Category Archives: Desserts

Desserts, Recipes

Quick Apple Pie Dessert for One

Over half-way through November and I haven’t posted anything this month! I’m in the midst of NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month in which writers spend as much time as possible working to write novel in November. Pick a busy time of year and put this huge challenge into it! The goal is 50,000 words, but the novel is actually longer than that, but I have reached the target and the novel is over three-quarters done at 75,000 words. So that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

The down side of NaNo is that I don’t do much cooking during the month so new recipes aren’t emerging and eating out is adding more weight to my body. It’s  constant tug, isn’t it? But I did make this snappy little dessert a couple of nights ago and I think you might enjoy it.

Apple Pie Compote with Cranberry

With all the flavors of a rich apple pie, this little quick-to-make compote is a warm taste of Fall in a dessert bowl. Made in the microwave, it comes together quickly and makes one delicious serving. For more servings, simply double the recipe for 2 or triple it for 3. I used reduced sugar Craisins to add a bit of color and tartness to it. Check the carb count on these or use chopped cranberries to reduce the carbs a little.

This is higher net card than I usually make, so if you’re aiming for a low total for the day, make this on a day when you’re overall meals are coming in really low. It is an indulgence. If you’re one of the lucky ones who has a higher metabolism and can eat 3o to 40 net carbs a day, this should work in fine.

Recipe by Rene Averett

1/2 small Apple, sliced
1 tablespoon Butter
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Reduced Sugar Craisins
1 tablespoon Golden Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Chopped Pecans
1 tablespoon Sweet Red Wine or Sugar Free Cranberry Juice
1 tablespoon Whipped Topping or Cream

Slice or chop the apple evenly. Put in a microwavable bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the whipped topping. Stir well, then microwave for 1 minute. Stir it up and microwave another 30 seconds.

Let cool about 5 minutes, then put into serving dish (if you wish or eat it out of the bowl you cooked it in) and top with whipped topping.

Makes 1 apple-pie-yummy serving.

Nutrition Information:
Calories: 252 Fat: 20.3 g Net Carbs: 11.3 g Protein: 2.6 g

Note: You could substitute in Almond Flour for the Flax Meal, but it will increase the net carbs by 1 nc.

Any of these Low Carb Cookbooks would make a great gift for a friend this holiday season. Other formats for the first two coming soon.

Paperback on Amazon

Kindle  

 

 

 Paperback on Amazon

Kindle 

 

 

Paperback on Amazon

Kindle * Kobo * Nook *  iBook

Other formats at Books2Read

 

Desserts, Recipes

Treat yourself this Halloween

As you might notice, my cupcake papers were a little large, so they made a strange halo around the cupcakes.

As Halloween fast approaches, you might be thinking about what kind of treats you can indulge in eating. Quite a few sugar-free chocolates are available on the market, but I haven’t seen any that are Halloween specific. You could melt down sugar-free chocolate bars from the store and pour them into oiled molds with bats or cats or even spiders, then chill them until they are set up to make your own Halloween treats. You might even put one on top of one of these cupcakes. I think I need to go look for candy molds…

For that special party treat while everyone else is indulging in high carb cupcakes, you can enjoy this colorful cupcake that is less than 2.5 net carbs per cake. This is my variation on the Atkins recipe that calls for all coconut flour. Since I am not crazy about the coconut flour texture, I substituted in a couple of different flour options for part of it. You can substitute all of it. Just keep in mind, the total amount of flour substitute to make six cupcakes is 3/4 cup. The 1/4 cup of coconut flour in the original recipe expands to make this amount equivalent.

Black Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Cream Icing

Adapted by Rene Averett

2 large Eggs
1/4 cup Coconut Milk Unsweetened
1/4 cup granulated Sugar Substitute such as Xylitol or Swerve
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoon Butter, melted
2 tablespoons Organic High Fiber Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Baking Mix
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Powder (Straight Phosphate, Double Acting)
2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 drops Blue Food Coloring
2 drops Red Food Coloring

For the Icing:
4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons granulated Sugar Substitute
4 tablespoons Butter, softened
1 single serve packet Sugar-free Orange Drink Mix
2 drops Red Food Coloring
4 drops Yellow Food Coloring
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Chocolate Chips for decoration

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F.). Line six cupcake molds with paper liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, sugar substitute, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Whisk until completed mixed together. Add blue and red food coloring. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, mix coconut flour, baking mix, vanilla whey powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together until fully combined. Stir into the egg mixture, stirring until the flour is completely mixed in.

