Location: Fukushima Fall-Out Zone (a.k.a., planet earth)
I know this has been discussed, but bear with me because I can't find the old discussion and now that I'M interested, it's all about ME *lol*! So, chocolate is a Gatherer diamond superfood (as good as it gets, peeps) and lately I've been thinking about giving it a go as an after-dinner little finishing touch, just a bite or two. Well, I had a look-see around the HFS chocolate bar area, and would you believe there is not a SINGLE bar with no sugar, except for some horrid thing that screams "sugar-free" on it yet is sweetened with something else and has other baddies in it. I could tell right away by the front of the label that I wouldn't be interested, but when I asked the store clerks if they had any PURE chocolate bars with no sugar, they kept pointing me to that monstrosity, and I was like "no, not 'sugar-free', just with no sugar!" ** "Sugar-free" usually translates to "has something even worse in it". Not interested in that, i.e., in a "dietetic chocolate bar", ya know. I am interested in a PURE chocolate bar.
I seem to recall that the previous thread concluded you have to make your own chocolate at home and sweeten with agave or whatever. My question is: are there no commercial brands of chocolate bar that are just chocolate and no sugar? Would I have to get "baker's chocolate"? Surely there are commercial, top-of-the-line HFS brands out there that are sweetened with agave...right?
If not, what chocolate do you guys buy to cook up your own with? Baker's chocolate? And are there unsweetened chocolate CHIPS one could get instead? A tiny clump of organic, unsweetened chocolate chips would be just as good as a bite of an organic, unsweetened chocolate bar.
In short: steer me in the right direction here, someone. Tanx!
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
There's a bar at the health food store that's sugar free and I can't figure out how they sweeten it but it's to die for. I think it's called Coco Via?? I'm not sure. I'll buy another one and let you know.
FIFHI "Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” James Baldwin "Question Everything!", Science Channel
I know this has been discussed, but bear with me because I can't find the old discussion and now that I'M interested, it's all about ME *lol*! So, chocolate is a Gatherer diamond superfood (as good as it gets, peeps) and lately I've been thinking about giving it a go as an after-dinner little finishing touch, just a bite or two. Well, I had a look-see around the HFS chocolate bar area, and would you believe there is not a SINGLE bar with no sugar, except for some horrid thing that screams "sugar-free" on it yet is sweetened with something else and has other baddies in it. I could tell right away by the front of the label that I wouldn't be interested, but when I asked the store clerks if they had any PURE chocolate bars with no sugar, they kept pointing me to that monstrosity, and I was like "no, not 'sugar-free', just with no sugar!" ** "Sugar-free" usually translates to "has something even worse in it". Not interested in that, i.e., in a "dietetic chocolate bar", ya know. I am interested in a PURE chocolate bar.
I seem to recall that the previous thread concluded you have to make your own chocolate at home and sweeten with agave or whatever. My question is: are there no commercial brands of chocolate bar that are just chocolate and no sugar? Would I have to get "baker's chocolate"? Surely there are commercial, top-of-the-line HFS brands out there that are sweetened with agave...right?
If not, what chocolate do you guys buy to cook up your own with? Baker's chocolate? And are there unsweetened chocolate CHIPS one could get instead? A tiny clump of organic, unsweetened chocolate chips would be just as good as a bite of an organic, unsweetened chocolate bar.
In short: steer me in the right direction here, someone. Tanx!
Okay, PT, here is something you could do and it is easy, easy and cheap.
Microwave about 3 Tbs. almond butter to soften. Add about 3 Tbs. cocoa. Sweeten with about 2 packages of Stevia (I use a little maple syrup too - you could use some Stevia and some molasses) or to taste. If this mixture is very stiff, which it probably will be, add a little rice milk, fruit juice or water as you mix (I use soy milk). I add a little vanilla too (I see you can have papaya! Some of that chopped up in it would be good!). Sometimes I roll this into balls and other times I just mix it and leave it in the almond butter jar if it had about the right amount of almond butter in it. One ball or one heaping teaspoon is a serving which I eat with walnuts. It is like lightly sweetened dark chocolate and very satisfying to me. This is the only dessert I'm having right now. Do keep it in the fridge.
I make my own fudge/nut creation using veggie glycerine (you could also use agave syrup, but I prefer the non-blood-sugar-affecting glycerine).
If I want some chocolate and I'm out somewhere, I will pick up 85% or 99% chocolate by Lindt.
This looks yummy but I'm astounded that only 1/4 cup of vegetable glycerin or agave could sweeten 4 cups of the additional non sweet ingredients . Does this actually come out tasting sweet enough? Can't wait to try it.
