Category Archives: Desserts

Desserts, Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookies You Can Eat!


One of the first recipes I posted on my Facebook account and then moved to my LJ blog on June 19, 2012 after I’d had a chance to make them a few more times. These started out as a low carb variation on a paleo recipe made only with almond flour, but they quickly evolved. If you want to make a cookie that is gluten-free, then you can make this with just almond flour.

When I first made these lovely low carb chocolate chip cookies, I was reminded of an episode of “Remington Steele” in which Laura Holt was caught up in a plot involving no-calorie chocolate chip cookies (Steele In The Chips), delicious light cookies that would not equal ugly fat on the hips. Well, these cookies aren’t no calorie or no carb, but they are darn close. In fact, they are about 1 carb each. The key is to use the lowest net carb ingredients you can find. If you don’t, then the carbs will be higher. I’ve put the brand names I used in parentheses next to the ingredient, so you can check for them. CarbQuick and Now almond flour are available through Netrition.com.

I first made a version of these a couple of months ago that were made with only almond flour and they were good, but not quite what I was hoping for in taste. This batch was made with a mixture of almond flour and CarbQuick flour and they are much more like the cookies I was expecting. So, this is my recipe for low carb chocolate chip cookies. If you aren’t worried about carbs or calories, feel free to substitute in regular flour and sugar.

Rene’s LC Choc Chip Cookies

1/4 cup almond meal flour (Now)
1 cup Carbquick (Tova CarbQuick)
1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder (look for 0 net carbs on this)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup Butter, softened
3 tablespoons sucralose (Splenda) (I use a combination of liquid sucralose and granulated Splenda)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup sugar free chocolate chips (Hershey’s Sugar Free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, add the butter and sucralose and cream together until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract.

Combine flours, protein powder and baking soda together and mix well, then add to the creamed butter mixture. Add a little water if the dough is too stiff. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.

Form tablespoons of dough into balls and put on a baking sheet covered with a silicone mat or sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten each ball and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove when lightly browned and let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Whenever using almond flour, the cookies tend to be delicate and easily broken so allow the cooling time and remove with a spatula for support.

Makes about 18 cookies <1 net carb each, about 115 calories per cookie and about 4.2 g Protein.
POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/10/2012 1:32 AM

Desserts, Main Dish, Recipes

Crepes Are Easy

I first posted this on May 20, 2012 on my LJ blog.

I have a couple of dear friends who are in France this past week on a well-deserved vacation and I celebrated by making crepes — those lovely little French pancakes that are so thin and light. And they can be low carb since the main ingredient in them is egg. If you’re under the impression that they are difficult to make, that’s not true. They may take a little practice to get just right, but they are worth it. I haven’t made them in quite a few years so it was almost like starting over for me.

I have a gas range, so it takes a little experimenting with the controls to get the right flame under the pan. You want a medium hot flame, not too hot to burn, but hot enough to cook them fairly quickly and evenly. I use an omelette pan, non-stick and I spray it with cooking oil between each crepe although some instructions say you don’t have to do that.
So to the basics.

Note on flours used: I used a combination of CarQuick baking mix from Tova Foods and Atkins baking mix. You can make it completely from either mix. A combination of mixes sometimes brings a better result, but I don’t know if that is the case with crepes. This is the first time I’ve made them using the baking mixes. It is essential that you use a low-carb baking mix or flour to make these as low carb as possible. If you use regular flour, reduce it to one tablespoon and expect an eggier-tasting crepe. If you’re not worried about the carbs, then use regular flour.

2 eggs
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
2/3 cup CarbQuick baking mix
1 pinch Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Water
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute  (optional for sweet crepes. Omit for savory ones.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Spray a non-stick omelette pan (approximately 6″ in diameter) with cooking spray and heat on a medium high heat. Put a little less than 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and swirl around until it coats the entire bottom of the pan. The batter is thin and will spread thinly on the pan. As the crepe cooks small bubbles will form in the cake. Watch the edges for the slightest browning and for the surface to appear almost dry. Carefully slide a flat, long spatula under the cake and flip it to brown the reverse side. This should only take a few minutes. Remove the crepe to a plate with either wax paper, parchment paper or plastic wrap on it and place a layer over the top of the completed crepe. This will prevent the crepes from sticking to each other.