Spoon batter evenly into the prepared cupcake molds, about 3 tablespoons of batter into each well. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the cake is firm and springs back when you touch it.

Remove to a cooling rack and let cool before you ice the cupcakes.

For the Icing:
In a medium bowl, beat the softened creamed cheese with the softened butter, orange drink mix, sugar substitute, and red and yellow food coloring until it is smooth and creamy. Taste it. If it is not sweet enough, add a little more sugar sweetener to it and mix it in.

Ice each cupcake. I used it more sparingly than the recipe called for so I ended up with enough icing to do another six cupcakes. If you really want a thick layer, you can either spread it on heavily or pipe it onto the cupcakes. Decorate with the sugar-free chocolate chips or take a sugar-free candy bar and crush it into pieces and sprinkle on top.

Makes 6 cupcakes.

Nutrition Information per cupcake:
Calories: 250.5 Fat: 23 g Net Carbs: 2.4 g Protein: 6.9 g

Notes: If you don’t use any coconut flour, then use 3/4 cup of flour of your choice, or 1/4 cup Almond flour, 6 tablespoons Baking mix, and 2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey powder or any other flour choices. If you make it with all coconut flour, use 1/4 cup coconut flour, then add 3 eggs as the coconut flour will need the additional egg to rise. If you use all almond flour, allow it to cool completely before icing or eating as the almond flour doesn’t hold together as well as the combination of flours.

I used Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk to make it instead of Coconut Milk. Either works well. You can use a sugar-free orange syrup instead of the drink mix if you prefer, or orange flavoring. The drink mix is a little tart and works well with the chocolate.

Desserts, Recipes

Pena Colada Frozen Pops

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As we move into Hot August Nights in Reno, it’s definitely time for a cool down treat, so I’m continuing to make simple, delicious, and low carb frozen treats for a nice afternoon refresher. I love pineapple, but it isn’t remotely low carb. Still, if you don’t over-do it, you can enjoy this delicious fruit along with another one that also is a bit too sweet. I combined the flavors of a Pena Colada, without the rum, into a tasty ice.

2 cups fresh Pineapple
6 fresh Bing Cherries
1 container Vanilla Carbmasters Yogurt or other low carb yogurt
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Rum Extract (optional)

Set up molds to hold the frozen pops on a tray that will fit in the freezer. Around my house,that can be a challenge and I’ve used various dishes for a tray. I also use silicone cupcake molds for my frozen treats. They are easy to unmold and since I have many individual ones,it’s easy to vary the shapes and number of them I need. But you can also use pop molds or a regular cupcake pan.

In the blender, mix all the ingredients except the cherries, pulsing until they are completely pureed. Add the cherries and pulse a few more times to have small pieces in the mix.

Pour or spoon into the molds, filling them about 1/4 inch from the top. Carefully move the filled molds to the freezer. After an hour and half, add popsicle sticks if you wish. I make them without most of the time. Let them freeze another four hours, then unmold. A little warm water in the bottom of the pan will help if they don’t pop right out. Wrap in plastic wrap and put in a plastic bag to put back in the freezer. Be sure to keep one out to eat right away.

Makes about 6 to 8 frozen pops.

Nutrition Information per pop:
Calories: 15.4 Fat: 0.4 g, Net Carbs: 2.6 g Protein: 0.2 g

Note: This same recipe works well with strawberries, raspberries, and other frozen fruit. Simply replace the pineapple and cherries with your choice. Omit the rum flavoring and put in a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice, if you wish.

Desserts

Frozen Cranberry Cream is cooling

Let’s end the hot days of July and move into the even hotter days of August with a refreshingly cool frozen dessert that is easy to make. I happen to be one of those people who has cranberries in my freezer, but this recipe can use any berry in it. In fact, most berries don’t require the first step, which is making the cranberries into a jam. It’s not hard and it’s worth it if you like the taste of this seasonal berry.

