Ok, so I'm getting into candy making, which is alright because I'm planning only on using erythritol and sucralose in the candies/chocolate, and neither cause dental caries or are absorbed very readily into the bloodstream like sucrose (sugar) is.

I'm wondering if people on this site know how to make high-quality chocolate that's 85% cocoa and the rest the erythritol and cream. I'm not quite sure how to temper it and make it into even solid candy, let alone a smooth bar. I don't possess one of those vibrating racks that you're supposed to put chocolate in a mold in to eliminate bubbles, and I don't even have a mold.

However, I'm not succumbing to eating sugar-containing products and I can't seem to find any chocolate bars that contain erythritol as the sweetener (all contain maltitol or sugar or some lactose-based sweetener that I know cause caries and gastric disturbances).

If anyone has any ideas, hit this thread up with all your candy-making/chocolate-making experiences, and I don't care if your recipe traditionally calls for sugar, as I'm sure erythritol can easily be substituted. So in other words, does anyone know how to make: chocolate bars, chocolate fudge, flavored lollipops, or any other candy specialty?

..I mainly want to learn how to make my own hard chocolate that actually is pretty hard at room temperature, but I'd love to hear about any other candy recipes!

Thanks!
Capo

That's a HUGE question, and been asked many times.



Firstly, check the Contents of Sweet Treats sticky thread right at the top of the Sweet Treats recipe section, and see if the chocolate candy recipes and tips in there could be a good place to start, for LC Chocolate making. We've got more than 5 years' worth of cooking expertise already posted on this site, so there's probably something in there to get you started, just for the peeking.

Secondly, there's a wealth of information out on the web, LC or no LC, on the tempering of chocolate and how it works, I've dug out pages and pages (and they're stashed away somewhere for when I have some time) on that subject alone. You don't really need all that vibrating equipment and such, either. Basic candymaking or chocolate can be done in the home kitchen with home equipment.



It's out there, just not easily found in local stores. Online is the way to go. Try www.netrition.com for starters, THE place to hunt such stuff and excellent flat rate shipping. Also, a snap google with "chocolate bar" erythritol as keywords will turn up some excellent starting places.

Good luck to you. I don't really expect that the chocolate experts are necessarily reading this forum that often, but you might get lucky -- meantime, there's a ton of stuff here, and out there, already. Looking forward to your results being posted in Sweet Treats!