Repeat the process for the next crepe. There should be enough batter to make 8 to 10 crepes.

Makes 8 crepes Each crepe is about 1.2 net carbs and 95 calories.

Crepes can be filled in hundreds of ways. The recipes below are a couple of my own favorites. You can make them with ham and asparagus covered with cheese. Or make a vegetable filled crepe with sauteed squash, onions and tomatoes.

Filling for Mushroom and Chicken Crepes:

A really tasty crepe filling that goes together easily. Use the basic crepe recipe to make your crepes.

Makes 6 crepes. I usually use 2 per serving.

Ingredients:
Cooked chicken 6 ounces, cubed or shredded
1 tablespoon Carbquick or other low carb thickener
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup of water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup Mushroom pieces or slices
2 oz. Cream Cheese, cut into cubes
1/3 cup Italian Cheese tri-mix, shredded

In a sauce pan or skillet, melt the butter, add onion and sauté until the onion turns translucent. Add the CarbQuick or thickener and stir to make a roux. Add the whipping cream and stir well. Remove about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Then add the creamed cheese and Italian seasoning and stir until it is mixed well. Then add the chicken and mushrooms and cook until heated thoroughly. Add 1/2 of the Italian cheeses and stir well.

On a plate, place a crepe and put about 2 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the middle. Fold over and secure with a toothpick. Place in a shallow pan or broiler proof dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes. Pour the reserved sauce over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the Italian cheese. Place in the broiler for about 5 minutes. When the top is lightly toasted, remove from the broiler and serve with a salad or fresh vegetables.

Each crepe is about 2.2 net carbs and 250 calories.

Sweet Strawberry Filled Crepe

I love cream cheese and this is an easy way to make a strawberry cream cheese crepe that is still low carb and delicious. You can substitute any low carb fruit for the strawberry, such as blueberries or raspberries.

Makes two servings, one crepe in each serving.

2 sweet or regular crepes
1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons whipped topping or whipped cream
2 drops of liquid sweetener
Sugar free, carb free chocolate sauce
Low carb vanilla ice cream (optional)

Mix the cream cheese and whipped cream together with a spoon in a small bowl and add liquid sweetener. You can also add a teaspoon of flavoring such as strawberry, orange or raspberry sugar-free syrup at this point and mix it in. Spread almost half of the mixture on each crepe, saving just about two teaspoons.

Place the strawberry slices on top of the cream cheese mixture and fold the crepe over them. Use a little of the reserved mixture on one side of the crepe to act as a “glue” to hold it together. Spread the remainder of the mixture on the top of the crepes and place a couple of strawberry slices on top.

Crepes with cream cheese mixture and berries before rolling.

Spoon a little whipped cream on top or top with a scoop of low carb ice cream. Drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the top and voila’, you have an elegant dessert!

Net carbs: About 6 per serving

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 9/9/2012 11:54 PM

Desserts, Recipes

Cakes for Everyone: Orange Almond Cake

Back when I worked for the bank, I used to be part of a dinner club with several of my co-workers. We would meet once every month or so at a members’ home and enjoy a fine meal. Usually the host would provide the dinner but everyone else would bring an appetizer or a wine or something along those lines and a fine meal would be enjoyed with friends.

Following a trip to Spain and Portugal, I decided to make my next dinner a Spanish-style meal with examples of all the food I had enjoyed on that trip. The menu included gazpacho, an octopus salad, paella, and fresh French bread. The dessert that night was not one I had tasted on my trip, but one from my old stand-by Betty Crocker International Cookbook for Torta de Almendra or an Orange Almond Cake. It complimented the meal perfectly.

Going through my cookbook, I noticed that I had already converted the recipe to a lower carbohydrate version that was 29.3 carbs and 205 calories per 1/8 cake slice, but that didn’t break it down to net carbs. With the reduced carbs flour products available now, I was sure this could be done with a fairly low carb count, so here is the recipe for a lower carb and calorie count. And it is still delicious.
One note, like many European cakes and other desserts, it is not as sweet as American recipes tend to be, so adjust the sugar substitute if you like it sweeter. This cake uses almond flour, which is available at most supermarkets and health food stores. Check the net carb count on the package as it varies with different brands. I also use CarbQuick from Tova Foods in the recipe. There are other low carb flours and you might find those at health food stores or you can purchase online.

