Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse

Creamy, Dreamy, Floaty Clouds of Chocolate Deliciousness



Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse
with Sugar Free Macerated Strawberries

The other night Kevin (you remember Kevin, one of our sock monkey “boys”) was sequestered to the chain gang in the kitchen doing dishes and he said, “Mom, why don’t you ever make dessert for the inmates in this joint?”

To which I calmly answered, “Kevin are you forgetting the chocolate dipped strawberries I made you, Daddy, Buddy, Tony, Schylling, and your little dog Wee Wee, and Wee Wee’s baby, Skeeter for Valentine’s Day?”

Kevin replied, “That’s so “two weeks ago,” we’re “over here” now, Mom. And besides, strawberries are not dessert food.”

I snapped at him, “They are when you dip them in scumpt-dilly-ish-ess sugar free low carb chocolate ganache scented with orange and fresh thyme!”

He said nothing, stared at me intently, then turned his nose up and pronounced with derision, “Psssshaw! Fish food.”




Kevin is the cheeky monkey on the left. Buddy,
their little dog WeeWee, WeeWee's baby, Skeeter
and Tony at Valentine's Day. Schylling took the
picture.

At that point I got a little scared he might be talking about me, not the strawberries and that there might be an insidious plot amongst the boys and Wee Wee and Wee Wee’s little friend, Skeeter, to go Menendez on my unforeseeing booty one night. I feared ending up sleepin’ wit da fishes by morning.

Imagine my surprise when I DID wake up the next morning with a fresh resolve to make a sugar free low carb chocolate mousse dessert for dinner that night from the leftover low carb sugar free chocolate ganache lurking deep within the bowels of our ice box!

What can I say? When the boy is right, the boy is right. But sometimes, that boy just ain’t right!

Dreamy, creamy, lighter than air chocolate mousse - it’s not just for Iron Chefs anymore! This recipe is unbelievably easy and its base, low carb sugar free chocolate ganache, can morph into a number of different dessert elements - and stores with ease in either the ice box or the deep freeze. 

Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse.
Don't ask, don't tell. No one will know it's sugar free!

Now, what if I tell you that you can make sugar free, low carb, street legal, chocolate mousse no one would be able to tell is sugar free? Would you believe me then? What if I told you it’s sock monkey approved? Would you believe me THEN? Huh? Huh???!

One of the greatest parts about a versatile recipe is its ability to transform into completely different dishes simply by altering small aspects of the recipe, like temperature or flavorings or the amount of air you incorporate into it. I call recipes with this super power, a “mother recipe.”

Chocolate ganache is one of those mother recipes. In fact, given that it’s chocolate, maybe that makes it one of the best “mothahs” of them all? Now make that chocolate ganache sugar free AND low carb and holy smokes Batman, you’re on to something really big!

I can count at least 4 different applications for Low Carb Chocolate Ganache that totally transform it into different end products you will love and adore. It’s the chameleon of the dessert world. Over the coming days, I will give you recipes for each of these wonderful lizards – er, I mean chameleons – dang! No, that’s not what I mean! I mean, desserts! Kevin, you stop that right now!!! (He’s got me flustered!)


Low Carb
Sugar Free
Chocolate Dipped
Strawberry

 One recipe of low carb sugar free chocolate ganache can make a gorgeous dip for fruits, nuts and creamed or candy centers (Like the sugar free chocolate dipped strawberries we made for Valentine’s Day, Kevin.) Glossy, pourable liquid silk when warm, the chocolate ganache hardens once allowed to cool. The texture of this low carb sugar free chocolate ganache shell is creamy as opposed to crisp like a tempered chocolate bar. It melts easily on the tongue (and in the hand as the boys can attest). A trait highly prized by the Queen of Chocolate, Alice Medrich.



Creamy Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Ganache can be
flavored many ways!

Classically, chocolate ganache is used as a smooth-as-glass icing for cakes, cupcakes and other baked goods. Because it’s pourable when warm, it enrobes anything from fried crickets to moon pies and all things in between. It’s especially awesome when poured over cake that has been iced and chilled with a base layer of butter cream frosting!

You know, thinking about it, if the low carb sugar free chocolate ganache is of good enough quality, I could probably be tempted to eat the crickets. The boys highly approve of this gross-out, high protein snack.

