Folks, I'm having problems using unsweetened chocolate. I've been trying to convert recipes that use semi-sweet chocolate ( like candy, mousse, souffles, and flourless cake) to using unsweetened chocolate plus liquid Splenda plus butter. It ain't workin'. The results have been bitter and grainy, so far. Any advice from the chocoholics in the group?

Ed
Atkins-9/10/03
213/185/170

Hi Ed,

First off, don't use Bakers chocolate! It makes everything bitter.

I know there are some fancy ones out there, but I don't have access to any of them. I prefer Hershey's.

Also, just splenda will have a tendency to make it bitter. You need to add some Stevia Plus to it to make it have a richer taste.

HTH!

Blessings!
Sharron
Author of "Low Carb Cooking at Sharron's Place," and "Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine," available where ever books are sold.

www.thelowcarbcook.com

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart." Colossians 2:2

You will need to "hide" the liquid Splenda inside a little bit of cream before you add it to the chocolate. The liquid Splenda has water in it and water will make chocolate break.

Then like Sharron said use more than one type of sweetener.

If you can spare the carbs add one teaspoon of honey 5.7g, to each ounce of chocolate, along with the cream and liquid Splenda. It adds a wonderful flavor and texture to the chocolate.

I've just ordered online some Callebaut and Valrhona unsweetened chocolate from Chocosphere. It's a good site with lots of types of chocolate, even unsweetened. I know from experience that Valrhona regular chocolate is excellent. I'll let you know how it works when I get it....but I hope to find some methods before I use the expensive stuff! It's not cheap. If I weren't such a believer in quality ingredients it would be hard to convince myself to get it.

But I did a chocolate tasting a few months ago and found that Valrhona is by far the best chocolate I've ever had--it beat out Ghiradelli and Hersheys by miles, plus Lindt and even Scharffenberger. I'm hoping I can find a way to use the unsweetened stuff to make some ambrosial sugar free treats.

I used Bakers chocolate to follow a recipe and it was horrid--bitter and granular. BUT I don't know if I used the right Splenda--ie, I used the stuff you measure with a cup, not the packets. It's so hard to know which a recipe is calling for.

I like the Hershey's Unsweetened too.

Connie

[img]//www.lowcarbeating.com/lcesupporter.gif[/img]

You are so right, Terra, Valrhona is THE chocolate, in my book, with Callebaut a close second. They are very expensive, but worth it to a true chocoholic.

I use Hershey's unsweetened for most stuff; for what is available in grocery stores, it is pretty good. Baker's is terrible...grainy and bitter. And I always use a blend of Splenda in the packets and SteviaPlus when I work with chocolate. The fillers in the bulk Splenda just don't work well.

Let us know what you make with this wonderful stuff, ok?

Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy.
And cooking done with care is an act of love.
- Craig Claiborne

Thanks, everybody! These are some really good suggestions. I'll play some and see what happens. I've got blocks of unsweetened Ghiradelli and Scharffen Berger in the cupboard now.

For any other newbies like me, keep in mind that unsweetened chocolate is 99% cacao, instead of the usual 60-70% for other dark chocolates. So, we need to use less to get the same results.

Thanks!

Ed

I love dark chocolate. S-B is great as is the Val but like Trina said, they are expensive. I mostly use the Hershey too as it's decent, readily available and cheaper.

Also, when working with melted chocolate, NEVER add a liquid like sf syrup directly to the choco. It will break and chances are, will never come back together. Even using tricks like mixing in a little butter, etc. may seem like they're working but in the end, the chocolate texture WILL be off. Grainy, etc. as mentioned above.