Monthly Archives: January 2019

Breads, Desserts, Recipes

Goes with Coffee: Apple and Pecan Muffins with Streusel

Photo: Apple Muffins

I had an apple that needed using so I decided to try this delicious-sounding recipe from AllRecipes.com user NMARIEA, but I adapted it to a low carb version. The result is delectable, especially when heated up before eating. It works well for a quick breakfast and also for a light dessert.

I put a light streusel topping made with almond flour and brown sugar mix on top, just enough to give it a little sweetness. For the flour, I used a combination of different brands, such as Carbolose, Bakesquick, and Carbquick in it. Each one has a different texture and taste so together, you get a nice mixture.

Apple and Pecan Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

1 cup Low Carb Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup white Sugar Substitute
1 Egg
1 Egg White
1 teaspoon Vanilla or Almond Extract
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped Apples
1/3 cup Pecans pieces

Topping
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Almond Flour
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.) Prepare 10 muffin tins by spraying them with cooking spray or put paper liners and spray those.

In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar substitute and mix together until creamy. Add the egg, egg white, vanilla or almond extract and cinnamon. Mix until combined.

In a smaller bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Mix into the butter and egg in small batches until combined. This will be a fairly stiff dough. Stir in the apples and pecans.

Put about two tablespoons of the dough in each muffin cup. Because of the apples, they will nearly fill the cup.

In a small bowl, put in the brown sugar substitute (I used the Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, or you could use Sweet Brown from LC Foods and add a little more butter.) Add butter and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cut together until it is crumbly. Sprinkle a little over the top of each muffin.

Bake 11 to 14 minutes. Use a toothpick to test if they are done. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

Makes ten average-sized muffins.

Pork, Recipes, Soups and Stews

Warm Up with Bean and Ham Soup

Photo: White Bean & Ham Soup

As a child, I grew up eating beans a lot. My grandmother would make a huge pot of pinto beans. We’d get bolillo (oval long bread rolls) from Mexico, and I loved to hollow the bread out and fill it with beans cooked with hamburger. But since I am trying to stay low carb these days, beans aren’t something I eat very often. Nonetheless, I’ll share this recipe for white beans with ham soup. This isn’t as low as I like most of my recipes to be, but it is still within reason for most people to enjoy on a low carb plan. The real trick is to add more ingredients to the pot to spread out the beans, so you don’t eat as many in one sitting. With that in mind, I added onions, carrots, and turnips to the pot with the ham and bean.

Generally, I use a ham hock to flavor the pot and add seasonings to round out the flavor. I also use a little of Better Than Bullion Chicken in it to add more flavor. If you want a heartier dinner, then cook up a sausage or a chicken breast to eat alongside the soup. These won’t add extra carbs and will help to fill you up with the smaller serving of soup.

White Beans and Ham Soup

1-1/4 cup Small White Beans (dry)
1 cup, diced Ham
1/4 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, sliced
3/4 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning
3/4 cup Red Ripe Tomatoes, chopped or sliced or peeled and canned tomatoes
1 cup Turnips, cubed
1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bullion Chicken

In a large pot, pre-cook beans as directed on the package. Rinse, then add fresh water, salt, and pepper. Cook the beans from 2-3 hours until they are done. I usually put a ham hock or bacon in them to add flavor as they cook. Once they are done, add about 2 cups of water to the pot, then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the carrots and turnips are tender. Add water as needed to keep the soup consistency. When done, you should have about 3 to 4 cups of delicious soup.

Makes about eight 2/3 cup servings.

Nutrition Information

Desserts, Recipes

Start the Year Off with Cream Cheese Cookies

Photo: Cream Cheese Cookies

I haven’t made these lovely little cookies in years, but I love the taste of cream cheese in my cookie. I found a recipe that I adapted to a low carb version and they came out delicious. You can use any sugar-free jam for the filling. I made some with apricot jam and some with raspberry. I also put pecans on some and sugar-reduced craisins on others. If you can think of something else you’d like to top them with, it will probably work.

When I made my batch, I used three different flour options — Bakesquick from DCC, coconut flour (1/4 equals 1/2 cup of other flour), and vanilla whey protein powder for 1/4 cup of it. It worked okay, but unless you like the slightly grainy texture of the coconut flour, I would stay away from it for this recipe. You can use almond flour or any other low carb flours to make this.

Cream Cheese Cookies

2 sticks of Butter, room temperature
8 ounces of Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup Sugar Substitute
2 Eggs Yolks
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 cups Low Carb Flour
Sugar-free jam – Any flavor

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter,and sweetener together until smooth. Scrape the bowl if the mixture builds up on the sides. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined.

If you are using a combination of low carb flour types, mix them in a bowl before adding to the creamed mixture. Add about 1/4 cup at a time until you’ve mixed it all in. The dough will be stiff.

Chill dough for at least two hours to firm up the butter and cream cheese.

Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Use a teaspoon of dough to roll into a ball about 1-inch in diameter. Place on baking sheet and flatten the top until about a 1/2-inch thick disc is formed. Make about a dozen on the cookie sheet, then go back and press a little well in the middle of each cookie for the filling. Put about 1/4 teaspoon of sugar-free jam in the well, or you can top them with a half pecan or two or three sugar-reduced craisins.

Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes until the bottoms turn slightly brown. Remove and let sit to cool for about 10 minutes to firm up.

Use a spatula to move them to a wire rack to continue to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Nutrition Information Image