It’s a simple equation, really.
Anything + Sugar Free Chocolate Ganache = Chocolate Covered Heaven



Chilled Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Ganache keeps
a couple of weeks in the ice box.

 Okay, now let’s get tricky. Speaking of butter cream frosting…presto, change, morph number 5,599,699! Chill the chocolate ganache overnight, then whip it with an electric beater and in about five minutes, you have deliciously rich frosting for baked goods – a butter cream-esque frosting of sorts. This time, you have to use a spatula or a piping bag in order to apply it to the cake or cupcake, though. 

Make this super simple low carb sugar free chocolate ganache just once, and you will never again settle for those lethal sugar bombs sold in a can – er, I mean canned frosting – sorry, Mr. U.S. Food Producer.

How many morphs is that now? Well how 'bout a chocolate truffle? Thoroughly chill the low carb sugar free chocolate ganache, then scoop and roll into crude balls and pop them in the freezer until ready to use. What do you have? You have the truffle portion of the now famous and universally adored, low carb sugar free chocolate truffle! The only thing left at that point is deciding how to finish them. Should you dust the truffles in cocoa or bits of crushed nuts or chocolate dirt and even more chocolate ganache?! Decisions, decisions!



Whipping heavy cream into sugar free chilled
chocolate ganache = creamy, dreamy chocolate mousse!

If none of those ideas appeal, I saved the best for last, Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse. You can always add a little more cream, flavored to your preference, and go to town with the electric mixer and a little of the leftover, well-chilled, low carb sugar free chocolate ganache. (To make it “light” you can even split the heavy cream with Greek yogurt to reduce the fat and calories.) In about three minutes it turns into the most rich and creamy, floating pillows of chocolate puddin’.

Joy and bliss follow shortly thereafter. Your boys will say, “You’re the best mommy, ever!”

You may now rest easy.

Let the fishes wait.


Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse


Dreamy Low Carb Sugar Free
Chocolate Mousse

Serves – 6
Serving Size – Approx. ½ cup each
Prep Time – 2 Minutes
Cooking Time – 3-4 Minutes

Ingredients
1c Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Ganache,
        well-chilled
1c Heavy Cream, well-chilled
1 Tbsp Truvia or erythritol-based sweetener blend
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions
Place ganache in tall-sided mixing bowl with vanilla and sweetener of choice and beat on high with an electric mixer until it starts to loosen up and “fluff” a little.







Add heavy cream to "fluffed" up chilled sugar free
chocolate ganache.

Add heavy cream and continue to beat on high for another 3-4 minutes or until peaks form.  You can decide if you want to spoon or pipe the mousse into the serving bowls. That determines whether to make it soft peaks or stiff peaks. Refrigerate briefly to set the mousse.

We like to serve Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse topped with macerated berries. For very few carbs, you add lots of Vitamin C and it doesn’t do much to my blood sugar! You can use this method with any berry, but we have organic strawberries at our market for a good price right now. I found the sugar free Polaner’s Preserves to be a carb bargain and until I have energy to make my own freezer preserves, I cheat with that soy free product!

Oh and macerated is a fancy pants name for adding a spoon of “sugar-type” substance to a fruit product in order to draw the juice from it and allow it to thicken from the pectins in the fruit. I help it along with a little sugar free preserves. The resulting liquid becomes a syrup consistency.


Low Carb Sugar Free Balsamic Strawberries


Low Carb Sugar Free Macerated Strawberries
adds a bop of berry crunch to any dessert!

Serves - 8
Serving Size – 2 Tablespoons
Prep Time – 5 Minutes
Cooking Time – None!
Inactive Waiting Time – 30 Minutes to 24 Hours

Ingredients
1c Strawberries, washed and dried
1 Tbsp Sugar Free Polaner’s Preserves (any flavor, I used Strawberry)
1 tsp Truvia or other erythritol or xylitol sweetener
1 dash Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

Directions
Core and dice the strawberries into small pieces.

Add preserves and sweetener and stir to combine.

Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours ahead.

Serve with any type of mousse or baked good! Yummy with chocolate. It may be a perfect food group – strawberries and chocolate!


Nutritional Information

Nutritional Label – Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse – Full Recipe (6 servings)

Nutritional Label – Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse – Single Serving
Only 5.1 net carbs per single 1/2 cup serving (the alcohol shown in the label is sugar alcohol and I subtract the sugar alcohols out of the carb count for this recipe).

