CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND CANDY

I had a request for a recipe for chocolate chips and I realized that I didn’t have one on the blog. This one is adapted from Nourished; a Cookbook for Health, Weight Loss, and Metabolic Balance. You can pour it out in a sheet and chop it up to make chips or you can make candy cups, bars, or fruit and nut clusters.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Adding liquid to melted chocolate is a big no-no. After years of making my chocolate chips with powdered, dry sweetener, I hit on a better solution. It lets me use one of the zero-carb liquids as the primary sweetener without causing the chocolate to seize and turn into a hard, dry lump.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon no-trans-fat shortening, such as Spectrum*
High-intensity liquid sweetener equal to ½ cup sugar**
A few grains of fine salt
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Directions: 
Line a baking sheet with parchment, waxed paper, or foil
and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Place liquid sweetener and salt in a small saucepan. Add shortening and place over very low heat until shortening melts. Cook and stir for 1 minute more to let the liquid evaporate. Stir in chocolate and continue to stir until almost smooth. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring frequently, until it is about 80° F. (The slow cooling tempers the chocolate so it is smooth and shiny.) Pour it out on the chilled sheet pan and tilt the pan to spread the chocolate to a thickness of about ⅜ inch. Return pan to refrigerator until chocolate is cold. Peel off the paper or foil and chop into chips. Store away from heat in a covered container.

Makes 1 cup or 8 servings of 2 tablespoons each.
Per serving—Net carbohydrate:
1.9 grams; Protein:1.9 grams; Fiber: 2.4 grams; Fat: 8.1 grams; 77 Calories:
Total weight: 4 ounces
Weight per serving: ½ ounce
Preparation time: 10 minutes

VARIATIONS: CHOCOLATE CANDY  
Pour melted chocolate into molds to make sugar-free chocolate candy cups or bars.

Mix in chopped nuts, coconut, or chopped, dried cranberries and drop by teaspoonfuls to make nut and/or fruit clusters.

Notes:
*You can use coconut oil if you prefer, but the chocolate will be softer and melt more easily. Coconut oil melts at 76 degrees.

**Any liquid sweetener will work for this recipe. You can use liquid stevia if you like the taste, monk fruit, sucralose, or a combination, however, the combination of sucralose and chocolate can be bitter. Adding a small amount of another sweetener gives a more natural sweet taste. (Commercial products often combine sucralose with Acesulfame K.)

Tip:
Salty is the opposite of bitter. If your coffee is bitter, add a little salt. It also takes away some of the bitterness in chocolate. Use only fine salt so chocolate won’t be grainy.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, (C) Judy Barnes Baker

(c) 2015, Judy Barnes Baker, www.carbwars.blogspot.com

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Judy Barnes Baker

The working title for my first book was, “You’ll Never Know What You Are Missing.” It summed up my goal: to make eating for health synonymous with eating for pleasure. Once you discover the secret, you will find that the very best food for weight management, longevity, the treatment and prevention of disease, and over-all health and happiness is also the most sumptuous, satisfying, and indulgent way of eating the world has to offer. You are invited to the feast. Enjoy!
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Judy Barnes Baker
8 years ago

Anonymous: yes you can use coconut oil. but the chips and candy will be softer and melt easier. You can keep it in the refrigerator if necessary.

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

Can coconut oil be used instead of the shortening?