Hot Chocolate Special

3 oz. Dove® special dark chocolate, cut up ¾ cup distilled water 6 cups skim milk ¼ cup Brewed Chai tea (2 bags), cooled cinnamon stick 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract whipped cream shaved chocolate In a large saucepan, combine chocolate and water. Heat and stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and just come to boiling. Add milk, chai tea and stick cinnamon to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in vanilla. If desired, beat with a rotary beater until frothy, and top each serving with whipped cream or shaved chocolate. Make 8 servings. Kitchen Tip: For a sweeter hot chocolate, stir in 2 tsp. of Stevia or 2 tsp. of xylitol. Some Notes on Chocolate: It acts as an antioxidant. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, compared the effects of 1 ½ ounces of special brand-name high-flavonol chocolate, Mar’s DOVE SPECIAL DARK with the same amount of low-flavonol dark chocolate on 10 healthy people. They found that only Dove Dark Chocolate had heart-healthy benefits. It reduced LDL oxidation and boosted antioxidant levels and HDL concentrations in the blood. Other studies have shown that higher the “dose,” the higher the levels of antioxidants in the blood and the less LDL oxidant. Chocolate keeps blood platelets from clumping together. It may also stabilize arterial plaque, making it less likely to travel and cause a stroke or heart attack. This effect is similar to that of aspirin. Chocolate increases blood vessel flexibility. Unlike aspirin, some of the procyanidins in this brand could trigger the production of nitric oxide, which helps keep arteries flexible and increases blood flow. “This connection has potential implications for blood pressure control.”

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