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"
This looks yummy but I'm astounded that only 1/4 cup of vegetable glycerin or agave could sweeten 4 cups of the additional non sweet ingredients . Does this actually come out tasting sweet enough? Can't wait to try it.
Actually, I use between 1/4 and 1/2 cups and it used to say that in the recipe... Not sure how it got changed, but just sweeten it to your liking.
OK, I'm now noticing that this whole recipe is screwed up... This is what it SHOULD be:
1/2 cup butter or ghee 1/2 cup nut butter 1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup flax meal 1 cup nuts, chopped 1/2 cup puffed quinoa or millet or rice 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable glycerine
MIFHI E-185 Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Actually, I use between 1/4 and 1/2 cups and it used to say that in the recipe... Not sure how it got changed, but just sweeten it to your liking.
OK, I'm now noticing that this whole recipe is screwed up... This is what it SHOULD be:
1/2 cup butter or ghee 1/2 cup nut butter 1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup flax meal 1 cup nuts, chopped 1/2 cup puffed quinoa or millet or rice 1/4 to 1/2 cup vegetable glycerine
Thanks. That's a much better proportion of ingredients. As for the puffed quinoa, do you do this yourself or can you buy it already puffed?
"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"
Location: Fukushima Fall-Out Zone (a.k.a., planet earth)
Thanks so much for all the helpful suggs, guys. I won't use vegetable glycerin, though, as I find it singularly un-food-like and repulsive. I know a lot of people swear by it and it is supposed to be a good sweetener because it supposedly doesn't spike your blood sugar, but, again, I find it truly repulsive and bizarre. As for stevia, I have looked into that recently (when I started the GTD, as a possible sweetener for oatmeal) but unfortunately the two brands at my HFS both are unacceptable. One is in a base of alcohol, so no way. Plus it can apparently be somewhat bitter, probably due to the alcohol base, not the stevia itself. I have not tried it myself, but I've been told that it is bitter. The other brand is in a vegetable glycerin base, so I nixed that one, too. I don't do alcohol bases and I don't do vegetable glycerin.
If I were going to make my own chocolate, I would use agave nectar for the sweetener. I was just hoping, though, that there is either a brand of UNSWEETENED chocolate either in the form of a bar or chips, or a brand of bar or chips sweetened with agave or even honey, maybe. But apparently there isn't. I was sure I have heard people on the board over the years talk about unsweetened chocolate chips...but maybe I was imagining it.
Anyway, I'm not that wedded to incorporating chocolate into my diet, I just thought that, since it is a diamond superfood, I would look into it. If anyone knows of a brand that meets my specs (see previous paragraph), do pipe up. Also, if anyone has a recipe for homemade chocolate sweetened with agave nectar, including the brand of chocolate that you buy, pipe right in with that.
Thanks again to everyone for your suggs, even the ones with ingredients that rule the particular sugg out for me, as I'm sure others will find it helpful. There are a LOT of people who LOVE chocolate, and since it is a diamond superfood for Gatherers, yet sugar is a toxin to avoid, this thread is going to be very informative and helpful to people--yay!
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
Location: Fukushima Fall-Out Zone (a.k.a., planet earth)
P.S. I am also interested in maybe using unsweetened, pure chocolate in a savory recipe, such as a "mole" of some sort or a chili like gcg, I think it was, described once (yummmmmm!). Recipes for such a thing would be appreciated, but those can be found around the net, etc. My thing is: why are there no unsweetened or agave-sweetened bars or chips? What is with this world?
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
As for stevia, I have looked into that recently (when I started the GTD, as a possible sweetener for oatmeal) but unfortunately the two brands at my HFS both are unacceptable. One is in a base of alcohol, so no way. Plus it can apparently be somewhat bitter, probably due to the alcohol base, not the stevia itself. I have not tried it myself, but I've been told that it is bitter. The other brand is in a vegetable glycerin base, so I nixed that one, too. I don't do alcohol bases and I don't do vegetable glycerin.
PT . . . I use NOW brand Stevia in a powdered form and there is nothing added to it. I found it easy to get use to; it's slightly bitter taste disappears fast.
E, Over the weekend, I tried 100% chocolate from Ghiradelli mixed with a little agave. It was pretty good. I just melted it together in the microwave. Not bad at all. The other choice is just the very high content choc. good chocolates 85%. There's just a little sugar in there. Plain chocolate with no sweetener at all (baking choc.) is quite bitter. Jane
PT . . . I use NOW brand Stevia in a powdered form and there is nothing added to it. I found it easy to get use to; it's slightly bitter taste disappears fast.
