Here comes Easter

Charles Robin

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Historically Easter has been my favourite time of year. Less hypes than Christmas, and of course the Easter eggs! This will be my first Easter as a low carber, and I intend to have an Easter egg, just with a bit of a difference. I am going to try and make some low carb chocolate and put it into an egg shaped container. However, I have attempted low carb solid chocolate before. It was ok as part of a cake but on its own it was a bit too bitter. (I got the oven temperature wrong so the cake was raw in the middle. I scooped out the raw bit and put some of the chocolate I had just made in, great save!) I wondered if anyone can suggest any alterations I can make to my recipe to make it tastier on its own.

55g 100% solid cacao
110g coconut oil
1 tsp Stevia
2 ounces double cream

I have a plan to try this with a but less cacao, and add some 50g of butter and use more double cream. I should also mention this will make enough chocolate to last me way past Easter, I won't be eating this all at once!
Any suggestions greatly appreciated :)
 

lizdeluz

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This is too difficult for me, I wouldn't know how to make an Easter egg. but I look forward to reading the replies you get and maybe experimenting. Meanwhile, I'll be hunting high and low for an 85% chocolate egg. Does such an egg exist do you think, or is darkest chocolate only available in bars?
 

Robbity

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No you can get dark chocolate Easter eggs - see Brunneria's post here
- her husband bought her one (the lucky lady!)

You can get various size Easter egg moulds to make your own eggs - check out Amazon UK - you don't have to make your own chocolate though, you should be able to melt a (suitably diabetic) bar and fill the mould and let it set again.

Robbity
 
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Charles Robin

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No you can get dark chocolate Easter eggs - see Brunneria's post here
- her husband bought her one (the lucky lady!)

You can get various size Easter egg moulds to make your own eggs - check out Amazon UK - you don't have to make your own chocolate though, you should be able to melt a (suitably diabetic) bar and fill the mould and let it set again.

Robbity
My wife already has the moulds covered, although I haven't seen them yet as she left them at work! I haven't found a chocolate I can just go out and buy that is low carb enough unfortunately. Even the cavalier range tends to be too high for me.
 

Robbity

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Charles, Lindt do what I find suitable dark chocolate - their 85% 100 gram bars are 19grams of carbs which works out at just less than 2grams per piece. Green & Blacks are about the same but according to Tesco's info are about 100 calories a bar more!

If the moulds are for mini eggs then I imagine that you could make solid ones without too much problem? Big moulds you'd need to slosh the chocolate round to just (fairly) thinly coat them.

Robbity

PS I have to say that I enjoy reading your cookery posts and I'm well impressed with your new baking skills! :)
 
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Robbity

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Oh, and regarding cakes with soggy middles, two hints for testing if they're properly cooked as I don't think you can 100% rely on recipe temperatures and times:

You can gently press your finger on or near the centre and if it springs back easily then it's done. Or you can use a skewer or similar to poke down in the middle, if the cake's done it will come out clean, if not (in both tests) just go on cooking and testing for a bit longer. If microwaving I tend to use the second option.

Finished cakes will also "sing" and this is another test I used to use!:singing::singing:

Robbity
 
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Charles Robin

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Oh, and regarding cakes with soggy middles, two hints for testing if they're properly cooked as I don't think you can 100% rely on recipe temperatures and times:

You can gently press your finger on or near the centre and if it springs back easily then it's done. Or you can use a skewer or similar to poke down in the middle, if the cake's done it will come out clean, if not (in both tests) just go on cooking and testing for a bit longer. If microwaving I tend to use the second option.

Finished cakes will also "sing" and this is another test I used to use!:singing::singing:

Robbity
I basically put the temperature too high, so the outside was burned so I thought it was time to get it out, lol. I tried the skewer method, but I missed the section that was raw.
 

Charles Robin

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Charles, Lindt do what I find suitable dark chocolate - their 85% 100 gram bars are 19grams of carbs which works out at just less than 2grams per piece. Green & Blacks are about the same but according to Tesco's info are about 100 calories a bar more!

