Dark Chocolate Pudding: Low Sugar

This week I tried a new recipe for chocolate pudding by Melissa Clark that was featured in the New York Times. The recipe I worked out earlier with Choco Perfection was very tasty, but every time I made it I enjoyed it so much I ate a big bowl full, and the next thing you know I was suffering from horribly uncomfortable bloating. Not worth it! So I decided to figure out how to cut down the sugar and carbohydrate for this new recipe. Immediate score! Deep, dark, luscious, rich, tasty - a cross between mousse and the best pudding you've ever had .... and no tummy issues!

Dark Chocolate Pudding

Group I
2 TB butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 oz 85% or higher chocolate, chopped

Group II
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup xylitol or Swerve
1/2 tsp stevia extract powder
2 TB coconut palm sugar
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TB cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

Group III
2 large eggs

Equipment: an immersion blender or food processor

1. If using an immersion blender, put all of the ingredients from group I into the bain marie or heatproof bowl. If using a food processor, place in the bowl of the food processor.

2. In a large saucepan, combine all of the ingredients from Group I and whisk to combine. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a low boil, whisking frequently. Continue to boil for 1-2 minutes; overcooking causes the cornstarch to stop working.

3. Meanwhile, crack the two eggs into the heat-proof measuring cup from the milk; beat lightly with a fork.

4. Pour a small quantity of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk with the fork to keep the eggs from curdling. Add more hot milk mixture and whisk again. Now pour the egg mixture back into the hot milk mixture and whisk into the whole. Put the heat back on under the pan, and bring it just to the boil again.

5. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour over the chocolate, butter and vanilla. Process until smooth. (The hot milk will melt the chocolate.)

6. If in the bain marie or heatproof bowl, let cool to room temperature, then chill. If using the food processor, pour into ramekins, small bowls, or a large heatproof bowl and chill.

Serve with optional whipped cream, lightly sweetened creme fraiche, and/or chocolate shavings.

Individual (Sugar-Free) Chocolate Lava Cake

Oops - we ate half of it before I remembered to photograph it!

So I was reading Sunset Magazine while on the cross-trainer at the Y when I came across this delicious sounding recipe from another food blogger, Joy Wilson.  Of course, I immediately started thinking about how to make a sugar-free version.... and then a gluten-free version... and then a sugar-free, gluten-free version. Sadly, my dear friend Nina is gone now (if you think you may have a gluten allergy, please please PLEASE get it checked out) but I still dabble a bit in gluten free recipes, as there is such a demand for them.

This recipe is an immediate, delicious, sure-fire winner.  As written, it makes one cake, but it can easily be adapted to make as many as you like.  While testing the recipe I made them two at a time, in different versions so I could speed up my recipe testing.

Individual Chocolate Lava Peanut Butter Cake
adapted from Joy the Baker

I.
 1/2 tsp butter
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

II.
1 TB unsalted butter
1 1/4 oz sugar-free, sweetened chocolate, broken into chunks (the best quality you can find)
1-2 TB smooth, salted, sugar-free "natural" peanut butter OR 1 TB bourbon

chocolate, butter and peanut butter

III.
3 tsp erythritol
1 tsp xylitol
3 tiny scoops stevia extract powder
1 generous pinch salt

IV.
1 large egg
1 tsp flour, OR 1 tsp gluten-free mix OR 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder


1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Grease a 3/4 cup capacity ramekin with the 1/2 tsp of butter - feel free to use your fingers.  Sprinkle in the tsp of cocoa powder and shake it around to coat all of the surfaces.

2.  In a small heat-proof bowl, place the 1 TB butter and 1 1/4 ounces sweetened, sugar-free chocolate.  Put the bowl in a microwave, blast for a few seconds, check the contents. If it's beginning to melt, stir it up, and continue to blast, check, and stir until it is all melted. Stir until well combined.  Now stir in the peanut butter or bourbon.  You get to choose how peanut-buttery you want it to be.

3.  In another small bowl, combine all of the sweeteners and stir well to blend.  Add the sweeteners to the melted chocolate mix and stir well to combine.

4.  In the small bowl you just used, whisk the egg until well-combined.  Add the egg, tsp of flour/cocoa/gluten-free mix and pinch of salt to the melted chocolate mix. Stir well to combine.

5. Using a small spatula, scrape the mix into the buttered ramekin and smooth the surface.  Bake the cake on a baking sheet for about 12 minutes, until the rim is cake-y and the center is pudding-y.

6.  Cool for a couple of minutes, then run a knife around the edges to dislodge it from the ramekin onto your plate.  (Or just eat it out of the ramekin - why not?)  Eat it right away, while it's still all melt-y and good!