Thanks, Jane. If I see a pure brand like that, I'll try it. I just don't want the brands they have at my HFS which are alcohol-based and vegetable glycerine-based, respectively.
NOW brand is interesting: their stuff always seems very pure and free of any unwanted additives, yet not just one but quite a few people who work in the health food supplement industry, such as Thomas D. and also supplement people at the HFS I shop at, have told me that NOW has a reputation in the industry for using inferior quality ingredients and that is why their stuff is priced relatively low and why the HFS pups always seem to steer me to other stuff, even though the NOW brand of whatever always seems the purest. I do buy their stuff because of the combination of the lack of unwanted additives and the price, but I wonder about their "rep" of using low-quality ingredients. Veeeerrry interesting, no?
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
E, Over the weekend, I tried 100% chocolate from Ghiradelli mixed with a little agave. It was pretty good. I just melted it together in the microwave. Not bad at all. The other choice is just the very high content choc. good chocolates 85%. There's just a little sugar in there. Plain chocolate with no sweetener at all (baking choc.) is quite bitter. Jane
Is the Ghiradelli 100% chocolate a bar or what? As for baking chocolate, I've heard that most brands use inferior chocolate for that and that if you find a good quality brand, it tastes better and maybe not quite as bitter, although I don't mind bitter. I actually have tried eating baker's chocolate as is (this was in college...you'll try anything when you're in college *lol*) and it wasn't bad. But I'm one who tends to dig tastes that most people find WAY too bitter. I usually find them complex and interesting.
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
B to Bnonnie to Nomad, the journey continues Kyosha Nim
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I allways, pre GTD, used unsweetened bakers chocolate. If I was making something sweet I used vegetable glycerine for the blood sugar regulting aspects. I save the agave for things that aren't cooked like the frosting on Brighids carrot cake(many rave reviews from friends and family on that BTW). When making a large pot of chili I would add 1 square(1 ounce) of baker's chocolate, ordinary brand. I would save the ghiraldelis for making candy with dried fruits and nuts. Unfortunately chocolate is a Nomad black dot. Luckily I don't use it that much.
I allways, pre GTD, used unsweetened bakers chocolate. If I was making something sweet I used vegetable glycerine for the blood sugar regulting aspects. I save the agave for things that aren't cooked like the frosting on Brighids carrot cake(many rave reviews from friends and family on that BTW). When making a large pot of chili I would add 1 square(1 ounce) of baker's chocolate, ordinary brand. I would save the ghiraldelis for making candy with dried fruits and nuts. Unfortunately chocolate is a Nomad black dot. Luckily I don't use it that much.
Man, between the tomatos and the chocolate, you Nomads are really challenged. I could live without chocolate, no prob, but tomatos? That one hurts. No can do.
So, you are the second person to mention Ghiradelli, is it an unsweetened bar that they have? Is it called simply unsweetened, or "baker's", or wuh? I'm off to Ghiradelli's site to try to get to the bottom of this, asap...
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
Location: Fukushima Fall-Out Zone (a.k.a., planet earth)
...ooookay and aaaaall righty then, that little cybersail to Ghiradelli's site yielded exactly nada. WHY don't these chocolate companies list INGREDIENTS? So far today, I've been to Dagoba and Ghiradelli and a few other chocolate company sites and they don't provide complete ingredient lists. The heck with that. I object on principle to any company that does not provide a total ingredient list for any product described.
Da nerve!
"If you are on one of Dr. D's diets and it isn't joyful, you aren't doing it right." - moi -
Gluten-Free Raw-Food Vegan Kyosha Nim Columnists and Bloggers
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Edna, the Ghirardelli bar's label says "Premium Baking Bar / Unsweetened Chocolate."
It's a relatively large (4 oz) bar, and the ingredients are -- errr, 'scuse me, the ingredient *is* "UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE." (Though it says "may contain trace amounts of milk protein," presumably from being made on the same equipment as milk chocolate.)
This is the only no-additives chocolate bar I've ever found. The "regular brand" that GCG refered to is presumably Baker's Brand, which contains a milk derivitive.
HUNTER Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto Kyosha Nim Columnists and Bloggers
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Can you get Lindt? If so, I posted earlier re: a 99% chocolate bar they make.
Except I just looked and they don't list ingredients... Silly. I don't have one around now, but I think the ingredients are kind of self-explanatory (chocolate!).
MIFHI E-185 Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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* "Sugar-free" usually translates to "has something even worse in it". Not interested in that, i.e., in a "dietetic chocolate bar", ya know. I am interested in a PURE chocolate bar.
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You can also buy puffed rice and millet from Nature's Path I think.
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