A key ingredient in this is yogurt or a yogurt substitute. Most vanilla yogurts are not very low carb, so look for the Greek yogurt with the lowest carb count you can find (the carbs minus the fiber and any sugar substitutes in it).  Or you can use a low carb yogurt-like substitute, such as CarbMasters Dairy Blend.

Frozen Cranberry Cream

To make the Cranberry Sauce:
1/2 cup Fresh Cranberries
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup water

Put the water in a small saucepan and add the sugar. Heat over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the water comes to a near boil, add the cranberries. Cook, stirring frequently until the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and let them cool for about 10 minutes. They should continue to thicken. Save about two tablespoons of the mix back and use the rest for the cream.

1/3 cup Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
6 oz. Greek Vanilla Yogurt or CarbMasters Vanilla Yogurt
1 tablespoon Sugar Free Honey or Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons slivered or shaved almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons Cool Whip or other topping

In a 2 cup bowl, mix yogurt, cranberry sauce, and honey together until well blended. Add the cool whip and almonds, and stir until mixed in.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for at least two hours. Remove about 30 minutes before you want to serve to let it soften.

Use a spoon to scoop the desert out and put it in serving cups or glasses. Garnish with a teaspoon of cranberry sauce and a sprig of spearmint.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Information with Greek Yogurt per serving:
Calories:71 Fat: 2.1 g Net Carbs: 7.9 g Protein: 4.4 g

Nutrition Information with CarbMasters per serving:
Calories:32 Fat: 2.1 g Net Carbs: 1.9 g Protein: 0.8 g

Note: Raspberries and Strawberries will come in around the same carb count, but the blueberries will be just a little higher.

Desserts, Recipes, Tips

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candies are OK!

First batch of candies. You can easily see where the butter pooled on the bottom. My second try didn’t have that issue.

This recipe comes from Atkins and it is pretty much as they printed it with a few changes from me. They call it a “fat bomb” but it is a little lower in fat per serving than many of the other fat bombs. This type of snack is intended to give you a quick burst of energy without adding much to your daily carbs. The body will burn the fat for energy, leaving little to go to becoming excess weight.

They are very tasty and a great quick treat when you need a pick-me-up in the middle of the afternoon. The only problem I have with it is that the unsweetened coconut flakes don’t get crispy the way regular ones do when they are toasted and they are very chewy. They also don’t bring a lot of coconut flavor. I plan to try it again with shredded unsweetened coconut to see if that works better. I’ll add a note later about that result. I also cut the butter from 2 tablespoons, whcih left a puddle of butter at the bottom when the candies set up, to 1 tablespoon. I added 1/2 tablespoon of Coconut Oil. The oil sets up quickly, so it doesn’t leave a puddle.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks

1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 tablespoon Butter
1/2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
3 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
4 tablespoons Xylitol or other granulated sugar substitute
1/4 cup Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (check carbs for lowest)
2 cups Unsweetened Flaked Coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) and place coconut flakes on a baking tin. Toast for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Prepare a cookie sheet with a sheet of waxed paper or place a silicon mat on it.

In a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, combine the cream, butter, coconut oil, sugar substitute, and cocoa. Cook over medium high heat stirring often. When it comes to a boil, remove from the heat.

Add in the peanut butter and stir until it is mixed into the chocolate well. Fold in the coconut flakes until they are completely coated.

Drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the wax paper to form mounds. The recipe should make about 18 mounds. Place into the refrigerator to harden to a candy consistency. Once they are firm, you can store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks, if they last that long. They may also be frozen.

Makes 18 haystacks.

Nutrition information per haystack:
Calories: 110.6 Fat: 10.5 g Net Carbs: 1.8 g Protein: 1.7 g

This recipe is good for all phases of Atkins and other low carb diets except for the first two of Induction when nuts are not allowed.

Notes: When using other sugar substitutes, use the granulated versions and keep in mind that they do have a small amount of carbs per teaspoon due to the medium for storing the sweetener.

If you don’t like coconut, you can omit it and make a peanut butter chocolate candy that is also delicious.

Got any questions or comments? Please send them.