Chocolate

Alright, I’ve kept my word: I haven’t eaten any refined sugars. But beyond that I will admit to cheating a little with natural sweeteners. In my defense, I did warn you this would probably be happening. I was doing pretty well, but with boyfriends’s (still need to think of a clever code name for him) mom visiting and trying to set up the apartment to be respectable for her, I was in need of some chocolate. I tried boyfriend’s 100% dark chocolate; absolutely no sugar in that. I know it’s heart-healthy but I can’t recommend it. It made my mouth feel dry and chalky and tasted very bitter. Maybe it’s an acquired taste but as of right now I do not like it. So, as one does to answer all questions, I went to the internet.

One thing I’ve noticed while I gather recipes for myself is that paleo recipes are much more restrictive and by nature are sugar-free! So for recipes involving sweets, I thought this would be an excellent place to start. And boy was I right! I now have recipes for sugar free cinnamon rolls and banana bread to experiment with, among so many others. Eventually I stumbled onto the holy grail of sugar free chocolate: Coconut Oil Fudge. This recipe is only five ingredients and is sugar-free and vegan friendly! I was originally suspicious of this idea, or anything vegan, but like so many other things I’ve tried (vegan ice cream) I was more than pleasantly surprised. But these were mind-blowing INCREDIBLE! So rich, so chocolatey, so decadent and the hint of coconut added the perfect balance of freshness. But most importantly, it allowed me to fulfill that chocolate craving without violating the terms of my diet (just slightly bending them) because it uses an all natural sweetener, maple syrup, instead of white sugar. These are healthier than regular fudge and dare I say just as good, or maybe even a little better (because they’re only half the guilt). So for anyone who thinks being sugar free means only eating bland and boring food, this recipe proves that being healthy can also be tasty. Now I’m much less worried about sugar cravings but have a whole other problem: I’m hopelessly addicted to this fudge!

So having placed this fudge recipe on its pedestal, I’m off to make some more and pray to the chocolate gods. For those wondering, boyfriend’s mom arrived safe and sound to a lovely apartment and is happily exploring Tel Aviv fueled of course by this very fudge. And I think she likes me (which also might have something to do with the fudge but no one can say for sure).