How to Make Heart-healthy Valentine's Day Candy

Chocolate bark, in moderation, is a healthy Valentine's treat.

A Valentine's Day without chocolate would not be the same for thousands of men and women alike. Thankfully for those looking for Valentine's Day gifts, the USDA Dietary Guidelines, 2010, continue to recommend modest amounts of dark chocolate for its ability to reduce your risk of heart disease. Chocolate increases levels of the good cholesterol, HDL, reduces the impacts of aging in blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and reduces blood platelets from sticking to your arteries.



Add healthy nuts and dried fruit to your Valentine's Day candy to boost its health benefits even more.

Things You'll Need

• Parchment or waxed paper
• Cookie sheet
• Dark chocolate bars
• Dried blueberries, cranberries or cherries
• Crystallized ginger
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pistachios
• Cellophane wrapping paper
• Red ribbon

Instructions

Chocolate Bark

1. Toast the nuts of your choice in a 350-degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes. If you buy roasted peanuts, you can skip this step. After roasting, chop the nuts into large pieces.

2. Break one or more chocolate bars into pieces and microwave half of the pieces for one minute. Stir in the remaining pieces until all the chocolate is melted. Microwave again in 10-second intervals if needed.

3. Pour the melted chocolate onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. For an optional Valentine's Day effect, spread the chocolate in a heart-shaped outline you have traced onto the paper.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate with the nuts and dried fruit of your choosing. Add chopped, crystallized ginger if you think your sweetheart would like a spicy kick to her chocolate.

5. Place the candy in the refrigerator until it is set. If you have spread the chocolate into a heart shape, trim the edges after the chocolate has set for five minutes.

6. Break the chocolate into pieces, or leave it whole if you have shaped it into a heart.

7. Wrap the candy and tie the package with a bright red bow. Use cellophane wrapping to insure that the chocolate doesn't melt the paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Katherine Zeratsky, a nutritionist with Mayo Clinic, recommends dark chocolate with at least 65 percent cocoa content.

• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, notes that unsalted peanuts, walnuts almonds and pistachios all reduce heart disease risks. The USDA also recommends peanuts for their high zinc content.

• MayoClinic.com includes blueberries and almonds in its list of 10 healthy foods.

• Doctors use ginger for combating nausea during pregnancy and following chemotherapy, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center website. The site adds that ginger may also lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce risks of heart attack and stroke and provide anticancer benefits.

References

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010
• Harvard Health Publications: Chocolate and Your Health --- Guilty Pleasure or Terrific Treat?
• MayoClinic.com: Can Chocolate Be Good For My Health?
• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Zooming In on Zinc
• MayoClinic.com: Slide Show: 10 Great Health Foods for Eating Well
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger