miracle brownies help please

[elainesmith]

I made these and it's a good recipe, makes a bunch (I hate to cook)...
after reading ALL the reviews changed a few things but I shouldn't have...maybe

A. changed 1 stick butter to 3/4 stick (they were dry)
B. changed sweeteners still not quite sweet enough...new to LC -our taste probably will change, hasn't yet though (will use "E" even if it's 2 cups+ 1 c of another as per recipe)

my problem is they are SOOOOOO dark chocolate, do you think I could leave out some of the unsweetened squares (calls for 4) and what would I replace it with?

Thanks appreciate any ideas....Elaine

[Charski]

I find that with LC recipes, my first take on it I try to follow the recipe fairly closely. I also make sure it's a recipe that already HAS good reviews! LOL! AND I read any tweaks that others may have made, which ones were successful and which ones were not.

I'm not sure what you're asking about the sweeteners - do you mean you'll use ONLY erythritol? It's only 70 to 80% as sweet as sugar so that may be a problem if you're using it as a 1 to 1 substitution for whatever the recipe calls for.

Also, many of us have learned that Splenda (the granular kind especially) tends to turn bitter and/or not sweet when combined with chocolate, so if you're using that, then plan to use one or two other sweeteners in combination - that gives you a synergistic effect, where the properties of the 2 or 3 in combination are greater than the sum of the parts individually, or however that saying goes!

If you want, print the recipe in its entirety here, or link to it if it's on this site, and put down exactly what YOU did and we can maybe help you out.

Welcome to LC baking - lots of talent around here - lots of great tried 'n true recipes too - so have fun! Ask lots of questions!

[rosethorns]

I just saw this . Elaine what is a miracle brownie?

Char covered it really well...... Put up the recipe and let us check it out to help you. Thats really the only way we can help.

[at_last]

Have made the miracle brownie many times It's from the about.com website

Low-Carb Brownie Recipe - Miracle Brownies - Low-Carb Sugar-Free Brownies

Unfortunately, I love the ultra dark chocolate version so have no idea what the sub would be to make it lighter chocolate. Maybe someone else here would.

[elainesmith]

This is the recipe and I thought it was just too much chocolate mostly. It tastes pretty good, I overcooked it and tried to use sweeteners I ha, not recipes fault on that account. Wondered if I could leave out some of the chocolate squares was the real question.


Miracle Brownies!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My friend made these last weekend and shared some with me -we think they're one of the best LC brownies we've tasted so far. I believe she got the recipe off of about.com. Anyway, for you fellow chocoholics, they're worth a try! (If someone's already posted this somewhere on LCFriends, my apologies). Here's the recipe:

"If you like a more bittersweet brownie, cut down on the artificial sweetener."

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:
•1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
•2 cups erythritol (powdered, not granulated)
•1 Tbsp vanilla
•4 eggs (room temp is best)
•1/2 cup cocoa
•1 tsp salt
•4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
•2 cups golden flax seed meal
•1 Tbsp baking powder
•1/3 cup cream
•2/3 cup water
•1 cup artificial sweetener (she used powdered Splenda)
•1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9X13 pan.

1) Cream the butter until fluffy.

2) Add the erythritol to the butter and cream them together until fully combined (aim for a fluffy texture).

3) Add the vanilla and beat the eggs into the mixture, one at a time.

4) Add salt and cocoa, beat well.

5) Add chocolate, beat until fluffy.

6) Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to combine.

7) Pour into a pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until top springs back. (You can also test if they're ready by sticking a toothpick in the brownies. If it comes out clean, or almost-so, they're done.)

8) Cool, then cut into 32 squares. If you cheat and eat one warm, know that the texture will be different once completely cool. That's when they become like real brownies. (They are even better the next day.)

Nutritional Analysis: Each of 32 brownies has 1 gram effective carbohydrate, plus 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, 10 grams of fat,

[elainesmith]

I love chocolate but this was too much for me but otherwise the taste was great.

[rosethorns]

I love chocolate also . That would be way too much chocolate for me.

If I was doing this I would take out all the squares and start with 1/4 cup of the cocoa and taste it as you go to see how much chocolate you want.

Butter all of it.
eggs the same
cream keep the same

water .....start with 1/3 and add more if you need it.

Don't forget your flaxmeal will absorb liquid and swell up.

Sweetners...... start with 2 cups of your combo that you use.
my combo would be 1/2 cup E.+ 1 c. liquid sucralose +1/8 tsp. of stevia
everything else the same.

I hope that helps Elaine.

[watcher513]

Rosethorns, "my combo would be 1/2 cup E.+ 1 c. liquid sucralose +1/8 tsp. of stevia"

1 c. actual liquid sucralose, i.e. DaVinci type, Or 1 c. "equivalent" liquid sucralose, i.e. EZ-Sweetz or whatever brand?

[rosethorns]

Gosh watcher I'm sorry. It's equivalent to 1 cup. It would be 1/4 tsp liquid sucalose = 1 cup.

Ezsweet is fine.

Whatever your liquid sucralose is to equal 1 cup.

[elainesmith]

Thanks ladies, I will try your suggestions the next time I make these have quite a few.

[Charski]

I think you could cut the chocolate a bit on the ones you've already made by eating them with some whipped cream or a bit of LC vanilla ice cream.

Yeah, I think I'd cut out at least half the baking chocolate (reduce by 2 oz.) and start there next time. The cocoa powder, not sure I'd cut back - it's a bulking item so would take the place of some of the sugar you might find in a "normal" brownie recipe. But you could get the Dutched cocoa, which is milder than regular cocoa powder, and give that a try.

And yep, combine those sweeteners, and don't use granular Splenda - either use the liquid like Essie says, or use something else in combination, like the E and some stevia that you like or some Diabetisweet or something.

[elainesmith]

you know I bought some "special" kind of cocoa...all natural or healthy or something when we tried something else before coming here. I wonder if that would work...its lighter than Hershey's cocoa.

[elainesmith]

it is organic raw cacao 15 carbs 9 fiber