Batter ready for the oven.....

Fudgy Rich Chocolatey Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Low-Carb Brownies

Just in case you need to be sugar-free AND gluten-free, here is a recipe that is sure to please.  It will surely please you, the sadly deprived baker (although you cannot possibly feel deprived when eating one of these luscious, moist, chocolatey treats.)  And it will just as surely please anyone else who eats one, whether or not they have to abstain.

Last night I made the maiden batch of these brownies for a school potluck.  (Naturally, I ate one first to make sure it was of the highest quality.) It was immensely gratifying to be able to offer one to a friend at the potluck who is actually allergic to sugar, as well as to those who are gluten intolerant; something for everyone!

And as with all of my recipes, it is super high-protein and super low-carb.  How satisfying is that?

5 oz sugar-free, sweetened dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter

1/2 cup erythritol
1/3 cup xylitol
7 tiny scoops stevia extract powder

2 TB unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB quinoa flour or gluten-free baking mix
2 TB soy protein
2 TB unsweetened, unflavored whey powder
1 TB almond meal

1 cup walnut meats - optional


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and put rack in the lower third of the oven.


2. Line a 9" square baking pan with foil, letting the ends of the foil run up the sides and hang over the edges of the pan.  Do not butter or flour the pan.

3. If using walnuts, spread them on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly toasted and
 fragrant, 7-10 minutes.  Cool them and chop coarsely.

4. In a small bowl, combine all the sweeteners and whisk to combine.

5.  In another small bowl, combine the flours and salt and whisk to combine. 

6. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the chocolates and butter and melt over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

7. When melted, remove mixture from the heat, and stir in the sweeteners and vanilla, until well-combined.

8. Stir in the applesauce, then stir in one egg at a time until well-combined.

9.  Stir flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until well-combined.


10. Add the walnuts, (if desired) and stir well.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, on top of the foil, using a spatula to scrape all of it out of the pot and into the pan.  Spread evenly in the pan.

12. Put pan on a rack in the lower third of the oven and bake until the surface is glossy and smooth, and a toothpick comes out fairly clean from the center, about 40 minutes.  (A few crumbs may stick to it; that's okay.)

12. Cool brownies in the pan, on a rack.  Use the foil to remove the whole batch from the pan when cool.  Cut into squares of the size you desire (keeping in mind that these are rich.)

Brownies will keep in an air-tight container for several days.  Well, theoretically.  

Notes:  You can get pretty darned good sugar-free dark chocolate at Trader Joe's, sweetened with maltitol.  This has become my go-to baking bar, because the price is very good for decent chocolate.  Bob's Red Mill makes all of the other flours, and you can buy them in a well-stocked health food store.  (We can buy them in bulk at Berkeley Bowl or Berkeley Natural Grocer.)  If you want to, you can substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour instead.

Sweeteners:  Erythritol and xylitol are sugar alcohols; low-glycemic, low-calorie, sweeteners suitable for use by diabetics or those with metabolic disorders.  You can easily buy xylitol  at a well-stocked grocery or health-food store.  Erythritol is more readily available on-line.  Stevia is a natural sweetener extracted from the stevia leaf.  It is readily available at grocery stores, including at Trader Joe's.

Super-Rich Chocolatey Gooey Gluten-Free Brownies

Super-Rich Chocolatey Gooey Gluten-Free Brownies

As I've mentioned, my friend Nina has suddenly had to go gluten-free.  This has led me to just as suddenly start designing a few gluten-free recipes, and it's been interesting to see how the two cooking styles intersect.  On Saturday morning, I decided to invent a gluten-free brownie recipe for her.  While they were baking, I went straight into using a different recipe outline to make sugar-free brownies.  When the gluten-free brownies came out of the oven, I cut them and removed them from the pan, lined the pan with foil, poured in the sugar-free brownie batter, and put the pan back into the still-hot oven.   Both brownie batches landed in the ideal brownie zone; gooey, rich, fudge-y, delicious....  Requests for both recipes are already coming in from my official taste-testers. I guess next I'll have to try gluten-free, sugar-free brownies; there's no reason why the sugar-free recipe couldn't be made with gluten-free flours!


Super-Rich Chocolatey Gooey Gluten-Free Brownies

2 oz unsweetened (bakers') chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into smaller pieces

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs


1/4 cup gluten-free baking mix
1 pinch xanthan gum

1 cup walnut meats - optional


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and put rack in the lower third of the oven.


2. Grease and "flour" an 8" square baking pan.

3. If using walnuts, chop coarsely.

4. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter and melt over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

5. When melted, remove mixture from the heat, and stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt, until well-combined.

