Treat your sweetie to a centuries old tradition: Chocolate 

On Valentine's Day, some girls love receiving a dozen long-stemmed roses. Others desire a sparkly bauble. Some may even appreciate a simple card that expresses a loved one's sentiments. Me? I swoon for chocolate. Give me a box of truffles or any decadent assortment of chocolately goodness and I've found a bit of heaven on earth.

Since the first chocolate candies were  invented in the 1860s by Cadbury, who were the first to market them in heart-shaped boxes, the treat has become a staple of Valentine giving. But, our love of chocolate has much deeper roots. From the moment chocolate was discovered, it was considered valuable, divine and decadent – all sentiments that we wish expressed to our beloveds. So, what is the storied background on the sweet treat?

Cacao, the ingredient upon which chocolate is based, is thought to have originated in the Amazon 4,000 years ago. The word chocolate can be traced back by more than 2,000 years to the Aztec word "xocoatl," which meant bitter water and referred to an unsweetened drink the Aztecs brewed from cacao beans. And, there's evidence of an ancient alcoholic brew made by fermenting the fleshy fruit that surrounds cacao beans in old pottery remnants from Honduras. Chocolate even had value for trading among tribes and served as an early currency.

You can be sure that while conquerors went in search of gold and treasure they were equally delighted to have struck it rich with this exotic and mysterious delicacy. When Europeans discovered the Americas, they didn't like the bitter chocolate drink at first – so they sweetened it. This new beverage became popular and spread through Spain. Chocolate continued to gain popularity, especially among the affluent throughout Europe, as it was credited with nutritional, medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities. It seems not much has changed since the early discovery!

In celebrating Valentine's Day this month, I plan to pay homage to this centuries old tradition by preparing a special chocolate dessert for my husband, Robert. For many years, I have made Warm Chocolate Cakes…the ones that feature an ooey, gooey molten center. I especially love to make it on Valentine’s Day because it can be prepared ahead of time, allowing me to spend more time with Robert on this romantic evening.

This is a very popular dessert at a number of restaurants that many home cooks think is beyond their culinary skill level. Let me tell you – this recipe couldn't be easier.  With just six ingredients, this simple dessert will 'wow' anyone who has a love of chocolate like I do. Just be sure to set the timer to ensure you take the cakes out at a proper time. This guarantees the big payoff of the molten center.

Warm Chocolate Cake

(Serves 8)

This yummy dessert looks like a normal chocolate cake until you cut into it, when a warm chocolate sauce oozes out of the center.  It is now a very popular dessert at a number of restaurants, but the original creator was the famous chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and this is supposed to be his original recipe. 

1 cup butter

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate

4  eggs

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Generously butter and lightly flour 8 4-ounce ramekins, custard cups or molds.

In the top of a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is almost melted.  Remove from heat, continue stirring until completely melted and set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and thick.  Slowly beat in the chocolate mixture, then the flour.  Divide batter among ramekins.  Place on a baking sheet and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. The center will still be quite soft but the sides will be set.  Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen from the ramekin, invert each on to a dessert plate and let sit for around 10 seconds, then remove ramekin.  Serve immediately with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

Variation:  Leave cakes in ramekins and serve warm.

Make ahead: The cake batter can be prepared up to 8 hours before baking, covered and refrigerated. Pour into ramekins just prior to baking.

Health benefits of chocolate

Have you had your flavonoids today? Once you know the benefits of what was once called Vitamin P, you'll be asking yourself this daily! Derived from natural sources, flavonoids help protect plants by shielding them from environmental toxins and helping repair damage. Where does one find these flavonoids with antioxidant power? Chocolate!

Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. In addition to antioxidant qualities, research indicates that flavanols have other positive influences on vascular health, such as lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow to the brain and heart and making blood platelets less sticky.

Some chocolate manufacturers are studying ways to keep high levels of flavanols in their products while still producing good-tasting chocolate. But, before you grab that chocolate bar, it's important to know that not all chocolate contains high levels of flavanols. The more chocolate is processed – the fewer flavanols are retained. Typically, dark chocolate contains more flavanols than milk chocolate, which contains more fats and sugars, but again it all comes down to processing.

Here are some guidelines for making good choices. Be careful about the dark chocolate you choose. Avoid the chocolates that have lots of added ingredients such as caramel and marshmallows. There is no established serving size to help reap cardiovascular benefits, so it pays to eat in moderation. So, indulge in your little bite of heaven and don’t forget to eat other flavonoid-rich foods like apples, red wine, tea, onions and cranberries.

Information derived from the Cleveland Clinic website article Heart and Vascular Health & Prevention