Magic Chocolate Ball.

INGREDIENTS
½ cup white chocolate chips
2 small brownies (homemade or store-bought)
1 scoop vanilla ice cream 
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
1 cup chocolate chips
¾ cup heavy cream

PREPARATION:
Put the white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring the chocolate between each interval, until melted.

Open the plastic ornament and pour the white chocolate into one of the halves. Close the ornament and slowly rotate it so the white chocolate coats the entire inside evenly. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Remove the ornament from the freezer and carefully open it to remove the white chocolate ball. (Be gentle; the ball is hollow and delicate.)

Run very hot water over a spoon to warm it. Dry the back of the spoon and then use it to smooth the seam that runs around the center of the ball. Run very hot water over a bowl with a flat bottom, dry it, and then put the white chocolate ball on the upside-down bowl and gently twist it, allowing the bottom of the ball to melt, making a 2-inch hole.

On a serving plate, stack the 2 brownies and then top them with the scoop of ice cream. Carefully lower the white chocolate ball over the brownies and ice cream so that the brownies and ice cream end up inside the ball. Surround the ball with the raspberries and blueberries.

To prepare the chocolate sauce, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the sauce is glossy and smooth.

For the finale, slowly pour the hot chocolate sauce all over the ball in a circular motion. The white chocolate ball will melt and reveal the brownies and ice cream inside.

Foods That May Help Save Your Memory

Oil-based salad dressings

“The data support eating foods that are high in vitamin E and this includes healthy vegetable oil-based salad dressings, seeds and nuts, peanut butter, and whole grains,” says Martha Clare Morris, ScD, director of the section on nutrition and nutritional epidemiology in the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush University, in Chicago. 

The benefit has been seen with vitamin-E rich foods, but not supplements, she says.

A potent antioxidant, vitamin E may help protect neurons or nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, neurons in certain parts of the brain start to die, which jump-starts the cascade of events leading to cognitive deterioration.

Fish

Salmon, mackerel, tuna, and other fish are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 

“In the brain, DHA seems to be very important for the normal functioning of neurons,” Morris says.

Another plus: Eating more fish often means eating less red meat and other forms of protein that are high in artery-clogging saturated fats.

Dark green leafy vegetables

Kale, collard greens, spinach, and broccoli are good sources of vitamin E and folate, Morris says.

For example, one cup of raw spinach has 15% of your daily intake of vitamin E, and 1/2 a cup of cooked spinach has 25% of your daily intake.

Exactly how folate may protect the brain is unclear, but it may be by lowering levels of an amino acid known as homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine may trigger the death of nerve cells in the brain, but folic acid helps break down homocysteine levels. 

High homocysteine levels have also been linked to an increased risk for heart disease.

Avocado

This creamy treat is also a rich source of the antioxidant vitamin E.

Research by Morris and her colleague suggests that foods rich in vitamin E—including avocado, which is also high in the antioxidant powerhouse vitamin C—are associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Sunflower seeds

Seeds, including sunflower seeds, are also good sources of vitamin E.

One ounce of dry-roasted sunflower seeds contains 30% of your recommended daily intake. Sprinkle them on top of your salad to give your brain a boost.

Berries

The latest research presented at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston found that blueberries, strawberries, and acai berries may help put the brakes on age-related cognitive decline by preserving the brain’s natural “housekeeper” mechanism, which wanes with age.

This mechanism helps get rid of toxic proteins associated with age-related memory loss.