldwide audience. “This is so funny,” someone said. “Elmo with a side bang has me in tears.” Meanwhile, another commenter wanted to know what the recipients had thought about their unique goods. “She tried to pay still but I told her everything that happened and we just laughed it off,” Brianna said. “It was just for a small family party anyway.” Images: TikTok

Food & Wine

Lemon curd and cream sponge cake

Not only is this cake beautiful, but homemade lemon curd and cream sandwiched between lovely sponge cakes, it will exceed all expectations. Serves: 12 Ingredients: <ul> <li>350g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing <ul> <li>350g caster sugar</li> <li>4 lemons, zest only, plus juice of 2 lemons</li> <li>3 large pieces candied lemon peel, finely chopped</li> <li>6 free-range eggs</li> <li>3 teaspoon baking powder</li> <li>300g self-raising flour</li> <li>50g cornflour</li> </ul> </li> </ul> Lemon curd <ul> <li>60g butter</li> <li>225g caster sugar</li> <li>3 lemons, juice and zest</li> <li>2 free-range eggs</li> </ul> Cream <ul> <li>300ml double cream</li> <li>200g icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line two cake tins. 2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice and candied peel. 3. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is well combined. 4. Sift the baking powder, self-raising flour and corn flour together in a bowl and fold into the cake mixture. 5. Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two cake tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until risen and golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside edge of the tins to loosen the cakes. Remove the cakes from the tins and set aside to cool completely on a rack. 6. Meanwhile, to make the lemon curd heat the butter, sugar and lemon juice and zest in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Be sure not allow the base of the bowl to touch the surface of the water. Remove from the heat. 7. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk the melted butter mixture into the beaten eggs until well combined. 8. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, for two to three minutes or until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 9. Sieve the lemon curd into a clean bowl, then cover with cling film and set aside to cool. 10. For the cream, whip the cream and icing sugar together in a bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. 11. Place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and spread with the lemon curd. Spread over some of the whipped cream and sandwich with another cake. Drizzle the top of cake with lemon curd and let it run over the edges. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

“Lunch-box-mum queen”: Woman goes viral over 2 ingredient cake mix

One Coles shopper has taken the internet by storm, revealing a “snack hack” with just two ingredients. Aussie mum-of-three Claudia creates content on TikTok on cheap Kmart buys, a day in the life of her family, and her most popular videos, her “snack hacks”. For her most recent hack, only two ingredients are required. “Snack hack! Again!” she said in the video, which has attracted more than 70,000 views on TikTok. “So, this one, I’m looking forward to. “This is not healthy. This is two ingredients — Nutella and eggs — and it’s supposed to make the gooiest, chocolatiest, yummiest cake ever. “I have not tried this before so let’s get to it.” Claudia didn’t have Nutella in her pantry, but she bought the Coles version, which she claims tastes very similar. “I’m a big believer in using what you have, but a few people said ‘check this out, make this, it’s delicious’ so I just had to,” she continued. “I did go and buy the Coles one, and it was very cheap, and I’m sure a lot of people do have Nutella in their cupboard.” For the snack hack, Claudia used one cup of the chocolate spread and four eggs to create a gooey cake mix. “If ‘trust the process’ had a cover photo, it would be this,” she said, visibly grossed out by the gooey batter. “It is safe to say I won’t be trying any of this cake mix.” Claudia instructed viewers to put the cake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. “Do you know how good this smells?” she said as she took the cake tin out of the oven. She was even more excited by the time she tried it. “That is so good. So, so good. Like no exaggeration. So freaking good,” she said. People flooded the comments, applauding Claudia for another great “snack hack”. “I’m soooo trying this,” one person wrote. “Thank you, lunch-box-mum queen,” another added. “I honestly thought it was going to come out looking like chocolate scrambled eggs,” a third said. Claudia is renowned on TikTok for making snacks that are easy on household budgets, so people were grateful she used the cheaper Coles chocolate spread. “The Coles Nutella is just as good in my opinion,” one wrote. Image credit: TikTok

