Looking for Christmas gift ideas?

The festive season is just around the corner, and so is the time for gift-giving. Are you already scratching your head about what to buy your loved one? What if you took a slightly different route this year, and made them happy in a slightly different way?

There''sno better idea for Christmas presents than delicious chocolate. Popular with people of all ages, you won''t have to worry about what to gift your loved ones with. Chocolate is a more than suitable gift because eating it raises levels of serotonin, the happiness hormone, so it will give your loved ones a feeling of satisfaction without hitting you in the wallet.

The tradition of gifting chocolate is centuries old

You read that right, chocolate is by no means a modern invention - the Aztecs gave chocolate to the most distinguished members of society. They believed that the cocoa beans used to make chocolate drinks were the food of the gods, so they thought it more than appropriate to give it on special occasions.

Chocolate was first thought of as a Christmas gift idea in the 19th century by Queen Victoria, who gave it to her soldiers. This custom quickly spread throughout Europe and the rest of the world, and today chocolate is practically a staple of gift giving, whether on its own or as a complement to the gift of choice.

In any case, good quality chocolate is the perfect Christmas gift that speaks for itself - and when this sweet treat is wrapped up in a neat package, the experience is complete.

3 reasons why chocolate is the perfect Christmas gift

No doubt chocolate is reason enough on its own why it is the perfect Christmas present for many, but there are three other reasons why it''s the perfect gift:

• It is suitable for people of all ages

Chocolate is a gift that will undoubtedly delight anyone at any stage of their life - it''s a nice sweet surprise for children, but it can also bring out the genuine joy of childhood in adults.

• A gift suitable for all occasions

Whether it''s a festive gift or just a token of appreciation, chocolate is certainly one of those gifts that is suitable for any occasion, but doesn''t keep for long. Every bite we take is special and has a touch of luxury, whether we eat it every day or only occasionally.

• It''s good for our hearts

No, we''re not just talking about the emotional side, where chocolate is more than welcome, but its positive effects have also been confirmed by many experts. Because it has invaluable antioxidant properties, it helps to protect our cells from damage, while lowering blood pressure and improving the elasticity of blood vessels.

Delight your recipient with home-made chocolate

Chocolate is always a great idea for any chocoholic. How about making chocolate in your own kitchen? Because you''ll take a little more time to make homemade chocolate, which is not particularly difficult, than you would to buy a gift, you''ll be showing the gift-giver how much they mean to you. Just make sure that the ingredients you use are of good quality and provenance.

Ingredients to prepare:

• 80 g cocoa powder
• 140 g coconut butter
• 40 g powdered milk
• 80 g coconut powdered sugar

Procedure:

1. Melt the coconut butter over a moderate heat.
2. Sift the coconut powdered sugar into a large bowl, add the cocoa powder and milk powder. Stir well.
3. Pour the melted coconut butter into the bowl and mix all the ingredients by hand until smooth.
4. Pour the resulting chocolate mixture into a greased baking tray or moulds and place in the fridge for a few hours to set the chocolate completely. Before that, you can decorate with crushed hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, coconut, raisins or colourful sprinkles - the choice is yours and it''s unlimited.

Let the creativity begin!