Dark or light DME for a Murphy's Clone

I've decided that my next batch will be the Murphy's Irish Stout from Clone Brews.

The recipe calls for the following fermentables:

4 lb. Mountmellick light LME
1 lb. Munton's light DME
1/2 lb. cane sugar

I'm wondering what the difference would be if I subbed in some Dark DME for 1 lb of the light DME and 3.5 lbs Munton's Light DME for the Mountmellick? I'd rather use Munton's DME or maybe fresh LME just because I think DME and fresh LME give a better tasting beer. Who knows about canned malt syrup that has been imported... personally I'm not sure I trust it. Has anyone else used this Mountmellick light LME?

What exactly is the point of Dark DME anyways? I've never seen a recipe call for it if it has specialty grains in it.

I've seen more than one recipe from Clone Brews that calls for cane sugar. Gross.

Oh yeah... I forgot to comment on the sugar. Yeah, definately gross. But I'm guessing the point is to try to get a drier beer. But I think I'll just pass on the sugar and add an extra 1/2 lb of DME, even if it might mean a sweeter/more malty beer.

Does this have steeped grains to get the color?

Exo said:

Does this have steeped grains to get the color?

Click to expand...

Yeah, it does.

1/2 lb. British Chocolate malt
7 oz roasted barley
4 oz 55 L British crystal malt

I don't like canned extract. If I was asked to do this recipe for someone I'd sub 6# of Briess light extract syrup.

My guess is that the recipe is not that good anyway, so subbing in the dark extract should be just fine. Normally, If you subbed in dark extract in place of light extract you would reduce the dark steeped grains.