Food & Wine

The gooiest and most scrumptious brownie recipe there ever was

Over60 community member shares her seriously yummy brownie recipe. Think gooey centre and lots of white and dark chocolate. Don’t say we didn’t warn you – these might just be the best brownies we’ve ever had! Serves: Eight Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Ingredients: <ul> <li>250 grams butter</li> <li>300 grams dark cooking chocolate</li> <li>5 eggs</li> <li>1.5 cups sugar</li> <li>1.5 cups plain flour, sifted</li> <li>180 grams of white chocolate (broken into pieces)</li> <li>180 grams of milk chocolate (broken into pieces)</li> </ul> Method: 1. Preheat over to 180. Not fan forced. If you only have a fan forced turn the oven down a bit. 2. Melt butter and dark chocolate (I do this in a double boiler). Set aside. 3. Mix eggs, sugar, flour. Add the dark chocolate and butter mixture. Stir till smooth. Add the rest of the chocolate. 4. Line a baking pan with baking paper. Fill with mixture - you can use square or rectangular pan. 5. Put in the over for no more than 30 mins. 6. Let cool a little but these are best served a little warm. Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Irish apple cake

This delightfully old-fashioned Irish apple cake is not only easy to make but tastes delicious served with custard. Serves: 8 Ingredients: <ol> <li>1 ¼ cup plain flour</li> <li>1 teaspoon baking powder</li> <li>¾ cup caster sugar</li> <li>¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon</li> <li>75g butter, plus extra for greasing</li> <li>3 apples, peeled, cored, cut into slices </li> <li>1 egg</li> <li>¼ cup milk</li> <li>Salt and pepper, to season</li> <li>Custard, to serve</li> </ol> Method: <ol> <li>Preheat oven to 180°C Grease a 20cm round tin with melted butter.</li> <li>Place flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Cut the butter into flour and use fingers to mix into flour until it resembles fine crumbs. Add apples and toss to combine.</li> <li>In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add to the apples and flour mix, using a spatula to combine. Batter will be thick.</li> <li>Pour into cake tin. Flatten the top with back of spatula. Sprinkle extra sugar over the cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Serve with custard. </li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