6. Stir in one egg at a time until well-combined.

7. Stir in the flour and xanthan gum until well-combined.

8. Add the walnuts, (if desired) and stir well.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape all of it out of the pot and into the pan.  Spread evenly in the pan.

10. Put pan on a rack in the lower third of the oven and bake until the surface is glossy and smooth, and a toothpick comes out fairly clean from the center, about 40 minutes.  (A few crumbs may stick to it; that's okay.)

11. Cool brownies in the pan, on a rack.  Cut into squares of the size you desire (keeping in mind that these are rich.  Think of how virtuous you will feel when you have seconds if they were tiny to start with.)

Brownies will keep in an air-tight container for several days.  Well, theoretically.  

Notes: You can buy a gluten-free baking mix from Bob's Red Mill or other vendor, or just substitute a gluten-free flour, such as brown rice or buckwheat.  Xanthan gum is an emulsifier, also available from Bob's Red Mill.

(This recipe calls for an 8" pan; I had only a 9" pan, so I cooked the brownies for a few minutes less.  If you do not have an 8" pan, adjust your timing accordingly.)

Double Chocolate Super-Rich Utterly Delicious (Sugar-Free, High Protein, Low Carb!) Brownies

Double Chocolate Super-Rich Utterly Delicious (Sugar-Free, High Protein!) Brownies

 I have yet to meet anyone who dislikes brownies.  Chocolate and butter barely held together with flour; what on earth is there to dislike? In the course of my brownie research, I read a quote that there were as many brownie recipes as daisies in the field.  So true; there is infinite variety, from the amount of chocolate and butter, to the number of eggs and the amount of flour, to the size of the pan.

There are those who like them cake-y, and those who like them fudge-y.  I'm a fudge-y person, myself.  If I want cake, I'll make a cake!  Back in the day when I used to use brownie mixes (which really aren't bad) I used to half-bake them to get them the way I like them; downright goopy in the middle!

When I am inventing a new sugar-free recipe, sometimes it takes a few tries to get the recipe right.  You know, one where nobody knows it's sugar-free but the baker.  This one is spot-on.  Fudge-y, dense, rich goodness.  Oh yeah.  You're going to like this one!

Double Chocolate Super-Rich Utterly Delicious (Sugar-Free, High Protein, Low Carb!) Brownies

5 oz sugar-free, sweetened dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 oz unsweetened (bakers') chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into smaller pieces

1/2 cup erythritol
1/3 cup xylitol
7 tiny scoops stevia extract powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs
2 TB unsweetened applesauce

2 TB whole wheat pastry flour
2 TB soy protein
2 TB unsweetened, plain whey powder
1 TB almond meal


1 cup walnut meats - optional


1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and put rack in the lower third of the oven.


2. Line a 9" square baking pan with foil, letting the ends of the foil run up the sides and hang over the edges of the pan.  Do not butter or flour the pan.

3. If using walnuts, spread them on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly toasted and fragrant, 7-10 minutes.  Cool them and chop coarsely.

4. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the chocolates and butter and melt over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

5. When melted, remove mixture from the heat, and stir in the sweeteners, vanilla, and salt, until well-combined.

6. Stir in the applesauce, then stir in one egg at a time until well-combined.

7. In a small bowl, combine the flours and whisk to combine.  Stir them into the chocolate mixture until well-combined.

8. Add the walnuts, (if desired) and stir well.

9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, on top of the foil, using a spatula to scrape all of it out of the pot and into the pan.  Spread evenly in the pan.

10. Put pan on a rack in the lower third of the oven and bake until the surface is glossy and smooth, and a toothpick comes out fairly clean from the center, about 40 minutes.  (A few crumbs may stick to it; that's okay.)

11. Cool brownies in the pan, on a rack.  Use the foil to remove the whole batch from the pan when cool.  Cut into squares of the size you desire (keeping in mind that these are rich.)

Brownies will keep in an air-tight container for several days.  Well, theoretically.  

Notes:  You can get pretty darned good sugar-free dark chocolate at Trader Joe's, sweetened with maltitol.  This has become my go-to baking bar, because the price is very good for decent chocolate.  Bob's Red Mill makes all of the other flours, and you can buy them in a well-stocked health food store.  (We can buy them in bulk at Berkeley Bowl or Berkeley Natural Grocer.)  If you want to, you can substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour instead.

