Category Archives: Desserts

Desserts

Butternut Cranberry Pudding Is Yummy

I had about 1/2 cup of butternut squash leftover and I wanted to turn it into a dessert, using it like I would pumpkin. I hit on the idea of making a pudding with it and adding cranberries and pecans. It turned out to be a delicious combination and a fairly easy dessert to make.

I’m trying something new this time and giving you both the low carb recipe and the regular recipe that doesn’t use sugar substitute. The food is basic and it’s good, whichever way you make it.

While I’m thinking about it, don’t forget that my cookbooks, Low Carb Recipe Magic Meals for Two and Low Carb Recipe Magic Sweets by the Season are available at Amazon in both paperback and Kindle editions.  They make a great gift for anyone you know who might be watching their carbs either for weight control or because they are diabetic.   Or give one to yourself this Christmas.

Butternut Cranberry Pudding

Low Carb Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
2 tablespoons, Cranberries, chopped
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 cup Pecans, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 to 4 tablespoons Walden Farms Marshmallow Dip (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 4 1/2 cup soufflé cups by spraying with cooking spray or coating with butter.

Put butternut squash in a microwavable bowl with butter and microwave for about three minutes until the squash is tender. Mash with a fork.

In a medium bowl, put the squash, cranberries, protein powder and spices. Stir together, then add eggs, sugar substitute, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add pecans if you are using them.

Spoon or use a 1/4 cup measure to divide among the four baking cups. Place in a glass pan, then add enough warm water to the pan to come about 1/2 the way up the sides of the baking cups so they are sitting in it. This will help keep the pudding moist while it cooks.

Bake for about 40 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Top with marshmallow cream if desired and bake another 5 minutes to heat. Let cool a few minutes, then serve warm. Or refrigerate and serve cold with whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition info per serving without optional ingredients:
Calories: 162.6 Fat: 13.8 g Net Carbs: 3.3 g Protein: 5.4 g

With optional ingredients:
Nutrition info per serving:
Calories: 214 Fat: 19.2 g Net Carbs: 3.6 g Protein: 6.0 g

Using Regular Ingredients

1/2 cup Butternut Squash, cubed
2 tablespoons, Cranberries, chopped
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoon Flour
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 cup Pecans, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 to 4 tablespoons Marshmallow Creme (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 4 1/2 cup soufflé cups by spraying with cooking spray or coating with butter.

Put butternut squash in a microwavable bowl with butter and microwave for about three minutes until the squash is tender. Mash with a fork.

In a medium bowl, put the squash, cranberries, flour and spices and stir together. Add eggs, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Add pecans if you are using them.

Spoon or use a 1/4 cup measure to divide among the four baking cups. Place in a glass pan, then add enough warm water to the pan to come about 1/2 the way up the sides of the baking cups so they are sitting in it. This will help keep the pudding moist while it cooks.

Bake for about 40 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Top with marshmallow creme if desired and bake another 5 minutes to heat. Let cool a few minutes, then serve warm. Or refrigerate and serve cold with whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition info per serving (without optional ingredients):
Calories: 255 Fat: 13.8 g Net Carbs: 29.1 g Protein: 3.9 g

Nutrition info per serving (with optional ingredients):
Calories: 326 Fat: 19.2 g Net Carbs: 34.5 g Protein: 4.6 g

Desserts, Recipes

Introducing Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

The other night I wanted to do a pumpkin cake that was a little like a cheesecake but was still more like a cake. I came up with this option which has a cake texture but keeps the cream cheese and pumpkin flavors blended together. Like a cheesecake, they come out of the oven nice and puffy, then sink in the middle when they cool. This is an excellent place to put a tablespoon of whipped cream or even a scoop of low carb ice cream. One of the extra ingredients in this is Sugar-free butterscotch pudding. I use one tablespoon of the dry mix, which keeps the net carb count on these low at a total of 2.5 net carbs per cupcake. Making them cupcakes controls the serving size and they cook quicker.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes

4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 large Egg
2 tablespoons Sugar-free Instant Caramel Pudding Mix
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
2 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Preheat Oven to 365 degrees (F.) Spray a 6 cup muffin pan with baking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, add cream cheese and sugar substitute. Beat with a mixer until the sugar is creamed into the cream cheese. Add pumpkin, egg, pudding mix, whipping cream, vanilla, and seasonings and mix together until thoroughly blended.

