Guilt free chocolate

Unless this is your first visit to Mo'Betta, you know that I am completely obsessed with like chocolate.  I don't however, like cellulite, a tummy pooch, and let's just be honest...a fat ass.  All of which I may or may not have at the moment.  Exercise has alluded me recently.  I don't even want to talk about it.  What I do want to talk about is chocolate!  It's my drug of choice.  However, even though I'd be perfectly content on eating a handful (or handfuls) of chocolate chips straight from the bag, I have a twisted sort of logic that helps prevent all the guilt associated with eating handful(s) of chocolate.  I figure, if I mix the chocolate with low fat ingredients, then that helps spread the chocolate out over a larger area, therefore, I'm actually eat less chocolate/fat per square inch, than if I just scooped up chocolate chips.  You know ratios, area, all that math stuff that we thought was useless.  Well, now you know why it's important.  Total nutcase justification.  Now, how do you make this...

and eat it without feeling bad?  Because it's low fat!  (Disclaimer - I'm not a dietician.  There is nothing healthy about this, but all the ratio stuff...totally true)

Ok, I've BS'd enough...what is this?  Umm, it doesn't exactly have a name.  It's another thing I sort of made up.  I think I'll call them Mo'Betta Chocolate Fudge Clusters.  That's a good name right?!

The best thing about this, is they can be customized to include whatever you have on hand, and whatever you happen to be craving at the moment.

You'll need -
1 can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1-2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever your chocolate preference)
add-ins...this can be whatever your heart desires.  I used pretzels, mini-marshmallows, and Rice Krispies.

(The fat-free sweetened condensed milk helps with the whole spreading out the chocolate ratio/square inch theory)

Take your condensed milk and chocolate chips and place them in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave this until chocolate is almost melted.  Stir together until nice and creamy.  I think it took about a minute.  You could stop here and have chocolate "fondue" and just dip stuff in it (spoon, pretzels, whatever) OR you can proceed.

I added in pretzels, "ma-mel-woes" (according to Mr. Two), and Krispies into the bowl and mixed it all together.  I didn't measure, just dumped some in.  Then I put my creation into my mini muffin pan.  (I sprayed it with non stick spray, just in case) and stuck it in the fridge to harden.  After 5 minutes, I got impatient, so I stuck it in the freezer.  I was having a chocolate crisis and I'm not a patient woman.  The chocolate "clusters" harden, then you pluck them out and eat.  Guilt free ;)  Now, these are not hard like a chocolate peanut cluster, but more like fudge.  Firm, but soft.  That's why I said 1-2 cups of chocolate chips.  I'm thinking that if you add more chocolate (I only used 1 cup...the whole chocolate ratio again) then they may get even harder. 

What I can say is...these are SO GOOD! 

They make the cutest little "mini" portions, and totally kick the chocolate craving.  My kids loved them too.  Except for Mr. Two...he has some strange texture issues. 

I am looking forward to experimenting with other "add ins".  The pretzels didn't stay crunchy by the way.  I think walnuts and dried blueberries would be scrumptious.  The possibilities are endless.  You don't even have to put these in a muffin pan, you could just dump them on wax paper and let them harden.  Or you could use little paper muffin cups.  So, go have fun with this.  Especially since they are guilt free and all *wink wink*

Please give me a vote for Top 25 Foodie Moms! You can click on the link on the right side bar above my button!  Mo'Betta was nominated at Circle of Moms...so exciting!

AND, I have a giveaway going on until Wednesday for 5 boxes of General Mills cereal.  Go enter!

I'm going to link this up with....