Posts Tagged ‘chocolate’
Store-bought chocolate hazelnut spreads are often made with refined sugars, excess amounts of fat, and preservatives. This recipe replaces chocolate chips with pure cocoa powder for all the chocolatey goodness without the extra fat. It also uses fat-free evaporated milk to add milkiness and demerara raw sugar to sweeten as opposed to refined white sugar commonly used in store-bought varieties. This recipe makes approximately 3 cups.
Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups skinned hazelnuts
- 1.5 cups fat-free evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup raw demerara or turbinado sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup low-fat milk powder
Directions:
- Toast hazelnuts in dry skillet until fragrant. Toss frequently. Set aside to cool.
- Combine milk, cocoa, raw sugar, and salt. Heat in small pot until all ingredients are completely dissolved and slightly thicker. Set aside to cool.
- Blend hazelnuts, milk mixture, and milk powder in high-speed blender or food processor (blender preferred here, but one with a strong motor) until smooth. This may take several minutes. Scrape down sides intermittently. Enjoy with fresh strawberries!
Here’s another example of a dessert where I sneak in some legumes-black beans in this case. The black beans add fiber and protein, and they are virtually inconspicuous. As per the EatFree style of cooking, the white flour is replaced with 100%% whole wheat flour and the white sugar with a combination of light muscavado sugar and agave nectar. The whole wheat flour in this case helps in creating a more fudgey, chewy brownie. Make sure to choose a baking chocolate that is sweetened naturally (mine had evaporated cane juice) and cool the brownies completely before serving.
Ingredients:
- one 15 ounce can of black beans, well-rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon light muscavado sugar
- 1 tablespoon light agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 ounces of 72% dark baking chocolate, melted
- 1 stick unsalted organic butter, melted
- 3/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2/3 cups chopped walnuts
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Blend together black beans, oil, yolks, sugar, agave, and vanilla until smooth. Combine with melted chocolate and butter.
- Sift together flour, corn starch, and baking soda. Combine with wet ingredients. Stir in walnuts. Pour into 1 inch high greased brownie pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. (A few hours in the fridge makes the brownies fudgier.) Top with some naturally sweetened vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
The light muscavado sugar takes the place of the conventionally used refined light brown sugar. The texture of the muscavado is similar to light brown texture and works just like it. The only difference is that it is much closer to the natural state of the sugar cane as compared to refined brown sugar. As per usual, I use naturally sweetened chocolate chips here (these in particular were sweetened with evaporated cane juice as opposed to refined white sugar.)
Ingredients:
- 1 stick organic unsalted butter
- ¾ cup light muscavado sugar
- 1 organic egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups 100% whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup mini naturally sweetened chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract. With the beater on low, beat until just combined.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine into wet mixture in thirds until just incorporated. Keep the speed on your stand mixer or hand-held mixer on low. Do not over-beat.
3. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate cookie dough for half hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop out small rounds from cookie dough using small cookie scoop. Place on sprayed cookie sheet 2 inches apart (makes approximately 21 cookies). Before baking, press each cookie down gently to slightly flatten. Bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool and then enjoy!