In a small bowl, stir together the lc flour, baking powder, and vanilla whey powder. Add to the creamed cheese mixture about 1/3 at a time, mixing with the mixer until all the flour is incorporated.

Spoon into the muffin pan, filling to about 2/3rds full. Bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving with whipped cream on top. The cake will collapse, but it makes a nice well for the whipped cream.

Makes 6 cupcakes.

Nutrition Information per cupcake:
Calories: 136 Fat: 5.1 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 7.6 g

Tip: Don’t like pumpkin?  Try this with baked and mashed butternut squash or sugar-free applesauce.  Or you can omit them altogether and make the recipe without the added puree,  You may need to add a little water to the mix.  Unsweetened applesauce will raise the net carbs to 4.5 g.  You could use sweet potato puree, but it will add about 3 net carbs to the count, bringing it to 5.5 nc.

Desserts, Recipes

Simply Peanut Butter Cookies

I’ve seen this recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies go around a couple of times on Facebook, so I decided to try it with sugar substitute. Generally, I use a little less sugar than called for and when possible, I try to use more than one sweetener for more balance. It works pretty well although the cookies are small,  about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I don’t have a ball scoop, so I used two teaspoons to drop the cookies and it works although they are not as pretty. Check the carb counts on the peanut butter. My jar of JIF was pretty low, but when I checked to buy another jar, the carb count was higher. So I calculated the carbs on peanut butter that is 2 net carbs per tablespoon.

Peanut Butter Cookies #1

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar substitute
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet by putting parchment paper or a silicone mat on it.

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together until they are well blended. Use a 1-inch ball cookie scoop or a teaspoon to put balls of peanut butter on the baking sheet about 2-inches apart. You can press down on the center with your lightly sugared (in sugar substitute) thumb to make a well for a thumbprint cookie or press down with the tines of a fork one direction, then the opposite direction to get a grid pattern.

Bake for about 8 minutes until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges, but don’t overcook. Let cool and top with a little sugar-free jam if you wish.

Makes 24 cookies.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 108 Fat. 8.2 g Net Carbs: 2.0 g Protein: 2.3 g

Now, I simply can’t leave the recipe as it is. By my very nature, I have to make a change or two in it. I like a little more of a cookie taste to it, so I added 1/4 cup of Vanilla Whey Protein Powder to the mix. You can also use Almond Flour or any low carb baking mix. Then I also added sugar-free mini chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar substitute
1 large egg
1/4 cup Almond Flour or Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
2 tablespoons mini sugar-free chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare a baking sheet by putting parchment paper or a silicone mat on it.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, except the chocolate chip together until they are well blended, then stir in the chocolate chips. Use a 1-inch ball cookie scoop or a teaspoon to put balls of peanut butter on the baking sheet about 2″ apart. Press down with the tines of a fork one direction, then the opposite direction to get a grid pattern.

Bake for about 8 minutes until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges, but don’t overcook. Let cool a few minutes then eat warmed or at room temperature.

Makes 30 cookies.

Nutrition Info per cookie:
Calories: 95 Fat. 7.1 g Net Carbs: 1.7 g Protein: 4.4 g

For a more traditional Peanut Butter Cookie, try the Peanut Butter Blossoms or the Triple Peanut Chocolate Chip Bars.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Product Review, Recipes

Delicious Pomegranate & Yogurt Parfait

Copyright 2015 R. Averett

I tried this wonderful parfait for the first time over the weekend and it is so refreshing and delicious that I had to share it. The recipe came from Ocean Spray Cranberries and I’ve made the adaptations to low carb. It does require a low carb granola and I use Sensato’s Nut and Flax Granola or make my own.

Let me take a moment to praise the granola from Sensato. They have three flavors, that I know of, to choose from: Plain, Apple, and Cranberry-flavored. They are all tasty, although the chunks are a little big. They can be broken into smaller pieces when you’re cooking with them. They’re high in fiber, a good source of protein and are only 2 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving. You can eat them for a cereal or as an out-of-the-bag snack or put them in your cooking where a recipe calls for granola or oatmeal. I’ve used them in coffee cakes and in cookies. Try your health food store to see if they stock this product or ask them to order it. Or you can order online from my favorite health food supplier, Netrition.com. I am sure there are other online sources, so just Google it.

