Allergic to Chocolate? Two "I Can't Believe It's Not Chocolate" Recipes

Go to any restaurant and four out of five desserts on the menu will include chocolate. Go to any outdoor picnic or get-together and the most common desserts will also contain chocolate, whether brownies, cakes or cookies. Even when you want a ready made healthy snack, many trail mixes or granola bars are loaded with some kind of chocolate chip. What torture it is for those, like my husband, who are allergic to this wonderfully intoxicating comfort food. You can, of course, substitute chocolate with carob chips and carob powder. Place the chips in a trail mix and they are tolerable. But replacing them in a chocolate chip cookie recipe, does not even come close.

The good news is that carob powder is healthier for you than cocoa powder. It has about 115 times less fat, twice as many carbohydrates and calcium and 70 times less sodium. The bad news is that you need to use one and a half to two times as much carob powder to get the taste that you crave. Unlike the chips, the powder comes closer to tasting like the real thing even to those, like me, who swear they do not like the taste of carob. Keep in mind that carobs, like cocoa, contain the same tannins that are bad for young children.Although this first recipe takes a little time, it is still easy to do and well worth the effort. I do recommend, and finally broke down and bought, a 9-inch square pan. An 8-inch square pan keeps the dough too moist. The recipe allows for variations. Feel free to use cherry, coffee, yogurt, peanut butter, cinnamon or mint-flavored chips or dried cherries and a complementary extract (instead of the almond extract), depending upon what you like. During the summer use a toaster oven and bake this outdoors. It works just fine, although you may want to add another five minutes to the baking time.

BROWNIES Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a 9 inch by 9 inch pan.

Mix and set aside:

1/2 cup all purpose flour,
1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

Beat and set aside:

3 oz. cream cheese (softened) and
1/4 cup sugar.

Add to the cream cheese mixture:

1 egg,
1/2 tsp vanilla extract and
1/2 tsp almond (or other) extract and stir in
1/3 cup of your favorite flavored chips or dried cherries.

Mix:

1/2 cup of carob powder and
1/2 cup melted margarine or butter.

Add:

1 cup sugar,
2 eggs (beaten) and
1/2 tsp vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the above and pour half the carob mixture into the bottom of the floured pan. Pour the cream cheese filling over this and then the remaining carob mixture on top. Use a spoon to swirl the colors together and bake 35-40 minutes or until a knife in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares.

NO BAKE COOKIES This should already be on your list of summer recipes. Makes about 24-30.

Mix and cook on a stove top:

3/4 cup sugar,
1/4 cup carob powder,
1/4 cup milk and
1/4 cup butter or margarine.

Cook a minute after it boils. Then add:

1/2 tsp vanilla,
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 cups oatmeal and

Stir well, drop by teaspoonfuls on wax paper and chill till firm. A cookie scoop works perfectly for this. There are many substitutions you can try, including smooth peanut butter and sunflower seeds or coconut flakes. I have even used cereal crumbs from the bottom of the boxes, which I save for emergencies or when I run low on oatmeal.

My husband no longer has to deny himself the rich, yummy and addictive flavor of chocolate. And now, neither do you.

Copyright 2007 by Linda Murdock. Linda Murdock is the best-selling author of A Busy Cook's Guide to Spices, How to Introduce New Flavors to Everyday Meals. Unlike most spice books, which are organized by spice, here you can turn to a particular food, whether meat, vegetable or starch, and find a list of spices that go well with that food. Recipes are included. Not only is your well-written book an excellent resource for the novice in the kitchen, it is a quick reference for the food professional.--The Ingredient Store To learn more go to http://bellwetherbooks.com

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Mastering The Challenges Of Chocolate Candy Making

The art of chocolate candy making has been employed for many years to entice those people who love sweets. An individual has the ability to make perfect chocolate candy if they only give it a try.

Sometimes, however, problems can come up that can affect even the most experienced candy maker. A good chocolate candy maker can end up with a bad batch of sweet things, however they will continue to try to produce the best candy that they are able to.

Ensure Dry Chocolate Mold

Some of the common problems that may occur in chocolate candy making has primarily to do with molded candy. One of the initial things you must do when you are using molds is to ensure that they are totally dry prior to adding the chocolate.

When molds are not completely dry, white markings may occur because water has become trapped inside. Some other issues are cracks within the chocolate when it gets too cold, or the chocolate candies end up being dulled when they get out of the mold. This is ordinarily caused because the chocolate is not properly tempered before pouring in the chocolate candy molds.Effective Chocolate Tempering

One of the major issues when it comes to producing chocolate is tempering. Tempering is when the chocolate is heated so that it will melt. If a person making chocolate tempers at too high a temperature, the result would likely be the chocolate becoming crystallized causing hard sugar crystals to take form.

This will create chaos and then you will most likely throw the chocolate away which is now burned away. Other issues dealing with tempering are gray streaks and blooming. You can learn more about tempering and the best ways to keep the chocolate experience going as smoothly as possible by visiting the baking911 website can be helpful. Candy making 101 is a definite source for those who wish to avoid major errors when creating their unique, chocolate candies gifts, such as white chocolate candy or perhaps dark chocolate candy.

Chocolate candy making has been around for many generations. The people of ancient history created savory treats they believed were exclusively reserved for the gods. Good chocolate candies, can be difficult to do if you are a novice and unsure of how to cope with setbacks in the kitchen.

Nevertheless, by understanding the problems that might arise, an individual can make the best gourmet chocolate candy that they are able to on the first try, but as the saying goes, you must try and try again until you succeed.

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of fine foods. If you would like to learn more go to Chocolate Cake Recipes advice and at Gourmet Chocolate tips.
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