Nutritional Label – Low Carb Sugar Free Macerated Strawberries – Full Recipe (8 servings)

Nutritional Label – Low Carb Sugar Free Macerated Strawberries – Single Serving
Only 1.5g net carbs per 2 Tablespoon serving (the alcohol shown in the label is sugar alcohol and I subtract out the sugar alcohols from the carb count for this recipe).

SusieT’s Notes:

Only a mere 6.6g of net carbs per serving of Low Carb Sugar Free Chocolate Mouse with Sugar Free Macerated Strawberries!

Yeah I know, we have ourselves a Hotdog Situation here. A Hotdog Situation is when the quantity of the main ingredient like the hotdog (in this case, the low carb sugar free chocolate mousse) doesn’t match the quantity of the sidekick like the bun (in this case, the strawberries). Whaddayagonnado?

Well, since the strawberries have such a low calorie and carb count, I just divided the full recipe into 6 servings instead of 8 and got a larger serving! Creative, huh?

Yeah, so I really love this dessert. It’s pretty high fat and with breast cancer, I still try to watch the sources of fat because of the estrogen content in the fat itself and just in case the high fat does happen to stimulate my own production of estrogen from my post-menopausal pituitary and adrenal glands.

There’s a little controversy about whether or not high fat diets increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence. I think the general information these days is if you have estrogen positive breast cancer it does not, but there is an association between high fat diets and estrogen negative breast cancers. But that’s another post as I mentioned in the Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Chop post.

I also control my calories, which limits my cream consumption. Research also shows improved outcome in a calorie restricted state and I need all the help I can get staying in NED (no evidence of disease), folks! So forgive me my chanting of low fat, low calorie dogma. We also know that obesity and breast cancer recurrence are buddies. Bastards…

But, no one DEFINITIVELY knows the impact diet has on breast cancer and cancer in general. Sorry, there are a lot of people who claim to have the low down on this, but the reality is we’ve only scratched the surface and desperately need more in depth, double blind, controlled studies – not random, association, cohort studies, in order to have a definite guideline about what to eat to avoid cancer.

Breast cancer is a fierce hunter and a wily opponent. Did you know it can morph to make it’s own glucose food when deprived of glucose in the cancer mitochondria? Until we have more scientific information from sound controlled studies, confusion reigns in the food world and all a survivor (or anyone, since it’s as much about prevention as cure), can do is to try to walk a very delicate balance on an invisible and constantly shifting tight rope.

You can SAY, “Oh Susie, just do this. Eat this. This is the right way!”

But all I will tell you is that once someone tells you that you have cancer, your life, your beliefs, your logic are all tossed into the air and you become a floating mass of indecision and chaotic, conflicting information from thousands of sources. Making easy, logical, choices no longer feels simple or easy.

How do you possibly decide which path to follow? Your life depends on making the right choice! Heavy stakes and you are “all in.” What happens if you make a choice and turns out you should have turned right three miles back? And now it’s too late, cuz you are driving over a precipice never to return?

THAT’s how confident you become over ideas and concepts for which you once felt peace and certainty. I thought after 12 years, I finally knew the way of eating leading to health and wellness – low carb, protein adequate, high fat nutrition. Yeah, right! Well, I still got breast cancer!

The only certainty in my life right now is that I’m CERTAIN, I don’t want this damn disease to return. And the odds aren’t thrillingly in my favor. I can have a positive attitude to the cows come home but I tell you, I can spit in one hand and wish in the other and you wanna guess which one will weigh out? Only time will tell. Until then, I just have to tip toe on the tight rope and practice moderation in all things.

So yeah, there’s cream in this recipe. Be warned and eat at your own risk! If you’ve never before had portion control in your life, you better find some somewhere. Cuz take this one to the bank. You do NOT want this disease. 1 in 2 men will get cancer in their lifetime. 1 in 3 women will get cancer in their lifetime. My source is MD Anderson Cancer Hospital. Limitations and control are your friend. Enjoy this recipe every now and then. Enjoy it every day at your own risk. But it IS that good.

Oh, sorry for this dark diatribe! End of lecture. Shew! I feel better! *blush*

Hey here's what I'm listenin' to right now. Tift Merritt - Hopes Too High - man she's really talented...


Cheers everyone.

Kevin, you’re grounded.

You know why.

Just.

Go.

To.

Your.

Room.

I said go! WeeWee is not a toilet brush! Now go!