“100 is just a number”: Centenarian’s sweet solution for a long and happy life

When Shirley Goodman reached the milestone age of 100 years old, the last thing on her mind was slowing down. And the centenarian, who lives in Florida, has shared her advice for living a long and happy life - though what she had to say has taken many by surprise. Rather than stressing the importance of getting enough rest and following a strict diet, as we so often hear, Shirley believes her passion for having fun, doing what she enjoys, and eating her share of well-deserved treats to be the secret of her success. As Shirley told Today, “I feel great. 100 is just a number to me.” This is despite the two open-heart surgeries she has undergone - including a bypass, and the installation of a pacemaker and a stent. Shirley also experiences difficulties with her vision and her hearing, but nothing will keep her from embracing life and doing what she loves: dancing. “My legs are still working,” she said. “I’m an optimist. I try to do positive thinking all the time. That’s very important. I have a bracelet that says ‘Positivity’ on it. “I wear it every day and I try to stay positive.” She started dancing when she was just eight years old, even opening up her own dance school at 17. And while she did close down her business after marrying, she never gave it up, following her heart - and her dancing feet - in her free time instead. And in recent years, Shirley has taken that same passion to a whole new realm, establishing herself on the internet as ‘The Dancing Nana’. On Instagram, her family regularly share clips of Shirley dancing, and even participating in some viral internet trends, from doing ‘the floss dance’ to ‘the Tush Push’. It was the latter that propelled her to viral heights in 2019, when a clip surfaced of a then-96-year-old Shirley enjoying herself at her nephew’s wedding reception, outshining the younger guests on the dance floor with her spectacular footwork and twirls. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLLINgB2uX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Dancing Nana (@the.dancing.nana)</a> </div> </blockquote> “I would advise people,” she told Today, “if they like music at all, to keep it in their lives and don’t just sit home in a rocking chair.” “I attribute [my long life] mostly to two things. One is my family,” she later added, “I have a wonderful, devoted family. “And the jazz, the music down here in Sarasota, and my tap dancing. That’s what keeps me going.” And while Shirley has dabbled in other pursuits, dancing still holds the key to her heart, as nothing else quite took with her, with the 100-year-old confessing that she “wasn’t crazy” about golf, and played tennis until she was 90. “I only walk as far as my mailbox,” she added, “which is about five minutes.” She does, however, enjoy her share of yoga. Every morning, she FaceTimes her daughter for a session, and the two spend some mindful time together from their respective homes in Florida and New York. Another thing Shirley very much enjoys is a sweet treat. And as some longevity experts admitted to Today, many who reach impressive ages like Shirley don’t often focus on their recommended share of vitamins and other ‘healthy’ snacks. “I don’t eat healthy food,” Shirley admitted. “My kids would holler at me … but when I hit 90, they stopped bothering me.” As Shirley’s 71-year-old daughter Joan added, they all just assumed Shirley was going to outlive them, but that “you would not want to write a cookbook based on her nutritional recommendations. I think the secret is to enjoy what you’re eating.” Top of Shirley’s most loved menu is “anything that’s cooked in batter”, or some chocolate and other sweets of the like. She enjoys a piece of chocolate after each of her meals, and views breakfast as the perfect opportunity for a chocolate chip cookie - however, you won’t catch her nibbling on any dark varieties, as milk chocolate with some nuts is what she prefers to reach for. And when it comes to home cooked meals with some vegetables, Shirley isn’t a fan. “I say ‘cook’ is a four letter word, so I don’t cook very much,” said. “I eat very small portions, but I eat everything and anything I like.” Images: Instagram

Caring

Jam roly-poly

Looking for the perfect sweet treat to have with your cuppa? Look no further than this old-school classic, the infamous jam roly-poly. Forget the supermarket-bought awful incarnations, this is easy to make and is quite affordable too. Ingredients: <ul> <li>Butter for greasing</li> <li>50g salted butter, chilled and cut into chunks</li> <li>250g self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling</li> <li>1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out</li> <li>50g shredded suet</li> <li>150ml milk</li> <li>100g raspberry</li> <li>Ice-cream or custard to serve </li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Put a roasting tin onto the bottom shelf of the oven, with another wire shelf directly above it. Fill the roasting tin with two-thirds boiling water from the kettle, then carefully slide it back in. Heat oven to 180C. </li> <li>Tear off a large sheet of foil and greaseproof paper (approx. 30cm by 40cm). Sit the paper on top of the foil and butter it. </li> <li>Put butter, flour and vanilla seeds into a food processor; pulse until the butter has disappeared. Tip into a mixing bowl. </li> <li>Add the suet and stir through, pour in the milk and work together with a cutlery knife until you get a sticky dough. You may need a little more milk, depending on your flour. </li> <li>Tip the dough out onto a floured surface, quickly pat together to smooth, then roll out to a square roughly 25cm to 25cm. </li> <li>Spread the jam all over, leaving a gap along one edge, then roll up from the opposite edge. Pinch the jam-free edge into the dough where it meets, and pinch the ends roughly, too. </li> <li>Carefully lift onto the greased paper, join-side down, loosely bring up the paper and foil around it, then scrunch together along the edges and ends to seal. The roly-poly will puff quite a bit during cooking so don’t wrap it tightly. Lift the parcel directly onto the rack above the tin and cook for one hour. </li> <li>Let the roly-poly sit for five minutes before unwrapping, then carefully open the foil and paper, and thickly slice to serve. </li> <li>Serve with ice-cream or custard and you'll have some very satisfied guests on your hands.</li> </ol> Images: Shutterstock