Now, on to the recipe, which is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dessert. I use Carbmasters low carb yogurt product, which is a Kroger Foods brand, but you can use Greek yogurt in place of it. However, the carbs will be about 1/2 carb higher if you use a brand that is about 5 net carbs per 6 oz. For reference, Carbmasters is 4 net carbs per 6 oz. By the way, Pomegranate arils (the fruit covered seed) are okay to eat in their entirety. You might get a bit of seed stuck in your teeth, but that’s it.

Pomegranate Yogurt Parfait

2 tablespoons Pomegranate Arils
1 container CarbMasters Vanilla or other flavor yogurt
1/4 cup low carb Granola

In two serving glasses (I use ice cream glasses or you could use brandy glasses or tall flutes), put in 1 teaspoon of granola, 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 teaspoons of pomegranate arils, two teaspoons of granola, then the next layer of 2 tablespoons of yogurt, 2 teaspoons of pomegranate arils and top with the remaining yogurt, granola and pomegranate arils.

You can add a little whipped cream topping if you wish, but it isn’t necessary.

Serves 2.

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories:79.8 Fat: 3.9 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 5.6 g

Will you give this treat a try and let me know if you like it or not? I’d love to hear from you.

Desserts, Recipes

Cool 4th with Frozen Strawberry Yogurt

1 Comment

With the 4th of July holiday coming up this weekend, I am looking for some of the great food that I enjoyed as a kid. One of the key items from my childhood was making homemade ice cream. My brother and I shared the job of churning the ice cream and it was the old turning-the-handle method, not an electric motor doing it. We’d sit out in the back under the shade of a tree and turn it for what seemed like hours, but really wasn’t that long. When it got tough to turn, the ice cream would go into the freezer to cure. That was the best tasting ice cream ever. But things change.

Now ice cream is a rare luxury and I look for low carb ice cream. In my area, I can find vanilla Breyers Carb Smart, which is soft, creamy and has a wonderful flavor. For a while, Wal-Mart carried the chocolate Carb Smart also, but I haven’t found it recently. They also make ice cream bars.  A 1/2 cup serving of Carb Smart is 4 net carbs, so it can work easily into a strict low carb lifestyle. There are a few other brands that have ice cream that is lower in carbs, but not as low as CarbSmart. Check out your grocery store if you are looking for pre-made ice creams and be sure to look at the net carbs.

The drawback is that the flavors available are vanilla and chocolate. You can use the vanilla as a base and add other ingredients to it to create additional ice cream flavors. Or you can make your own.

Recently, we acquired a Cuisinart Soft Service Ice Cream maker and I started experimenting with it. One of the first ice creams I made was Strawberry Yogurt Ice Cream. What could be better for red in the red, white and blue for the 4th of July? So here’s the recipe. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, I’m including the instructions to make it without one.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

12 oz (2 containers) Kroger Carbmaster Strawberry Yogurt           or Oikos Plain Greek Yogurt
1 – 1/2 cups Strawberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup cold Water
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
1 teaspoon Strawberry Extract
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Put strawberries and sugar into the food processor and pulse until the ingredients are smooth and blended together. Add heavy cream, extracts, yogurt and cold water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to make the ice cream.

Turn on the ice cream maker and pour in the ingredients. Allow to mix for 12 to 15 minutes before checking for consistency. If it isn’t frozen enough, let it freeze another 5 minutes and check again. Repeat until it is the desired consistency. Remove ice cream from the freezer bowl and put into a container with a tight lid, placing plastic wrap over the top of the ice cream to prevent freezer burn.

Freeze for at least 30 minutes. It will harden or cure into a harder ice cream. Serve and put any leftovers back in the freezer.  To serve the next time, remove about fifteen minutes before serving to allow to soften. This gets very hard.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition Info per serving (Plain yogurt will be a little higher in carbs.)
Calories: 144.2 Fat: 13.5 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 2.4 g

To make without an ice cream maker, maker the mixture up as above, then pour it into a 2 to 3-quart glass pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until it is almost solid. This will vary with your freezer and the depth of the pan. Check it on every hour. Pour or spoon the almost frozen mixture into a blender or food processor and mix until it is creamy and thick. Pour back into the glass dish or into a container with a lid and freeze for at least four hours. It should be solid and will have to thaw a little before serving.

Looking for a potato salad substitute for summer picnics, try this Texas-Style Turnip Cauliflower Salad.