Second experiment in Low Carb Baking this week. I made a big batch of ridiculously not-bad-for me brownies. But how do they taste?
Well, to be honest, they’re not bad. But not, it must be said, particularly good. They’re very very dark brown (I used Scharffen Berger unsweetened dark chocolate and high-quality cocoa powder); almost browner than you think brownies should be. I mean, they’re really devil’s-food black. But that’s okay. And they’re kind of dry and crumbly. And they’re not especially sweet.
BUT. I’ll probably make them again. Sounds crazy? Read on.
Well, it turns out that’s not the only consideration when it comes to satisfying my rampaging sweet tooth. The more I thought about it (as I munched on my third guilt-free brownie), the more complicated the issue of Home Baked Low Carb Brownies became. I eventually realized I had no choice but to put properly analyze the issues with a table. Here’s the data:
| Real Brownies | Low Carb Brownies | ||
| Delicious | +1 | Just okay | -1 |
| Expensive | -1 | Less Expensive | +1 |
| Convenient | +1 | Have to make them myself | -1 |
| Make me feel bad | -1 | Make me feel fine! | +1 |
| Are actually really bad for me | -1 | Are actually good for me | +1 |
| Thwart my weight goals | -1 | Help me reach my weight goals! | +1 |
| Total Score | -2 | Total Score | +2 |
So you see, even though my home-baked low carb brownies aren’t as decadently yummy as their full-sugar counterparts, they still win big!
Here’s a link to the recipe:
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/miraclebrownies.htm
Note: I substituted almond flour for the flaxseed meal.
CONCLUSION: Low carb sweets, especially the ones you make yourself, don’t HAVE to be spectacularly good. They just have to be good enough to slake your desire for something sweet. And these brownies do the job just fine.