Food & Wine

Easter eggs: their evolution from chicken to chocolate

A lot of Easter traditions – including hot cross buns and lamb on Sunday – stem from medieval Christian or even earlier pagan beliefs. The chocolate Easter egg, however, is a more modern twist on tradition. Chicken eggs have been eaten at Easter for centuries. Eggs have long symbolised rebirth and renewal, making them perfect to commemorate the story of Jesus’ resurrection as well as the arrival of spring. Although nowadays eggs can be eaten during the fasting period of Lent, in the middle ages they were prohibited along with meat and dairy. Medieval chefs often found surprising ways around this, even making mock eggs to replace them. For Easter – a period of celebration – eggs and meat, such as lamb (also a symbol of renewal), were back on the table. Even once eggs were permitted in fasting meals, they kept a special place in the Easter feast. Seventeenth-century cookbook author John Murrell recommended “egges with greene sawce”, a sort of pesto made with sorrel leaves. Across Europe, eggs were also given as a tithe (a sort of yearly rent) to the local church on Good Friday. This might be where the idea of giving eggs as a gift comes from. The practice died out in many Protestant areas after the Reformation, but some English villages kept the tradition going until the 19th century. It’s not known exactly when people started to decorate their eggs, but research has pointed to the 13th century, when King Edward I gave his courtiers eggs wrapped in gold leaf. A few centuries later, we know that people across Europe were dying their eggs different colours. They usually chose yellow, using onion peel, or red, using madder roots or beetroots. The red eggs are thought to symbolise the blood of Christ. One 17th-century author suggested this practice went as far back as early Christians in Mesopotamia, but it’s hard to know for sure. In England, the most popular way of decorating was with petals, which made colourful imprints. The Wordsworth Museum in the Lake District still has a collection of eggs made for the poet’s children from the 1870s. <h2>From dyed eggs to chocolate eggs</h2> Although dyeing patterned eggs is still a common Easter activity, these days eggs are more commonly associated with chocolate. But when did this shift happen? When chocolate arrived in Britain in the 17th century, it was an exciting and very expensive novelty. In 1669, the Earl of Sandwich paid £227 – the equivalent of around £32,000 today – for a chocolate recipe from King Charles II. Today chocolate is thought of as a solid food, but then it was only ever a drink and was usually spiced with chilli pepper following Aztec and Maya traditions. For the English, this exotic new drink was like nothing they’d ever encountered. One author called it the “American Nectar”: a drink for the gods. Chocolate was soon a fashionable drink for the aristocracy, often given as a gift thanks to its high status, a tradition still followed today. It was also enjoyed in the newly opened coffee houses around London. Coffee and tea had also only just been introduced to England, and all three drinks were rapidly changing how Britons socially interacted with each other. Catholic theologians did connect chocolate with Easter in this time, but out of concern that drinking chocolate would go against fasting practices during Lent. After heated debate, it was agreed that chocolate made with water might be acceptable during fasts. At Easter at least – a time of feasting and celebration – chocolate was fine. Chocolate remained expensive into the 19th century, when Fry’s (now part of Cadbury) made the first solid chocolate bars in 1847, revolutionising the chocolate trade. For the Victorians, chocolate was much more accessible but still something of an indulgence. Thirty years later, in 1873, Fry’s developed the first chocolate Easter egg as a luxury treat, merging the two gift-giving traditions. Even in the early 20th century, these chocolate eggs were seen as a special present, and many people never even ate theirs. A woman in Wales kept an egg from 1951 for 70 years and a museum in Torquay recently bought an egg that had been saved since 1924. It was only in the 1960s and 1970s that supermarkets began to offer chocolate eggs at a cheaper price, hoping to profit off the Easter tradition. With rising concerns over long-term chocolate production and bird flu provoked egg shortages, future Easters might look a little different. But if there is one thing that Easter eggs can show us, it’s the adaptability of tradition. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/easter-eggs-their-evolution-from-chicken-to-chocolate-203074" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

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