Almond flour makes this a very light and delicate cake. Be sure to let it cool before moving it and move it very carefully.

Torta de Almendra (Orange Almond Cake)

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup Carbquick
3/4 cup Almond Flour
3/4 cup Sugar Substitute
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream,
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Water
1/3 cup Shortening
1 large Egg
2 teaspoons Orange Peel
1/3 cup Almonds, sliced
1 tablespoon granulated Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Orange sugar free syrup or Grand Marnier

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round or square cake pan or 4 individual one cup cake pans, which is what I used, with floured baking spray. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, cream, water, shortening, egg and orange peel in a bowl and beat with a mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly, then switch to high speed for three minutes.

Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle with almond slices. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tablepoon granulated sugar substitute and drizzle with orange syrup. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan by flipping the pan onto a serving plate. (You may need to loosen the cake by running a knife carefully along the edge.) Cool completely before serving.

Optional: Top with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and a piece of orange segment.

1 servings is 204 calories (3.9 net carbs) when made with Grand Marnier or 194 calories (3.1 net carbs) with sugar free orange syrup. (Count does not include whipped cream and orange, which will add a little more to it.)

*You can use Splenda or other powdered sugar substitute for all the sugar substitutes in the recipe; use 3/4 cup for the whole recipe. However, the carb count will increase because Splenda and most of the powder-type sugars have slightly less than 1 net carb per teaspoon due to the filler used to hold the sucralose. 35 teaspoons or packets equal 3/4 cup of sugar. So that would be over 4 net carbs per serving added to the carb count.

Original POST BY RENE AVERETT AT 8/28/2012 2:42 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Breakfast or Dessert? Sour Cream Blueberry Cobbler

PK and I brought home a large bag of frozen blueberries at the same time we were buying many things for a party and completely filled the freezer. So a week down the road, I had a bag of thawed (and leaking – thank goodness I put it in another storage bag!) blueberries. So, what to do with blueberries? I started out looking at a blueberry muffin recipe, but wanted to use more blueberries then hit on using the muffin recipe on top of the blueberries to make the cobbler. The result is awesome! I can’t wait to try it with other fruits, maybe even a strawberry rhubarb combination. As to the breakfast or dessert question, I think this works well for either. Let me know how you like it.

Sour Cream Blueberry Cobbler

3 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/2 cup Almond flour
1 cup Carbquick or other low carb baking mix
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 large Eggs
2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup sugar substitute (like Ideal Sugar Substitute)
12 drops liquid Sucralose (like E-Z Sweet)
2 cups Blueberries, fresh or frozen (unsweetened)
1/2 cup blueberry juice, if available, or water
1/2 cup Sour Cream
6 drops liquid sucralose

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix the flours and baking powder together. Set aside.

Put 2 cups of thawed blue berries and 1/2 cup of blueberry juice in a 9×12″ deep baking dish. Add sour cream and 6 drops of liquid sucralose. You can use Splenda or Equal, but it will increase the carb count. Mix together well, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, add whipping cream, sugar substitute and 12 drops of liquid sucralose. Mix well, then add the coconut oil and mix it in. Add the flour about 1/3 at a time, mixing it in before adding the next third.

Remove the plastic wrap over the berries and drop the batter on top of the berries, spreading it to cover the entire top.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Add whipped cream, whipped topping or sour cream with a bit of sweetener added, if you would like.

Nutrition Info: 1/8 of recipe
Calories: 256.8 Fat 28.1 g Net Carbs: 7.5 g Protein: 6.3 g

1/12 of recipe
Calories: 171.2 Fat: 18.7 g Net Carbs: 5.1 g Protein: 4.2 g
Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 5/8/2013 4:46 PM

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Delicious Pumpkin French Toast Two Ways!

