Cocoa is often confused for being chocolate, but it only becomes chocolate when cocoa beans are roasted and conched with sugar. Eating pure cocoa is not the same as eating chocolate, and the bitterness can take some getting used to, but you can satisfy a cocoa craving with less, and it’s obviously healthier too. Eating cocoa nibs or adding them to your meals can be a great idea. You get a nice amount of warmth from the nib, while depending on the provenance of the bean, you may get some nutty and fruity tones coming through too. If you’re already a lover of dark chocolate, then you may well enjoy the taste of pure cocoa, so give it a try. There’s a time and a place for an indulging bar...

Catering for children can be quite difficult, because many youngsters can be fussy eaters, and it’s important that there are some snacks that every child can enjoy. There’s a lot of pressure today on caterers providing healthy food for kids, but that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be any sweet treats. Triangle sandwiches can be a nice option, and if you create different types such as ham, chicken, tuna and cheese, there’s likely to be something for every child. Having party snacks can also be a nice idea, but the most important food is going to be the cake. It should be fun and reflect the child’s personality, and you can’t go wrong with a chocolate cake with creative icing. The great thing with children’s parties is that they don’t have...

Some people are absolute health freaks, meaning they want to know how much protein, fat, salt and sugar is included in a particular desert, while they’ll be counting the calories too. To make sure you’re prepared, we’re going to give you some ideas. Peanut butter cookies These look a bit like lumps of gooey chocolate. There’s oviously the sweetness of chocolate, a surprising protein rich peanut butter centre, and an overall fudge-like texture that perfectly blends the sweet with the savoury. Crushed raspberry creams This is simple to prepare; it’s basically crushed raspberries with crème fraîche and yogurt. You can decide on the layers, other flavours, and presentation, and if you stick with these three main ingredients, you’ll get a superb, summery, healthy pudding. Rice pudding Rice pudding may be...