I am a lover of beans. Well, coffee beans, to be sure. Green beans are great, too, but they don’t throw my eyelids back and slap them in the face the way a delicious java bean can. Am I right?
I am always looking out for new sweetener options, too. As a long-time user of my recipes for a white sugar baking blend, brown sugar blend, and powdered sugar blend, I lament, even still, the number of carbs present in the bulk Splenda mixes.
Enter Just Like Sugar Tabletop, the almost-all-fiber natural sweetener made from chicory root. I love quality sweeteners, but I just can’t hack stevia. As much as I’ve tried, as a super-taster, it’s too too. As a baker, the lack of bulking bums me out.
I wanted to make a coffee=flavored truffle for ages now. So long so that when I scored some sugar-free Kahlua flavoring and some espresso coffee grounds, I went to work!
These small bites are so positively delicious and filling that even my kids (who dislike coffee typically), went a little nutty, savoring these as an afternoon pick-me-up (you knew that pun was coming, my friends).
Oh yeah…and there are delicious, decadent mocha truffles to be had.
Mocha Truffles
Truffles:
9 ounces (255 grams) 85% dark chocolate, finely chopped (I use Lindt)
3/4 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons instant espresso granules blended with
2 tablespoons Kahlua (or vanilla) sugar-free Syrup
The coating:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons coconut milk
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
6 tablespoons sugar equivalent (I used Just Like Sugar)
1. Place chocolate in medium mixing bowl.
2. In heavy medium saucepan, bring cream and butter to a simmer.
3. Pour hot cream mixture over chopped chocolate.
4. Stir coffee mixture into chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
5. Refrigerate until firm enough to form into balls (about 2 hours).
6. To make the coating, melt butter in microwave with cream, about 30 seconds, stirring at 15 or 20 seconds (you don’t want to fry the cream and butter, but merely melt them).
7. Stir in cocoa and sweetener, working in all ingredients.
8. Roll cold mini cakes in chocolate, coating thoroughly (I use a spoon).
9. Chill on waxed paper until ready to serve.
10. Keep refrigerated.
Makes 36 Truffles.
Per Truffle: 78 Cals.; 3 g Carbs.; 2 g Fiber; 1 g Net Carbs. ; 1 g Protein; 8 g Fat
Just Like Sugar Tabletop Sweetener
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Price: $19 for each (roughly) 1 pound online.
Usefulness: Whenever you need an all-natural sweetener that is mostly fiber, not filler
Downside: It’s a little spendy
Found: Online or through stores like Whole Foods
Website: Just Like Sugar
Disclosure: Just Like Sugar has provided their product free of charge for review, but this has not affected my review of the item.
I love the chicory root sweeteners, but they don’t love me. I’ve tried Just Like Sugar for baking as well as tried Quest bars which use chicory also…and oddly enough they both spike my blood sugar! 🙁 I don’t understand why though…it’s just fiber. I’m not talking an out of control spike, but enough to be uncomfortable using it. I also find myself with uncontrollable cravings after consuming anything with chicory in it. Anyone else have the same issues? I am completely low Carb, no grains, high fat so there’s nothing else in my recipes that could have caused the spikes and cravings.
Me too, but in my case — terrible intestinal distress. I was strictly Specific Carbohydrate for a very long time and my ulcerative colitis has been in remission for long enough that my innards usually let me splurge a bit. Not with chicory, though. Huge reaction: joint pain, dyshidrotic eczema, intestinal pain. Only a few unrelated foods cause that level of reaction and I’m very fortunate that it didn’t turn into a full flare up.
Wow! I never knew that! Thanks for the heads up!
I was reading on a segment of wheat belly or paleo, can’t remember, but one of them advised to only eat veggies, or things made from the ones that grow above ground, including peanuts, because of causing BSS (blood sugar spikes). Maybe that is why? We are talking chicory root derivative correct? Hope that helps.
Oh man… justlikesugar needs a better website! They look like they came out of the 90’s! Forgive me, I’m a web designer/developer by trade and I can’t help but notice that stuff. LOL
I agree and I am not a web designer! Just a consumer who found their site very difficult to navigate.
Thank you Trish and Anne I mention your concern to our CEO yesterday 03/11/13 he informed me that its being updated as I type this, to make it more user friendly and streamlined.
Susana
You guys seriously rock! Now that’s what I call customer service.
Good to know. I recommend wordpress for your content management system. It will make things look nice, easy to navigate and easy for sales/pr/non-web people to maintain as creating a new post (or other new content) is about as easy as writing an email. Some great wordpress website themes can be found at studiopress.com I use Genesis and their child themes for just about everything.
I really want to try the just like sugar for baking but since I don’t bake with flour do I get the JLS tabletop or the JLS baking… and does it matter… I know you are not JLS, but what have you found?.. I would rather measure by volumn rather than weight.. ie cups vs grams or ounces..
Hi there! I just measured it just like sugar. Maybe I’m not supposed to, but for such a small amount, I didn’t think it would matter–and it didn’t. I am not sure how to manage with, say, a cup of sugar, but for what I used, it was definitely perfect.
Oh, Jamie, you sweetheart…these are gorgeous…they look fattening! I know they are not.
Wow! You surpassed yourself…once again.
Many thanks.
Regards,
Gladys
Missing your personal blogs – how are you doing, how is your weight loss going?
I am so glad you mentioned this! I’m updating tomorrow!
Can you make these with a substitute for the coconut milk? I have an allergy to coconut and would love to try and make these if there is a substitute…
Yes. You may use heavy white cream.
Thanks for the top on JLS! I am attempting to find a tasty substitute for the Aspartame and Sucralose. Stevia is….. nasty.
Well, I made the truffles and they are delicious. I made them with Splenda. I have used the sweetener you mention here, but I baked something with it and threw it away. To me, it had a terrible bitter aftertaste. I guess everybody’s taste buds are different.
Where do you get the sugar free Kaluha syrup?
Hi! I bought mine online. I am not sure who has the cheapest right now, but I think I bought mine through amazon? It lasts a long time, so it’s been worth the purchase.
I buy all of my syrups at cash and carry. They have a huge selection and it’s only about $3.50 per bottle. I live in WA state and I’m not sure if cash and carry is just local or if it’s all over.
I REALLY don’t like coffee or mocha flavor at all. What can I substitute for the espresso granules to keep texture, etc. or can I just leave it out? I have a product called SweetPerfection that is Oligofructose from chicory root and 1% organic stevia. Would that be the same as the Just Like Sugar? Thanks.
Hi there! I say if you’re not a coffee fan, go ahead and leave it out. I’m typically not a huge coffee lover, but the earthy qualities are nice in this dessert. I think your sweetener sounds great!
I’m trying these tomorrow! Can I use regular espresso grounds rather than instant? And can I use Grand Marnier rather than the syrup?
Thank you!
Hi, Kira! I say use whatever works for you. Seriously! It’s all a fun experiment. I think you could probably use regular espresso grounds, so long as they are really fine and ground down so they break fown. Mine are.
Made these today. Sooooo delicious! I used regular espresso grounds, and rum rather than kahlua. Everyone loved them, even the coffee-haters. I’ll be making these again, thank you! 🙂
Sorry for a stupid question but im assuming its unsweetened dark chocolate? You didnt state it so….. Thanks! Im now cooking for a diabetic with heart issues (yikes) and i love that i stumbled upon your site!