Category: Dark Chocolate

Who can resist a rich and chewy brownie? I am a BIG fan of dark chocolate but I have to admit I have a weakness for brownies even when made with milk chocolate. Not having a good dark chocolate brownie recipe, I decided to search the web to see what I could find.

Here’s a few recipes that look good and have had favorable reviews. The best brownies may not be low fat or low calorie. Although I did find one on the website Big Oven that may prove me wrong. Either way, I believe it is possible to have an awesome brownie without going overboard with sugar or fat. Consider substituting unsweetened applesauce for up to 1/2 of the fat in a recipe. My husband and I have had good luck doing that.

Here’s a recipe I found listed on the Whole Foods Market Site for Moist and Decadent Dark Chocolate Brownies.

They look good but somewhat like they were made with milk chocolate and not dark. May just be the way the photo was taken.  I also think I might prefer them without the icing. That would save on calories. Here’s the nutrient breakdown as provided on the site:

Nutrition

Per serving (with frosting) (1 brownie/88g-wt.): 350 calories (150 from fat), 17g total fat, 10g saturated fat, 80mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 51g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 40g sugar), 4g protein

Per serving (without frosting) (1 brownie/73g-wt.): 300 calories (140 from fat), 15g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 75mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 41g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 30g sugar), 4g protein

350 calories with frosting and 300 calories without is a lot for one small square. But it could certainly be a lot worse. (For the recipe click through to the Whole Foods Market.)

Katherine Hepburn Dark Chocolate Brownies

Here’s a recipe I found for dark chocolate brownies that has been attributed to the actress Katherine Hepburn. This one calls for using 1/2 cup of cocoa.

Melt 1 stick unsalted butter,
add 1/2 cup cocoa and stir until smooth.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add 2 eggs, one at a time.
Add 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and pinch of salt.
Add 1 cup nuts of choice. 

In doing a little more searching for notes on this recipe, I’ve found variations on the basic theme. Some of the recipes attributed to Katherine Hepburn call for 2 squares of dark chocolate rather than the 1/2 cup of cocoa. Otherwise it seems the same.

(I haven’t had a chance to calculate the calories but I would imagine it would be similar the to the first recipe.)

Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

If you need to watch your calories or saturated fats, I found a recipe for Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies on the website Big Oven that claims to have only 113 calories per brownie! (2.2 grams of saturated fat) Wow! I can’t wait to try this one. To get access to this recipe you’ll have to sign up for the site. But I think that’s only fair for a recipe that at the time of writing this post has had 167 people mark as a favorite!

If you try any of the recipes listed here let me know what you think. If you have a better recipe please share that as well! Thanks

peanut butter cups, originally uploaded by pete bakes.

Dark Chocolate Reeses

Where have I been? As of June 2009 Hershey’s now offers Dark Chocolate Reeses Peanut Butter Cups! Sounds awesome! Not only that, there’s still time to participate in the national Reese’s Loves You Back promotion. The company is giving a way cash prizes totaling 2.5 million dollars in specially-marked products including the Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. But hurry this promotion only lasts till December 31, 2009.

Having a peanut butter cup or two for a treat is enough of a reward in and of itself but hey if you don’t go overboard a little may actually be good for you.

Peanuts are a good source of protein, manganese, copper, and certain B vitamins. They have been found to lower the risk for heart disease. Peanut butter seems to confer similar benefits. What’s even better is that a recent research study found a little peanut butter is more satisfying as a snack food than other foods such as rice cakes or pickles because even a small amount seems to do a better job of satisfying hunger.

Peanuts and peanut butter are also a source of boron and phytoestrogens. Boron may ease menopausal symptoms. Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that may act like mild estrogens in the body and provide similar benefits for any woman facing these unwelcome challenges later in life.

Dark chocolate can be a good source of antioxidants and magnesium if it is made with a high enough cocoa content (70% or more is best). As little as 3-4 oz. of dark chocolate may help reduce blood pressure and risk for heart disease. A piece or two of Dark Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups may not provide enough dark chocolate to see these benefits but even a little can’t hurt. (Unfortunately not even the Reeses company website has the nutritional information about this new product so for now I can’t tell you more.)

If you hurry you may still have time to participate in a contest for the best Dark Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup recipes. Evidently the website Chocolate Atlas is having a contest. Winners will receive free samples of both 2-pack Reese’s Cups and bags of the Miniatures. The Deadline is fast approaching on Sept. 15, 2009. Wish I had found this earlier. Sorry!

Last but not least if you want to have your own version of Reese’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups consider making your own. It doesn’t look like it would be that complicated. There are directions along with some awesome photos on a blog called Pete Bakes Very nice. Check it out!

So get yourself some Dark Chocolate Reeses or make some of your own. A little bit won’t hurt and might even be good for you!