How much chocolate can you eat in a day? According to the National Confectioners Association, the Aztec emperor Montezuma drank 50 cups of cacao a day from a golden chalice. Okay, so I'm not having as much chocolate as him, but I definitely love to have at least a little piece of chocolate every day.

What's better than chocolate by itself? Chocolate and iced coffee, which is also known as the popular Iced Mocha. Many iced mochas are made with coffee, chocolate sauce, and milk, but I wanted to do something that really catered to my self-care needs by melting real Belgian dark chocolate pieces.

This chocolate is a 70% dark chocolate, so it is not very sweet. Since I don't like really sweet coffee, I thought this chocolate would be perfect for me. If you like your coffee drinks sweeter, of course you could experiment with different types of chocolate.

The result? A rich, creamy, AMAZING caffeinated beverage without the added sugar that syrups bring. This drink gives me a perfect opportunity to hit pause and give myself some me time. Since dark chocolate provides a powerful source of antioxidants and can improve brain function, not only am I treating myself to this "healthy" iced mocha, but I am also nurturing my body, something that we at Mora Ceramics are very passionate about.

When I made this recipe, I made sure to take my time and enjoy the process. Every so often after we hit snooze a few times and get up to make our daily brew, we go through the motions, going through our morning routine on auto-pilot. But actually trying to be aware of my actions, my breathing, and the blessings in my life made my morning so much more enjoyable and less stressful.

So awareness was my goal when I made this "healthy" mocha. I had no idea how it was going to turn out, so the curiosity in me also added to the experience. Watching the coffee and melted chocolate bubble and froth after being in the blender really stimulated my senses and brought a little extra joy into my morning.

First things first, make your coffee. If you normally make hot coffee, use half as much water as you usually do, with equal amount of coffee grounds. Once coffee is made, set it aside to let it cool slightly.

Next, choose your chocolate. I chose Bouchard 72% cacao Belgian chocolates, which I purchased from Costco. It melted really smoothly and gave my mocha a wonderful rich taste. Take a knife and chop them into fine pieces saving some for the garnish on top.

Melt your chocolate in the microwave or over the stove on low, being careful not to burn. 

Add your warm coffee into a blender and add the chocolate. Blend at high speed for a few seconds, until the chocolate is all blended evenly and there's a nice froth on top.

Then fill your mug with ice. (I used my Mora Ceramics double walled travel mug) Pour your coffee and chocolate blend over the ice, then add milk to the top. Garnish with whip cream and chocolate shavings if desired. (Everything's better with whip cream.)

How did it taste? It surpassed my expectations! Rich and chocolaty without being too sweet, this drink was so yummy. Because of the blender, it was nice and frothy. I feel like I could go out and sell these on the street.

Since I normally drink my coffee black, this was a wonderful treat especially for those mornings where I need more of a pick-me-up. I will definitely be making more of these in the future when I need to hit pause and pamper myself.

Coffee cup used: Mora Ceramics double walled ceramic travel mug in overcast grey. This mug also comes in other colors such as cotton white, seafoam, dusty blue, pink salt, and nightwaves.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did! Love you all!

Written by Alix Tieben