For the love of chocolate! With Valentine’s Day around the corner, I have had visions of chocolate laden desserts dancing in my head for several days now. Yes, I may be a dietitian, but that does not make me immune to the allure of chocolate, especially the molten variety such as a chocolate sauce or ganache. There is something about the rich, silken, texture of chocolate that makes it irresistible, but such desserts are inevitably as rich in calories as they are in appearance, so the Registered Dietitian in me has been hard at work creating a dessert that simply looks decadent, but is not! The featured recipe has less than half the butter, and two-thirds of the sugar in the original recipe, but tastes just as sinfully delicious. Warning: The batter may get consumed before it makes its way into the oven!
The refreshing taste of raspberries provides the perfect foil for the rich, velvety taste of the chocolate cake and molten sauce! Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to get the scoop on why raspberries are as good for you as they look!
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1-2 tsp Hershey’s natural, unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup or 4 tbsp)* + 2 tsp of unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 2 tsp confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 whole eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Method:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease 6, 5.5-6 oz ramekins or custard cups with the 2 tsp of butter.
- Dust ramekins lightly with the unsweetened cocoa. Tap out any excess.
- Cut the 1/2 stick of butter into several pieces.
- In a thick bottomed pan, on very low heat combine the butter and chocolate chips, stirring constantly, until completely melted.
- Crack the whole eggs into a bowl and add the egg yolks. Reserve the egg whites for another use.
- Beat with a hand mixer until combined.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar, beat until light and thick.
- Add the melted chocolate and flour, beating again until well combined.
- Divide equally among the six ramekins.
- Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Transfer to the middle of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 11-12 minutes or until edges begin to set, but centers are still soft. Be careful to not over bake.
- Let stand for 2-3 minutes.
- Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the sides of the ramekin.
- Put a dessert plate on the top of the ramekin. Using a pot holder to support the bottom of the hot ramekin, carefully invert the cake onto the plate.
- Cut a small wedge out of the cake to allow the sauce to flow.
- Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately**, garnished with the fresh raspberries.
*Increase to 6 tbsp or 2/3 stick of butter for a moister cake that is still lower in calories than the original.
** The sauce will begin to thicken and the edge of the cake may begin to harden if not served immediately.
A Registered Dietitian’s tip: Dark chocolate has been touted by experts and the media for its health benefits. Stay tuned for next week’s post to get the low down on how this all time favorite can also support health.
Ravishing raspberries: As nutritious as they are delicious, a cup of these luscious little beauties can supply 8 whopping grams of fiber, providing a third of the daily recommendation for fiber for women. Like dark chocolate, raspberries are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols. In particular, raspberries are rich in an antioxidant called ellaigic acid.
What are anti-oxidants? To understand what antioxidants are and how they work, we need to understand what oxidative damage can do to the body. While we all know that oxygen is vital to life, oxidative damage involves “reactive oxygen species” where lone oxygen atoms called free radicals are produced. These nasty little substances tend to be short of electrons, making them highly unstable as they scavenge electrons from different compounds in your body, subsequently “oxidizing” them and triggering a cascade of chain reactions that can eventually lead to chronic disease.
For example, the oxidation of LDL or your “lousy cholesterol” creates an “oxidized” LDL that is thought to start atherosclerosis or a hardening and narrowing of your arteries.
Enter antioxidants: As their name suggest, these “super heroes” can quench free radicals, by giving up their own electrons, and neutralizing the “bad guys”. While most healthy folks have an arsenal of natural, antioxidant enzyme systems that like the marines are always on standby, ready to fight off free radicals, you can provide reinforcement to this battalion by consuming naturally occurring antioxidants from whole foods.
How do you spot an antioxidant? Antioxidants are easy to detect, as they are found in most brightly colored fruits and vegetables. In fact, the deeper and richer the color, the greater the antioxidant activity. Antioxidants often leave stains behind too, because of the pigments they contain, providing another clue to their presence. Think turmeric, blueberries, or strawberries, to name but a few.
Stay tuned for all about the antioxidants in chocolate in next week’s post!
Disclaimer: This blog is strictly for informational purposes, and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your personal physician or registered dietitian for recommendations tailored to your specific needs.
makes me wish for
valentines day
more often 🙂
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Me too! Thank you so much for stopping by:))
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Wow this is yummy! Am a big chocolate fan and will gig into this anytime. Thx sharing. And yes you are right. Dietician doesn’t mean no chocolates:)
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mmmm! sounds like a must!
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Hi Kamal,
Thanks for the kind words! Hope you like it! Have a wonderful week. Take care:)
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Thanks, Mary. Hope you try it, enjoy:))!
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‘Waist watchers’ molten chocolate cake sounds catchy. The raspberries make the cake look more interesting.
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Thanks, Somali! The raspberries add a refreshing flavor that complements the chocolate!
