This is basically a simple French Silk Pie - that is sugar free and low carb (made with almond flour, no wheat flour) but I have to admit that when I make any 'pie' recipe into bars, they get eaten much faster in this house. Something about pie says "dessert" and "fussy" and "after dinner" but the same ingredients in a bar means "Hey, awesome! You made bars... I want one!"
So make this into a pie or bars... it's up to you.
French Silk Pie
Simple Basic Crust:
1 1/2 c almond flour
1/3 c natural sweetener, confectioner's style (like So Nourished, Just Like Sugar, etc.)
1/4 t salt
4 T butter, melted
Chocolate Filling:
2 oz. Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
1/3 c sugarfree chocolate chips or Lily's Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 sticks butter, real
2/3 c natural sweetener of choice or a blend of 2/3 kinds to equal 2/3 cup
1 t vanilla
1/2 t espresso powder
dash salt
3 eggs
Whipped Cream Topping
1 c heavy whipping cream
2 T sweetener of choice
Dash vanilla
Mix or blend the almond flour, sweetener and salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter, stir until it starts to come together, place in your pie pan or a small 8 or 9 inch pan (for pie or bars). Press evenly all across the bottom and up the sides if you are making a pie, or a nice thick bottom layer in a pan for bars. Set aside.
Microwave the chocolate until it's melted but don't burn it. Be sure to stop it after 1 minute and stir. Put it in for another 30 to 45 seconds and stir again. Continue. As you stir it, it will be warm enough to melt as you stir. Set this aside while you beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the sweetener and mix until blended smooth. Put your mixer on the lowest setting and add the melted chocolate, vanilla, espresso powder, salt and then the eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each.
Spread the filling over your crust and place in the refrigerator while you whip the cream. Place the cup of cream in a clean mixer bowl with the sweetener and vanilla. Beat on low just until blended and increase the speed to medium high or high (depending on how powerful your mixer is) and beat just until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over your bars. Over with plastic wrap and chill until you serve.
NOTES:
You can use 3 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate if you prefer. I only had enough squares left to equal 2 1/2 ounces this time so I used a mixture of sugar free chocolate chips and baker's chocolate. I also hesitate to link to the chocolate chips on Amazon because their prices are INSANE. Now, Lily's is really expensive anyway and only available online that I've found, but I can find sugarfree Hershey's brand at my local Walmart and for a tiny fraction of what Amazon is charging.
As for the natural sweeteners, I use mostly confectioner's style because I know it will mix in with everything quickly and easily. I blend my sweeteners for the best flavor. If you have granular and don't want to wait for the gritty granular to melt or dissolve, just run it through your blender, food processor or a coffee grinder that you've cleaned really well first so your sweetener won't taste like coffee... although in this recipe, you could use your coffee grinder and just leave out the espresso powder! Ha ha).
