Chocolate Allergy? Try Carob Powder Instead

Several years ago I found out I was allergic to chocolate. Suddenly, I was out of the happy crowd that eats chocolate as a national pastime.

Friends, pitying my chocolateless state, introduced me to carob powder. A chocolate substitute it’ll never be; any chocoholic will tell you that. But carob has a wonderful flavor all its own.

Carob has been around a long time. Saint John was supposed to have lived on it in the desert. It’s ground from carob pods, and you can buy both raw and roasted carob powder in most health food stores. Minerals and B vitamins abound in carob, and I felt virtuous as I began experimenting with it in place of cocoa.

In bread recipes, it gives the dough a rich flavor and beautiful dark color, as in this Russian pumpernickel bread, a family favorite since I brought it back from a trip to Moscow in the ‘70s.

Carob Pumpernickel Bread

This bread originally called for cup cocoa, and I used the same amount of carob powder. Try it sliced and warmed, alongside a hearty bean soup.

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1-1/2 cups warm water (between 98 to 110 degrees) 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses

2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus extra as needed for kneading

2 cups light rye flour cup dark rye flour (preferably coarse-ground pumpernickel flour)

2 tablespoons crushed caraway seeds, plus extra for garnish

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds

2 tablespoons finely minced onion

1/4 cup roasted carob powder

1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water

Combine yeast, warm water and molasses in prewarmed bread bowl. Cover bowl with clean dish towel. Let mixture stand in warm place until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Stir in 2 cups whole-wheat flour. Stir batter 25 strokes with wooden spoon. Cover bowl with dish towel and let batter rise 1 hour in warm place.

Stir in rye flours, 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, olive oil, fennel seeds, onion and carob powder. Turn dough out onto lightly floured working surface and knead 5 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in clean bowl. Cover with dish towel and let rise in warm place 1-1/2 hours. Punch down and let dough rise again 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn dough out onto clean working surface and divide into 2 equal portions. Form each into a round loaf. Place each on lightly oiled baking sheet. With sharp knife, make 3 shallow cuts in top of each loaf. Brush loaves with egg white mixture and sprinkle with crushed caraway seeds.

Bake at 350 degrees 45 to 60 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Let cool before slicing.

Yield: 2 loaves.

Carob Buttermilk Cake

This rich-tasting snacking cake is a delicious way to introduce carob to kids. Date sugar is available in health food stores; you can also use brown sugar.

1/2 cup safflower oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup date sugar or brown sugar, packed

1 egg

2 egg whites

1 cup flour

1/2 cup roasted carob powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

Combine oil, vanilla, date sugar and egg in small bowl.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.

In third bowl, sift together flour, carob powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and baking soda.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Fold in egg whites. Spoon into lightly oiled 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until wood pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack completely before slicing.

Yield: 12 servings.

Carob Rice Pudding

In this nontraditional rice pudding, carob gives a dark sheen and currants and orange peel add a sweet flavor.

1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup roasted carob powder

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups nonfat milk

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

4 cups cooked brown or basmati rice

1/2 cup currants or dried cranberries

2 tablespoons grated fresh orange peel

Whisk together honey, carob powder, vanilla, milk, eggs, nutmeg and cinnamon in medium bowl. Stir in cooked rice, currants and grated orange peel. Spoon into lightly oiled 2-quart baking dish.

Bake at 300 degrees 1 hour or until liquid is absorbed and pudding is lightly browned on top.

Yield: 6 servings.