Worth its weight in gold

Lovely, lovely cocoa

I was reading an article in a glossy magazine, written by a clutter-loving journalist, about an extreme minimalist (I'm still on holidays and working my way through a pile of glossies). The minimalist lady is dedicated to reducing the amount of waste she produces and she even makes her own cosmetics, toiletries and household cleaners from natural products. Very admirable. I found myself feeling guilty and thinking that I should be more considered about what I buy versus what I really need. Then I reached the part of the article that described using cocoa powder as a bronzer on the legs and burnt almond powder as kohl for the eyes... My brain went into immediate revolt. So aghast was I, that I physically recoiled from the magazine and could read no further. What a phenomenal waste of cocoa!! 

Now there's nothing at all wrong with applying a bit of fake tan if your pale skin upsets you, though I don't go there myself - too lazy and inept in the application (Oompa Loompa anyone?). And admittedly, I do love a healthy, post-holiday glow, so I understand the desire for a bit of a tan. But if I had to choose between white skin and having cocoa to make a lovely cake, I'd rather have glow-in-the-dark pale skin than use up my precious cocoa. Especially since I use a lovely organic, fair trade one (I can only presume this woman does the same, so concerned is she by protecting our environment and resources). So for those of you who may be tempted to use cocoa as fake tan in an emergency, please resist the temptation. Here are some much better (edible!) ways to honour the fabulous cocoa bean:

- Use a touch of cocoa powder in banana bread (just take out one tablespoon of flour and add the same of cocoa). It gives a depth of flavour, with only a hint of chocolate as a background note.


- Adding dark chocolate to a chilli con carne, stirring it in at the end of the cooking process, is a delicious way to inject another layer of flavour to the chilli. If you prefer, a tablespoon of cocoa, added with the spices at the beginning will do the same.

Chocolate brownies, with lovely cocoa in both cake and icing

- A traditional fruit cake at Christmas is one of my favourite things, but some people find them too heavy, dry or boring. I tend to alternate my traditional Christmas cake recipe (which is loved by all who try it, even the doubters, and came from my paternal grandmother, via my mother), with a gorgeously easy Christmas cake from one of Nigella's books. It uses cocoa, orange zest and juice, Tia Maria and prunes, which produces a darkly delicious, squidgy, moist fruit cake with chocolatey and coffee notes. As an added bonus, it doesn't need to be matured, so can be made only days ahead of the eating - ideal if you never got round to baking your cake in October or November. (Yum, yum - that's put a longing on me for a bit of that cake. Think I'll schedule it in for this Christmas...)

Finally, there are, of course, the obvious suspects: chocolate cake of some description and hot chocolate. Both use cocoa, sometimes exclusively, sometimes in combination with melted chocolate, but always to devastating effect. So, tan or something fabulously yummy made from cocoa? Cocoa every time.