Posted the recipe for these on FFF board--flavors include:

Pumpkin Pie
Gingerbread Cookie Dough
Anise Cookie Dough
Eggnog
Candy Cane

http://boards.fool.com/holiday-flavored-protein-bars-3038374...

Thanks for the tip. 50:50 peanut butter to dry whey protein as the base for cookie-like bars - what a useful idea. Seems a pretty good antidote to candy bar cravings.

I can't easily get the syrups so I tried just with a little cream instead (plus sweetener). It seems to work though I used too little peanut butter in my first go at it. I used cocoa powder as the flavoring and it tasted good.

This could become a regular, as one of my biggest weaknesses is chocolate. I wonder if adding some butter would make it even more chocolate-bar like?

One year for Valentines Day DH got a box of chocolates, took them out to keep for the kids, and substituted a variety of cut up Atkins Bars in the little paper inserts. Your bars sound perfect for that, particularly if they are cut up and dipped in LC chocolate. A variety would be adding non sweetened coconut and coconut syrup, even sprinkling some coconut on top for decoration after putting the chocolate on.

I will never forget the thought and effort it took to throw that box of "chocolates" together.

IP

To simulate a bar of chocolate: has anyone tried working with cocoa butter? I have no idea where to find that but it seems to be a major ingredient of commercial chocolate bars, yet sounds low-carb.

If cocoa butter is impossible to buy, is palm oil/fat a reasonable substitute? Or something else?

Need that semi-waxy smoothness effect.

This is the toughest time of the year to hold on to low carb...

As an antidote to all the sweets being pushed at me, I'm trying to advance the science of low carb chocolate. Tweaking the elements mentioned in this thread. Also consulting YouTube, my primary recipe resource.

Now it seems the key to good chocolate is using cocoa butter as a base. But I haven't yet found a source to buy it in Germany. Seems absurd given that Germany, Switzerland etc are chocolate maker havens. I'll keep looking. There's a Lindt factory near me, maybe I can talk to somebody there.

Anyway, some Australian YouTubers facing the same problem advocate something called Copha as a substitute. It seems to be vegetable shortening like Crisco, i.e. trans fat loaded stiffened vegetable oil/fat. Yuckypoo. Even the name is nasty.

Whereas real natural cocoa butter is not transfatted, according to them internets. Which as we all know cannot be wrong.

A lot is used for cosmetics but not sure I'd want to eat that.

I have had good luck making chocolate using coconut oil, Stevia, and Navitas cacao powder. The mixing ratios can change depending on whether you want it more like a chocolate bar or more like fudge. You can also add in a little almond butter or almond milk depending on how you want it. You can also vary the coconut oil to suit your taste...some has a full coconut flavor and some has no flavor.

I have had good luck making chocolate using coconut oil...

Thanks I found that on the Internet and ordered some. Will give it a try when it arrives next year.

I guess the term "oil" made me wonder how it can be firm enough to be a base for a chocolate bar. Does your chocolate have to be kept refrigerated to avoid melting into a puddle?

I've just tried making some with Green and Blacks Organic cocoa powder, coconut oil and Stevia, I need to adjust the proportions as it was a little bitter.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature in the UK unless it's over about 22 degs Centigrade. In that case, refrigerate.

Rune

I guess the term "oil" made me wonder how it can be firm enough to be a base for a chocolate bar. Does your chocolate have to be kept refrigerated to avoid melting into a puddle?

It is solid at room temperature, but melts just a few degrees warmer. The chocolate does need to be refrigerated. The following is a delicious recipe I've used. I typically cut down on the cacao powder. Obviously for a low-carber you'd want to eliminate the honey. I will often add Stevia for sweetness. I also toast the coconut and mix it into the balls soemtimes.

1.5 Cups Raw Cacao Powder
1 Scoop High Quality Protein Powder (MRM or Vega Sport)
1/2 Cup Raw Honey
1 Tsp Vanilla
1-2 Tbsp Natural Peanut or Almond Butter
1/4 Cup Melted Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Shredded Coconut (set aside in separate bowl)

Mix all ingredients together in medium size bowl. Roll into uniform balls. Roll formed balls in shredded coconut. Refrigerate.

I finally got my coconut "oil" - delivery slowed by the holidays.

I put oil in quotes because it was hard as a rock, coming in at German winter temperatures.

Not cheap - labelled organic fair trade, and cost the equivalent of US$30 for one liter (close to one quart), including tax and postage. But what the hey, this is research. It costs.

Of course I couldn't wait to road test it.

Melted a tablespoon, then mixed it at approximately 1:1 ratio with unsweetened cocoa powder. Added same amount of unsweetened coconut flakes, dash of liquid vanilla, pinch of ground cardamom seeds, and several squirts of liquid zero carb sweetener. Threw it in the fridge.

Came out quite solid, but scrapeable with a spoon. Similar texture to commercial chocolate. Nice and smooth silky texture. The chocolate flavor was very strong. I'm not used to that, I'm more used to commercial "milk chocolate" taste, which I guess is msnufacturer's way of diluting the expensive ingredient (chocolate itself) counterbalanced by adding, as usual, more sugar. What else.

Family tasted some scrapes, reviews were highly positive.

Onwards and upwards - next to throw in some protein powder, peanut butter, and who knows what else. But so far, so good.

Today I tried to make "milk chocolate". Searching the web I gathered that milk chocolate is about equal parts of cocoa and milk powder. Instead of milk powder I used whey powder, which is low carb. That plus about 1.5 parts of coconut oil.

It's pretty good but still much darker and more chocolatey than typical milk chocolate from the sugar realm. Also the high content of whey powder makes it a little granular feeling on the tongue instead of smooth silky chocolate texture.

I am thinking to add butter and liquid cream along ith even more whey to try to ameliorate these issues. Any suggestions?

Low carb non-farty (maltitol-free) chocolate is a breakthrough I've been wishing for for years. Looks like I've found it. Your coconut oil tip has been a real winner.
http://boards.fool.com/i-guess-the-term-quotoilquot-made-me-...

I am making chocolate bars often now with it and they all taste good, with the consistency one expects from chocolate. I like the taste too, though some in my family don't. I find I can mask most of the coconut flavor with small dashes of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon.

I regularly add crushed cardamom seeds, which gives a really nice exotic flavor to it. I add a few drops of vanilla too, which seems to make it taste more like a conventional chocolate bar.

I've still not been able to make a light colored 'milk' chocolate. If I add enough whey powder to make it light, it gets undesirably sticky in the mouth.

Next experiment: I'd like to make low carb Reese's peanut butter cups. Saw some attempts on YouTube.

Next experiment: I'd like to make low carb Reese's peanut butter cups. Saw some attempts on YouTube.

You might try making homemade almond butter instead of peanut butter. The absolute best almond butter I made used honey roasted almonds with just a little cinnamon. I made a very good batch with roasted, salted almonds and Stevia though. I can see how taking a small ball of cold, or even frozen almond butter and dipping it into warm chocolate could reproduce a peanut butter cup.

FWIW, I also have mixed Vega protein powder with some almond butter and granular Stevia. Mixed properly it turns into a snack that is very similar to peanut butter cookie dough.