There are many foods to give up or cut back on in a low FODMAP diet. I miss apples and occasionally have a little nibble of one that a little person in my house has taken a juicy bite from. Avoiding onions is no longer a big deal for me and I don’t like their taste all that much anymore. But when it comes to chocolate…let’s just say there are some foods that are worth any trouble they might cause.
With Easter just around the corner, I have received a few enquiries about FODMAPs in chocolate. I have never avoided chocolate, being the “just a little most days” kind of girl, and haven’t seemed to the experienced adverse reaction. Just to be sure though, I contacted the lovely FODMAP researchers at Monash University to find out the latest FODMAP status of chocolate. You can check out the official recommendation here, and this will be included in the next update of the Monash Low FODMAP Diet app.
With good chocolatey news in hand, I set about creating a yummy Easter treat to share with you. One of my favourite flavour combinations is chocolate and raspberry. I love the way the sharpness of the raspberries balances out the richness of the chocolate.
These little dessert cakes are a somewhat like a French friend, but instead of using all almond meal which could be problematic for some FODMAPers, I have used a linseed, sunflower seed and almond meal mix, known as LSA. This can be easily found in the health food isle in most supermarkets or you can make your own. The one I used is 50% almond, 33% sunflower seeds, and 17% linseed (aka flaxseed). I have also skipped the usual melted butter in a friend in favour of a neutral oil and lactose free milk.
I like to serve the cakes as fresh as possible and still warm, sometimes with a scoop of lactose-free ice cream on the side for total indulgence. A simpler afternoon tea version would be just fine with a dusting of icing sugar instead of ganache.
Chocolate and Raspberry Dessert Cakes Recipe
makes 12
We have icing sugar mixture, usually used to make icing/frosting for cakes. It contains a little maize or tapioca starch to keep it soft. Pure icing sugar could also be used but it often forms hard lumps which can be difficult to sift.
- ⅔ cup (100g) LSA (linseed, sunflower, almond) meal
- ⅔ cup (100g) rice flour
- 1 ¼ cups (190g) icing sugar mixture
- ⅓ cup (35g) cocoa
- 100ml grapeseed oil, or other neutral-flavoured oil
- 100ml milk, lactose free if required
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg whites
- 150g frozen raspberries
- 12 fresh raspberries to decorate
Ganache
- ¼ cup cream, lactose free if required
- 75g dark eating chocolate
Chocolate and Raspberry Dessert Cakes Steps
Preheat oven to 180°C and oil a 12-hole friend or muffin tin.
Make the ganache first by combining cream and chocolate in a microwave-safe jug. Heat on 50% for 1 minute, keeping watch so that the cream doesn’t boil over. Stir well until smooth; heat a little longer if chocolate hasn’t melted completely. Alternatively, gently heat cream and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool.
Combine LSA, rice flour, icing sugar and cocoa in a bowl, sifting cocoa and icing sugar to remove lumps. Combine oil, milk and vanilla; add to dry ingredients and mix well.
Whisk egg whites until they are just on the runny side of soft peaks. Gently fold into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the frozen raspberries. Divide the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until just starting to come away from the sides of the pan. Carefully turn cakes out onto a wire rack to cool.
Spread ganache over cakes and top with a raspberry.
