Throughout modern history, chocolate has been associated with Valentine's Day, which might be due to chocolate's centuries old reputation as an aphrodisiac.

At one point in history -- 1662 to be exact -- Pope Alexander VII even went so far as to declare that eating chocolate during Lent would be a sin and break the Fast.

I bet this ruling came right after he tasted some for himself! For Roman Catholics, this came as a blow because it meant that they could no longer indulge in chocolate until Easter Sunday, but this does explain why Easter bunnies are made from chocolate now, doesn't it? The Pope was right. Chocolate does have special qualities and even our own U.S. government took notice in 1938 , when they took advantage of its mood-elevating properties and allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans in order to give this mood-lifter to weary soldiers to help them carry on.

To this day, the U.S. Army D-rations still include three 4-ounce chocolate bars and NASA makes chocolate a part of the Astronauts lunar diet, as well.

Real chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), a stimulant that is released by the brain during moments of emotional euphoria.

It is thought that this particular action is what makes people crave it and helps explain why chocoholics have said "It's not that chocolates are a substitute for love; love is a substitute for chocolate."

One interesting legend attached to chocolate is that it can change the way a person smells and tastes. It is rumored that man purposely fed his lover chocolate to make her flesh sweeter and more desirable, but chocolate isn't just for lovers anymore.

Research at the University of Scranton Pennsylvania have discovered that chocolate may be the magic "phenol" bullet they've been hoping for.

Phenols prevent oxidation, a chemical reaction that turns cholesterol into plaque on artery walls -- the most common cause of heart disease.

The university found that a 1-1/2-ounce piece of dark chocolate has twice the phenols as one cup of red wine, four times the phenols of a beet, and ten times the phenols of an orange.

The downside is that phenols bind with proteins so any chocolate made with milk protein will prevent its absorption.

According to the latest European research, chocolate is a powerful immune system booster, too. Not only does chocolate act as an immediate immune system stimulant, but chocolate eating also can have a beneficial cumulative effect.

In a study, a UC Davis heart specialist found that chocolate makes blood vessel tissue relax and is just slightly less potent than aspirin in reducing clotting of the blood.

A recent study determined that Theo bromine, a chemical in chocolate, proved to be most effective in treating a cough, so chocolate could provide the key for a new kind of cough medicine in the future.

Now that you have a heap of healthy reasons to make your sweetie something special out of chocolate, here's a handful of recipes to help you do so.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate facts

* Real chocolate is powdered (cocoa) or dark chocolate.

* White chocolate is not considered chocolate by the FDA.

* In an un-sweetened chocolate taste test, Nestle brand was rated the best nationally.

Heart's desire cookies

3/4 cup of unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 large egg whites

2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped

Parchment paper

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* Whisk together cocoa, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

* Combine vanilla and egg whites in a cup, and then slowly add to the cocoa mix.

* Beat batter for 2 minutes.

* Stir in chopped walnuts.

* Drop 5-1/4-cup mounds of batter about three inched apart onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment.

* Place baking sheet on the middle rack of oven, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake until small cracks appear in tops of cookies, 15 to 17 minutes.

* Cool completely before peeling from paper.

* Increase oven to 350 degrees then bake the next batch the same way.

Makes 24 servings.

Nutritional facts per serving: 155 calories; 7g fat; 22g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 3g protein.

Heart's desire dessert shots

4 Heart's desire cookies (see recipe above)

1 cup vanilla pudding

4 tablespoon whipped cream

4 teaspoons chocolate syrup

Sprinkles (optional)

4 (2 ounce) shot glasses

* Break cookies into quarters and press one-quarter cookie into the bottom of each glass.

* Top with a teaspoon of pudding then repeat the process, ending with a cookie.

* Top with a teaspoon of whipped topping, drizzle with chocolate syrup and dust with sprinkles, if using.

* Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional facts per serving: 210 calories; 8g fat; 32g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 4g protein.

Filete enchocolatado (Mexican beef in chocolate sauce)

1 to 2 pound beef tenderloin roast

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup water

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate

1/2 pound Queso fresco, crumbled

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

* Season beef to taste with salt and pepper.

* Fry in butter until brown.

* Add onion, garlic, wine and water.

* Cover and simmer over gentle heat about l5 minutes.

* Add chocolate and simmer uncovered l0 minutes longer.

* At serving time, slice meat, pour sauce over and sprinkle with cheese.

* Broil to melt cheese.

* Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional facts per serving: 480 calories; 39g fat; 4g carbohydrates; 0.84g fiber; 27g protein.

Flourless chocolate cake

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons strong coffee (or liqueur)

Butter and cocoa for pan

Parchment or wax paper

* Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

* Butter 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper.

* Butter the paper.

* Lightly dust pan with cocoa and tap out excess.

* Melt chocolate squares and butter in microwave.

* In a medium bowl, combine cocoa, sugar and eggs.

* Add the coffee or liqueur then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture.

* Batter should have a cookie dough type consistency.

* Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

* Cool cake in pan for 1 hour. Turn out and carefully peel paper off the bottom of the cake.

* Refrigerate until cold. Serve cold.

Makes 16 servings.

Nutritional facts per serving: 206 calories; 11g fat; 26g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 3g protein.