I actually created this recipe as a way to try to use the zero carb Julian Bread that I had purchased. It did bring a host of flavors to the otherwise tasteless bread, but I found it tastes so much better with breads that have flavors to add to the party. So here are two ways to make this low carb, but delicious dish. And by the way, you can make it with regular bread also if you aren’t worried about the carbs.

Essentially, the Baked French Toast is bread pudding with a little less egg and cream in it. So you can treat it as you might a bread pudding to make other variations. Add pecans or walnuts to the mix, add sugar-reduced craisins or blueberries. Instead of maple syrup, make a rum-flavored hard sauce. It can be a fabulous dessert.

Pumpkin French Toast with Low Carb Bread

This version uses a low carb bread base that you can make from a low carb muffin recipe or my Irish soda bread or scone recipe. Or you can use a bread mix from one of several companies.I used New Hope Mills Blueberry Muffin bread mix to make a loaf of bread. It makes about 14 slices and each slice is 2 net carbs. You can also make my low carb Irish soda bread and use two slices of that. I used New Hope Mills Blueberry Muffin bread mix to make a loaf of bread. It makes about 14 slices and each slice is 2 net carbs. You can also make my low carb Irish soda bread and use two slices of that.

Based on my BakedFrench Toast recipe, this adds pumpkin and several spices to the flavor mix. The recipe is basically a bread pudding mix with a little less egg and cream. Top it with butter and sugar free maple syrup.

2 slices of low carb bread
1 large Egg
1 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream,
1 tablespoon Pumpkin-Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 tablespoons Pecans, chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 drops liquid sucralose or 2 packets of Splenda, Stevia or other sweetener

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray a 1 1/2 cup casserole dish with cooking spray or lightly butter.

Tear bread into small pieces and put in a small mixing bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to make a moist lumpy batter. Pour into the casserole dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pudding is done and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cut into two pieces. One piece is one serving.

Makes two servings – Atkins Phases 2 to 4, South Beach Phase 2 and 3

Nutrition Info (using New Hope Mills bread without pecans):
Calories: 213 Fat: 12.2 g Net Carbs: 3.7 g Protein: 12.4 g

(using New Hope Mills bread with pecans):
Calories: 315.8 Fat: 21.2 g Net Carbs: 4.4 g Protein: 13.8 g

 

Oopsie Roll Baked Pumpkin French Toast

This version uses the Oopsie Roll recipe from YourLighterSide.com or the Atkins Roll recipe, which is basically the same recipe but using Ricotta Cheese instead of Cream Cheese. Or you can do what I accidentally did and make an Egg Roll that doesn’t use either cream cheese or ricotta in it. Ingredients for the French Toast are basically the same, although I added in 1 oz. of cream cheese to replace the cream cheese that I left out of the Oopsie Roll. If you want to add the extra cream cheese with a properly made Oopsie Roll, it will add just a little on the carb count but a little extra richness to the dish. This version of the recipe is suitable for Atkins and (I believe) South Beach, phase 1 as well as being gluten free.

The photo at the top of the post is the Oopsie Roll version.

2 Oopsie roll rounds (1/3 of the standard recipe)
1 large Egg
1 oz. Cream cheese, softened (optional)
1.5 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream,
1 tablespoon Pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 drops liquid sucralose or 2 packets of Splenda, Stevia or other sweetener

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray a 1 1/2 cup casserole dish with cooking spray or lightly butter.
Tear rolls into small pieces and put in a small mixing bowl. Cut the cream cheese into little squares and add to the bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well to make a moist lumpy batter. Try to smear the cream cheese through the batter so you don’t have pockets of it when cooked.

Oopsie roll pumpkin batter in the casserole before baking.

Pour into the casserole dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pudding is done and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cut into two pieces. One piece is one serving.

Makes two servings – Atkins All Phases, South Beach All Phases

Nutrition Info
Calories: 218 Fat: 18.9 g Net Carbs: 3.0 g Protein: 8.9 g

I didn’t include pecans in the second version, but they can be added. While the New Atkins version I started on about three years ago didn’t include nuts in phase 1, it seems to include them now, so that’s apparently a legal choice now.

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 1/6/2014 3:57 PM