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How delicious. I love molten chocolate cake – gluten free. I’ve had it, yum, yum. 🙂
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Thanks, Debbie! This one calls for a small amount of flour, so not gluten free, but I reduced the butter and sugar as much as I could, without compromising taste. Cheers!
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I love this post 😀
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Wow! Yummy! I love chocolates … dark ones. 🙂
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🙂
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Thanks, Leyla!Appreciate the kind feedback. 😊
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Indrajit, you’re in luck- it’s the dark chocolate that has the highest antioxidant levels! 😊
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Only 190 calories per serving, can’t wait to make it!
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Thanks, Michele. Mind you, the 190 calories is for 1/2 the mini cake. I slashed the butter and sugar content drastically, but could not get the caloric content any lower without compromising taste. Enjoy:)
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Beautiful and so delicious looking is this ..
This morning I made my own Dark Chocolate from a tub of cacao butter and raw cacao powder using maple syrup to sweeten, I added chopped hazelnuts, almonds and dried cranberries.. It has made a huge tray, and will sit in the freezer nicely for ages.. As I break pieces off now and again for a treat.. 🙂
I have lots of Raspberries in the freezer from picking from the allotments during the Autumn.. So this recipe is great.. 🙂
Great tip also on detecting antioxidants 🙂
Hope you are having a beautiful week Sangeeta
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Ah well…I think it would be worth it- once in awhile!
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That sounds absolutely divine, Sue! Great tip too- thanks so much for sharing here. 😊. Glad you found the antioxidant tip helpful😊. I’m having a great week and wishing you a wonderful rest of the week and weekend! Take care.
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Hi Michele,
Could not agree more. An (occasional), indulgence can help keep a sense of balance (and sanity)! 😉. Take care.
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It looks so delicious, it is irresistibly tempting, sometime we can take the liberty to give the calorie a temporary good bye…in this case cherry picking is not an option. One can have the cake and eat it tooooo…beautifully presented.
Have a lovely Sunday…
😀
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Thanks, Nihar! Yes, always striving to strike a balance between optimal nutrition without sacrificing taste. Somehow I managed to do so with this recipe, as attested by my official tasters-my family:) -Thanks as always for your valuable feedback:). Have a wonderful weekend!
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I know it is really difficult to satisfy the official taster in home, I know how fussy we are when given a choice, with so much option we keep demanding new recipe and new combination…
I liked the tips that fruits and vegetables with deep colour are good for anti-oxidants, I have already started put is as tester for checking with the fruit basket…
Thanks as always for such insightful and valued information.
😀
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mmm. . . it looks delicious; and it’s good to know that it is a relatively healthy food.
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Hi Nihar,
My posts would not really serve their purpose if I did not have engaged, intelligent readers and fellow bloggers like you visiting my site, assimilating the info, and providing their valuable feedback! Thank you so much as always for your sharing your thoughts. Really appreciate it:))
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Thanks, Sheryl for the kind comments. Yes, I did my best to cut back on some of the empty calories without sacrificing the all-important taste! Somewhat of a tall order, but typically reducing the fat and/or sugar by a third often works, as traditional recipes call for a lot of these ingredients to begin with:))! Have a great weekend!
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You have such important information, good readers are bound to come back and keep learning from you. Not easy to handle this subject, it has so much technicality and yes, today health has become the major cause of concern with fast changing lifestyle, these words of wisdom from you makes all the difference.
Thanks so for contributing such valuable insights to the blogosphere.
😀
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Thanks! Very kind of you to say so. Likewise, the blogosphere benefits immensely from the wisdom and guidance you offer on your own blog at https://nrpin.wordpress.com/author/nrpin/Blog. Have a great weekend and week ahead!
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My pleasure. Thanks so much. You too and have wonderful week ahead.
😀
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I always try to reduce sugar and fat in most of my desserts, and I’m glad to see this mouthwatering version!
It’s also wonderful to have the nutritional information and explanations. 🙂
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Any time, Ronit! So glad you find the nutrition info helpful:))
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Many thanks again Sangeeta.. Love Sue xx
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You’re welcome, Sue.
Love,
Sangeeta
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Reblogged this on Web Dietitian and commented:
Re-blogging one of my posts in honor of Valentine’s day-chocoholics can rejoice knowing that polyphenols, powerful antioxidants in dark chocolate have been linked with improved cognitive function, among other health benefits- so you can eat your chocolate and have it too!!!
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Just mouthwatering good 😀
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Thanks Sue! Good to have you visit. It’s been hectic so have not had a chance to visit your lovely blog in a while, but will do so soon. Enjoy this Valentine’s day, my dear friend:)
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Never worry over that Sangeeta.. I have been irregular in my visits also, so many other irons in the fire these days, We catch up when we spot each other. ❤ Love and well wishes for Valentines also ❤
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Lots of love and best wishes for Valentine’s for you as well, Sue:))
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Looks delicious 😋 I am a chocolate lover can’t say no 😄
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Yep, totally agree:)) Thanks for stopping by!
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