If the moulds are for mini eggs then I imagine that you could make solid ones without too much problem? Big moulds you'd need to slosh the chocolate round to just (fairly) thinly coat them.

Robbity

PS I have to say that I enjoy reading your cookery posts and I'm well impressed with your new baking skills! :)
Oh and thanks for the tip, I will have a look out for the 85% bars soon! Many thanks for the encouragement too.
 

modesty007

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My own Easter treat will be low carb marzipan eggs dipped in 85-90% chocolate, yummy
 
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stargums

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A cat with flair to spare, an Easter Bunny with a job to do and a hilarious break from sticky-sweet Easter fare for fans of Patrick McDonnell and the Pigeon books by Mo Willems.
 

Charles Robin

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Low carb Easter egg... achieved! Chocolate made from 100% cacao, coconut oil! stevia and double cream. The taste is not as amazing as a standard Easter egg but it's not at all bad.
image.jpg
 
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modesty007

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Ditched the marzipan eggs and tried to make a some kind of bread thing with marzipan between two layers of very dark chocolate, managed to pieces today and then had enough, full satisfied and this time I used less sweetener, might try some tomorrow evening.
 
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Charles Robin

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I used 30 grams of pure cacao (Willie's 100% cacao! available from Waitrose), 105g of coconut oil, 100g of double cream, and 1tsp of stevia. I found I had to put the mix in the fridge to set a bit once finished, and had to stir it every few minutes because it seemed to want to separate, but I'm pretty pleased with the result. To be honest the taste is not absolutely fantastic but it is definitely edible!
 
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Avocado Sevenfold

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My own Easter treat will be low carb marzipan eggs dipped in 85-90% chocolate, yummy


Thank you thank you thank you! When I read this today I rushed out and bought almond flour and almond essence. Found a recipe for low carb marzipan blobs dipped in 85% choc with a walnut on top. Will make some to take to my mum's for Easter Monday :D I love marzipan!
 

modesty007

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Thank you thank you thank you! When I read this today I rushed out and bought almond flour and almond essence. Found a recipe for low carb marzipan blobs dipped in 85% choc with a walnut on top. Will make some to take to my mum's for Easter Monday :D I love marzipan!
I use 200 g almond flour, a few drops of almond extract (to get a little bitter almond) 2 tbsp sukrin (erythritol + stevia) and 3-4 tbsp double cream (or water) run in a mixer or use a hand blender.
For somebody lazy take a piece of Lindt chocolate 95% and put a dab of marzipan on top.
 
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Avocado Sevenfold

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That is a fantastic egg, Charles Robin! It has the same kind of pattern as the smarties ones with the purple foil that I remember from being wee :)
 
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A

Avocado Sevenfold

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I use 200 g almond flour, 2 tbsp sukrin (erythritol + stevia) and 3-4 tbsp double cream (or water) run in a mixer or use a hand blender.
For somebody lazy take a piece of Lindt chocolate 95% and put a dab of marzipan on top.
I missed your recipe post as I was away chocolateering! I used the recipe from here http://www.lowcarbsosimple.com/sugar-free-marzipan/ (makes 16)

I soaked little pieces of dried fruit in booze for some on the centres and topped with nuts. Four flavours to take to my mum's tomorrow. Very simple to make but my kitchen looks like a warzone now :oops:

Spiced rum and raisin with coconut
Apricot and Southern Comfort with almond
Chopped hazelnuts (Ferrero Rocher)
Walnut (Walnut Whip)
 
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Charles Robin

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I missed your recipe post as I was away chocolateering! I used the recipe from here http://www.lowcarbsosimple.com/sugar-free-marzipan/ (makes 16)

I soaked little pieces of dried fruit in booze for some on the centres and topped with nuts. Four flavours to take to my mum's tomorrow. Very simple to make but my kitchen looks like a warzone now :oops:

Spiced rum and raisin with coconut
Apricot and Southern Comfort with almond
Chopped hazelnuts (Ferrero Rocher)
Walnut (Walnut Whip)

2lcmyoj.jpg
These look like they came from a decent chocolate shop! Your presentation is very impressive :)