7th November: Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
On November 7th, National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day ushers in one of the more healthful ways to enjoy chocolate.
Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla have been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate. However, the two of them may be interchangeable when baking.
This intriguingly specific Day celebrates a particular combination of flavours – dark, bitter chocolate and toasted almonds. This is one of the oldest recipes involving chocolate known in the English-speaking world, featuring as the only chocolate dish in an 18th-century cookbook.
Both the tannins in dark chocolate and the various fatty acids in almonds have many health benefits, various studies have shown. Bitter Chocolate with Almonds Day encourages a delicious and nourishing dessert, which contributes to health and long life. Celebrate by dipping blanched almonds in the best dark chocolate you can find, and serving as part of an afternoon snack.