I bought some Cote d'Or dark Belgian chocolate before leaving Belgium, the kind that is 70% cocoa butter and it was very, very good. There are 10 squares to the bar, each weighing 10 grams (3 grams of carbs, 14.5 grams of fat, of which 9 grams are saturated) and I must say it was wonderful. While it is low carb, there is real sugar in the bar too, so I don't advocate eating it all that often. But as an occasional treat, it is hard to beat.
Melt some of the chocolate over a double boiler, with a bit of butter or cream, and drizzle over strawberries for a truly exceptional treat. Or make a real, French mousse au chocolat. Who says being low carb means denying yourself simple pleasures?
Next stop: Switzerland. I will have to see if the dark chocolate in Switzerland is as good as the dark chocolate in Belgium. I have my doubts.
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Mousse au Chocolat Recipe
Hello Low Carb Conversation visitors! I have discontinued this blog but have started another, Low Carb Wisdom. Visit me there!
Mousse au chocolat is a traditional French dessert. I have seen U.S. recipes (like Alton Brown's version) that are nothing like a real French mousse. And guess what? A real French mousse au chocolat is also a fairly low carb treat. Now, this is not a low carb recipe blog, but since I am in Belgium, where I can easily buy 70% or more dark chocolate (which is lower in sugar and high in cocoa butter), I will post one anyway.
The recipe below uses 70% dark chocolate Belgian chocolate (see nutritional information) but you can also make it with 86% dark Belgian chocolate (see nutritional information). Ghiradelli also sells dark chocolate, if you cannot easily find dark Belgian chocolate. Whatever brand of dark chocolate you use, make sure cocoa butter is listed on the label. It is found only in high quality chocolate. Note also that in authentic French mousse au chocolat, there isn't any added sugar. I have not adapted this recipe at all; it is naturally low carb!
Ingredients:
100 grams (3.52 ounces) of dark chocolate (this recipe assumes 70% dark Belgian chocolate)
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over water that is simmering, but not boiling. Add butter to the melted chocolate. Note: good Belgian chocolate has a lower melting point than U.S. chocolate and the melted mixture should not be too hot, so it won't cook the egg yolks.
Separate the two eggs. Beat the egg yolks then mix them into the melted chocolate until it is smooth, and without lumps.
Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture.
Divide into three dishes and refrigerate for three or more hours. Each mousse will have about seven net grams of carbs per serving.
I usually consume fewer than 30 grams of carbs per day, so this would be about a fourth of my daily total. Therefore I would not recommend eating it very often, but it is a nice way to occasionally treat yourself to some dark chocolate, which is high in healthy cocoa butter.
Mousse au chocolat is a traditional French dessert. I have seen U.S. recipes (like Alton Brown's version) that are nothing like a real French mousse. And guess what? A real French mousse au chocolat is also a fairly low carb treat. Now, this is not a low carb recipe blog, but since I am in Belgium, where I can easily buy 70% or more dark chocolate (which is lower in sugar and high in cocoa butter), I will post one anyway.
The recipe below uses 70% dark chocolate Belgian chocolate (see nutritional information) but you can also make it with 86% dark Belgian chocolate (see nutritional information). Ghiradelli also sells dark chocolate, if you cannot easily find dark Belgian chocolate. Whatever brand of dark chocolate you use, make sure cocoa butter is listed on the label. It is found only in high quality chocolate. Note also that in authentic French mousse au chocolat, there isn't any added sugar. I have not adapted this recipe at all; it is naturally low carb!
Ingredients:
100 grams (3.52 ounces) of dark chocolate (this recipe assumes 70% dark Belgian chocolate)
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over water that is simmering, but not boiling. Add butter to the melted chocolate. Note: good Belgian chocolate has a lower melting point than U.S. chocolate and the melted mixture should not be too hot, so it won't cook the egg yolks.
Separate the two eggs. Beat the egg yolks then mix them into the melted chocolate until it is smooth, and without lumps.
Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture.
Divide into three dishes and refrigerate for three or more hours. Each mousse will have about seven net grams of carbs per serving.
I usually consume fewer than 30 grams of carbs per day, so this would be about a fourth of my daily total. Therefore I would not recommend eating it very often, but it is a nice way to occasionally treat yourself to some dark chocolate, which is high in healthy cocoa butter.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
More Interesting Research Studies
A new study in the journal Obesity shows that those on a low carb diet were less bothered by hunger than those following a high carb, low fat diet. This effect was particularly true for men. I can attest that this is true, as I was always starving on Weight Watchers but not on my low carb diet.
There are several food studies from the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR), a marketing journal. But interesting nonetheless.
This study shows that thinking about dying causes you to eat more (this link opens up a Microsoft Word document with a press release from the journal). If I had to contemplate staying on Weight Watchers for my whole life, I would think about dying, too.
Another JCR study shows that the more "healthy" options on a menu or in a vending machine, the more likely someone is to choose something unhealthy. I guess the "healthy" choices are so unappealing it causes people, in near desperation, to choose the unhealthy options. To quote Fox Moulder, "The air in my mouth tastes better than that" (in reference to a diet ice cream bar Scully was eating).
Yet another JCR study shows that if you put junk food, such as M&Ms, in a 100 calorie pack, people will think it is diet food. (this link opens up an MS Word document with a press release from the journal). A second JCR study shows that if you put junk food in 100 calorie packs, dieters will consume a lot more of them (this link opens up an MS Word document with a press release from the journal). Stupid dieters.
There are many more JCR food studies. I will report on more later.
There are several food studies from the Journal of Consumer Research (JCR), a marketing journal. But interesting nonetheless.
This study shows that thinking about dying causes you to eat more (this link opens up a Microsoft Word document with a press release from the journal). If I had to contemplate staying on Weight Watchers for my whole life, I would think about dying, too.
Another JCR study shows that the more "healthy" options on a menu or in a vending machine, the more likely someone is to choose something unhealthy. I guess the "healthy" choices are so unappealing it causes people, in near desperation, to choose the unhealthy options. To quote Fox Moulder, "The air in my mouth tastes better than that" (in reference to a diet ice cream bar Scully was eating).
Yet another JCR study shows that if you put junk food, such as M&Ms, in a 100 calorie pack, people will think it is diet food. (this link opens up an MS Word document with a press release from the journal). A second JCR study shows that if you put junk food in 100 calorie packs, dieters will consume a lot more of them (this link opens up an MS Word document with a press release from the journal). Stupid dieters.
There are many more JCR food studies. I will report on more later.
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