Easy Chocolate Chewies

The earliest record of chocolate was over fifteen hundred years ago in the Central American rain forests, where the tropical mix of high rain fall combined with high year round temperatures and humidity provide the ideal climate for cultivation of the plant from which chocolate is derived, the Cacao Tree. 

The Cacao Tree was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, Cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning "God Food" hence the tree's modern generic Latin name 'Theobrama Cacao' meaning ‘Food of the Gods’. Cacao was corrupted into the more familiar 'Cocoa' by the early  European explorers. The Maya brewed a spicy, bitter sweet drink by roasting and pounding the seeds of the Cacao tree (cocoa beans) with maize and Capsicum (Chilli) peppers and letting the mixture ferment. This drink was reserved for use in ceremonies as well as for drinking by the wealthy and religious elite, they also ate a Cacao porridge. 


East Chocolate recipes can satisfy just as much as the more difficult ones.

Ingredients:

1       - (18.25-ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2    - cup vegetable shortening
2       - large eggs, lightly beaten
1       - tablespoon water
1/2    - cup sifted powdered sugar


Procedure:

Step 1
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring until smooth.

Step 2
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in pwdered sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

Step 3
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely
Yield: 4 dozen