Sweeteners:  Erythritol and xylitol are sugar alcohols; low-glycemic, low-calorie, sweeteners suitable for use by diabetics or those with metabolic disorders.  You can easily buy xylitol  at a well-stocked grocery or health-food store.  Erythritol is more readily available on-line.  Stevia is a natural sweetener extracted from the stevia leaf.  It is readily available at grocery stores, including at Trader Joe's.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at Johanna's school. Naturally, I agonized; the new peanut butter cookies I'm developing, (next post!) mini - breakfast cheesecakes? I've been eying this flourless chocolate cake recipe in Gourmet Cookbook for a while, after my friend Kate brought it to my attention. The recipe calls for making it in a springform pan, but since I'm baking for 30+ teachers, aides, staff, librarians and such, it had the potential for a big messy scene, where 10 people got a piece and 20 didn't. So, I thought I'd try little muffin cups and pray it wasn't a disaster. Hurray! It worked perfectly; 41 cute lil' bites, instead of one big cake. (p.s. Top Secret tip: this is spectacularly delicious, but incredibly easy. This is a perfect "company" cake, or to bring to a party!)



Flourless Chocolate Cake

from The Gourmet Cookbook

serves 10-12 in full-sized slices, makes about 40 mini-cupcake bites

8 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) coarsely chopped
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus additional for dusting

Special Equipment: a 10" (26 centimeter) springform pan, or paper muffin cups and 2 muffin pans

1. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 F. If using the springform, butter it, lie with parchment paper, and butter the paper. If using muffin cups, place them in your muffin tins. You can cook in batches if you have more batter than muffin tins.

2. Melt chocolate with butter in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.

3. Remove bowl from heat, and whisk in sugar.

4. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

5. Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

6. Pour the batter into the pan, or spoon into the muffin cups.

7. Bake until top has formed a thin crust and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it, 30-40 minutes for the big cake. Mini-muffins took about 15 minutes, so larger muffins would probably take 20-25.

8. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the side of the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate and reinvert onto rack to cool completely. Dust cake with cocoa powder just before serving.

Delectable Hot Fudge Sauce (Without Corn Syrup): Make Your Own Sundaes

Our daughter, Johanna, turned ten this summer. She was clear on two things about her momentous birthday celebration: 1) it would be a slumber party with her closest friends, and 2) make your own ice cream sundaes would be the centerpiece. She didn't think we needed to plan any special games, activities or outings. However, being the true Berkeley girl that she is, the food was the most important part of the celebration.

By now, whether you know me virtually through my blog, or in the realm of reality, you will assume that, at the least, I would make the ice cream and the hot fudge sauce for this extravaganza. You will further assume that both of them would be organic. And, of course, you would be correct on both counts. I also made some delectable almost flour-less brownies from a Katharine Hepburn recipe, but really, they were unnecessary. The ice cream and the fudge sauce were the most important components.

I found a delicious-sounding recipe for the sauce in the Gourmet Cookbook. However, once again, it was marred by the inclusion of corn syrup in the recipe. Sigh. If you have read my other posts about corn, you will know that 81-86% of all the corn in America is grown from genetically modified seed. In addition, if you have read much of the food scoop that is out there from Michael Pollan, you will know that corn syrup is not considered a healthful food. Plus, there's the extraction process. Acids and enzymes to separate the starch from the sugars; doesn't that sound appetizing? And, no, I have never, never seen organic or non-GMO corn syrup on the market anywhere. However, I had learned from chef and food researcher Alton Brown that the fructose in corn syrup is useful in breaking the crystallization chain of cane sugar when making caramel and other candies; cane sugar just naturally wants to go back to being a crystal, and the fructose bonds with it and blocks the chain. Perhaps that is why the corn syrup was included in the fudge sauce recipe (although no explanation for its inclusion was offered.) What to do, what to do... I'd been wondering for some time if Agave nectar would be a good substitute, but hadn't heard any reliable reports on the matter. If it were a good substitute - well, hello pecan pie, homemade marshmallows, and homemade caramels! It IS fructose, after all.... I decided to risk messing up the batch of hot fudge sauce, and just go for it! I substituted the agave nectar for the corn syrup in the fudge sauce recipe, and....... Drum roll, please! The results? Yum.

Here's the recipe, with my mods:

Hot Fudge Sauce

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

1/4 cup unsweetened organic cocoa powder (I quite like Trader Joe's brand)
1/3 cup packed organic dark brown sugar
1/2 cup organic agave nectar
2/3 cup organic heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
6 ounces good quality organic bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (Yep, T.J.'s again)
2 TB unsalted organic butter, cut into 1/2 TB
1 tsp organic vanilla

Stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, agave nectar, cream, salt, and half of the the chocolate in a 1 1/2 - 2 quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted. Cook mixture at a a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, add remaining chocolate, butter and vanilla and stir until smooth. Cool slightly before serving.

Note from Christine: I have now made two batches of this sauce. I just performed, ahem, quality control checks. With refrigeration, this lasts several months.