Low Fructose, Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

This is the bit where I talk about myself:

Way back when I decided to quit sugar I bought a stack of Lindt 85% chocolate mostly because they were half price at Coles. They hit "the spot" for a little while and then I totally went off chocolate and actually lost my desire for it.

When reader Mell posted a link to a brownie recipe on my Facebook page, I had an idea. Let's use up that chocolate before a host of small organisms start to call it their home.

It all started there. What happened next was endless experimenting and extreme happiness because I finally perfected it.

Hang on, what's that I can hear a noise? You're saying something. You're saying: but 85% Chocolate would still be 15% actual sugar. And you are quite right. Calm down. Let me explain.

100g of Lindt 85% chocolate is 14g sugar. I've used half of that, 50g in this recipe (giving you two brownie recipes per block - nice aren't I?). That's 7g of sugar in 50g. So that's 3.5 g of the bad stuff (fructose). Breaking this down further, 3.5g fructose into my brownie equates to 0.2g of fructose per slice. That's miniscule. (Remember 1 teaspoon equals 4g). I'm not losing any sleep over it and neither should you.

This is the bit where I actually give you the recipe!:

Taryn's Gluten Free/Low Fructose Chocolate Brownie
Makes about 16

I eat this swimming in cream. I need to buy a cow to keep us in an endless supply of dairy goodness
(and so we can control what it's eating but that's a whole other blog post for another day)

1 cup almond meal
3 tablespoons Rice Malt Syrup
Pinch Salt
Half cup of butter
2 eggs
50g of 85% dark chocolate. I use Lindt
1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder (I use Nirvana brand)
I cup chopped nuts (optional). I use macadamia because we love them.

Preheat oven to 150 deg Celsius

If you have a Thermomix: Melt butter, chocolate and RMS on 90% for 2 minutes until melted. Chuck in the rest. Mix on speed 3 for 5 seconds.

If you don't have a Thermomix: Melt butter, chocolate and RMS in a microwave or over a double boiler. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Pour into lamington tin about 28 x 18cm

Cook for about 10 minutes. It doesn't need very long. Keep an eye on it and don't overcook it. It's done when you press on it and it springs back slightly.

Serve with cream and a lovely hot brewed beverage.

Enjoy xxx