Category Archives: Desserts

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

 

Desserts, Main Dish, Recipes

Gearing up for Cinco de Mayo

Right about now, everyone is looking at their Mexican food recipes in anticipation of the coming celebration of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May for those who don’t know).  Originally a celebration of the Mexican-Americans in the west to celebrate freedom and democracy during the Civil War, the Mexican state of Puebla now celebrates the same day commemorating the Battle of Puebla.  However, there are other parts of the world where it is also celebrated because all you need is a small excuse to have a great party, right?

And really, you need no excuse in order to enjoy the great flavors of Mexican and Spanish food.  So here are my offerings for Cinco de Mayo, but feel free to enjoy them any time you have a craving for something with a bit of bite or a sweet that’s a little out of the ordinary.

If these don’t appeal, here are some more great recipes on my site:
Pollo Pequitos – Game Day Tostados – Cornmeal Pancakes and Eggs – Spicy Breakfast Eggs – Eggs with Asparagus – Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Casserole – Spaghetti Squash Tamale Pie – Mexican Style Asparagus Salad – Enchiladas with Chicken and Butternet Squash – Chicken Chile Rellano Casserole – Tasty Pork Carnitas – Tex-Mex Cauli-Rice – Orange Almond Cake

Red Chile Beef Enchiladas

1 pound Ground Beef
10 oz. Enchilada sauce (about 3 net carbs per 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 taco size Low Carb FlourTortillas (3 Net carbs each)
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/2 cup canned Green Chili Peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon Red Chile Powder
1  cup Zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick

In a skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat.  Add garlic and onions and cook until onion is just tender.  Remove to a bowl.  Add ground beef and cook, breaking into small pieces, until it is lightly browned.  Drain any liquid off.  Add 1/8 cup enchilada sauce and stir to mix.  Add onions back to the pan and add green chiles.

To make as a casserole:

Assemble the layers in a deep 9 inch round casserole dish beginning with 1/8 cup of enchilada sauce.  Place a tortilla on top, then spread another 1/4 cup of sauce on top, then 1/3 of the meat mixture over the top of that.  Arrange zucchini slices in a circle then top with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.   Place another tortilla on top of that, then top with 1/4 cup sauce,  then meat mixture, remaining zucchini slices distributed evenly around the outer circle and top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Place another tortilla on top and repeat with 1/4 cup sauce, the remaining meat and 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with tortilla, spread remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle cheese over it.

To make as individual enchiladas, as pictured:

Warm a low carb flour tortilla and place on a plate.  Spread two tablespoons of red enchilada sauce over the tortilla.  Spread 1/4 of the meat mixture on top, 1/4 of the zuchinni slices on top of that and sprinkle a tablespoon of cheddar cheese on top.  Roll the tortilla into a flute and placed into a lightly sprayed baking pan, seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining three tortillas.  Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with the rest of the cheese.

Enchilada loaded and ready to roll up.

Bake in 350 degree (F) oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.  Cut into six slices.  Top each serving with a fried egg if you would like.  Serve with Mexican Style Cauli-Rice as a side dish or a nice green salad.

Nutrition Info: Per enchilada – 4 servings
Calories: 516 Fat: 39.8 g Net Carbs: 8 g Protein: 31.3

When made in a casserole, this can make 6 servings with each servings being:
Calories: 333 Fat: 20.5 g Net Carbs: 7 g Protein: 20.8 g

 

Light and Refreshing Orange Flan 

Flan is a light custard dessert that is very popular in Mexican restaurants.  It is also very easy to make.  The trickiest part in converting this to low carb is the caramel sauce that is made from burnt sugar.  Sugar substitutes don’t really melt the same way and I hesitated to get them too brown.  But with the light sugary sauce, this is a delicious orange flan (Flan de Naranjas).  It was inspired by a recipe that used orange zest in the custard and I thought the best orange flavor is in the pulp, so this one uses the orange pulp in it.

1/3 cup sugar substitute
1 teaspoon butter

3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar substitute
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.)

If using Splenda or Equal, these sugar substitutes don’t melt well, so add 1 tablespoon water to a small sauce pan or skillet with the 1/3 cup of Splenda or Equal. Sugar alcohol will melt without water added. It gets gummy, then melts. Be sure to do this over low heat. Bring the melted sugar sauce to a light golden brown rather than a dark caramel. Remove from heat and stir butter into the sauce.

Divide into five1/2 cup ramekins. Place ramekins in a baking dish large enough to allow 1 inch of water up the sides.  You can also make this as a large flan in a 2 1/2 cup flan dish or casserole dish.

Separate the orange segments in 1/4 of a large orange, remove any membrane and chop the orange into small pieces or process in a food processor to get a nicely chopped pulp.  Should make about 1/4 cup of orange bits.

Stir cream, coconut milk, water, eggs, sugar substitute, orange extract and chopped oranges together and measure 1/2 cup into each ramekin.  Or pour all of it into a flan mold.  If you use a mold, stir to make sure the orange pieces are distributed in the dish.

Sugar sauce in the ramekins. I used one two serving ramekin so just doubled the sauce and the custard mix in that one.

Carefully, to avoid getting water in the dishes, add warm water to the pan to come up to 1 inch.

Bake for about 1 hour until a thin knife (I use a citrus knife) inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the ramekins or mold from the pan and cover the top with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to touch the surface of the flan. Chill 3 1/2 to 4 hours before serving.

To un-mold, loosen the edges with a thin bladed knife and lift up the bottom a little. Put the serving plate on top of the ramekin or mold and flip.  The flan should drop right out.  If  it doesn’t, put hot water in a bowl and set the ramekin or mold in it for about 10 seconds and try again to un-mold it.

Deliciously topped with Cool Whip and orange pieces.

Spoon any melted caramel over the top of the flan. Serve with dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip on top, if you wish, and top with an orange segment or pieces of orange.

Makes 5 servings

Nutrition Info per serving:
Calories: 196.6 Fat: 10 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g. Protein: 5.6 g

 

 

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Take Waffles to a New High…

Okay, so the leaf bordered plate wasn’t the best choice to display these waffles. Still they look yummy!

I love waffles, but I don’t make them too often and every time I do make them, I wonder why I don’t do them more often. Well, the taste of this fantastic waffle and syrup that I made today is one that really needs repeating often. This is a recipe adapted from one at the Raley’s grocery store web site. Theirs isn’t low carb, but mine is and it lacks nothing with the substitutions in it. Add the terrific Bourbon Pecan syrup I created to go with this and it is absolutely “fantastical”! (To quote Huey Calhoun in Memphis.)

Once again, I rely on a combination of low carb baking mix – my preferred one being CarbQuick – and a non-wheat flour, like almond flour or coconut flour. Can it be made with just almond flour or coconut flour? I haven’t tried, but I am guessing that yes, it can, but it will be more delicate and you will need extra eggs in it. Waffles are tricky enough to get out of the iron, so the almond flour or coconut flour mix may be really hard to move without them falling apart. If you have a flip waffle maker, you might be able to flip them into your plate successfully.

While these are great for breakfast or brunch, don’t overlook the possibility of a smaller portion with ice cream or yogurt and whipped cream on top as a dessert. It’s that good!

And, like most waffle batters, this also makes great pancakes, so that’s an option if you don’t want to go the waffle route.

Ricotta Waffles

1 cups carbquick
1/4 cup almond flour
1 large egg
2 tbsp. sugar substitute
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter

Mix dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together with a whisk. Stir into dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed, but may be slightly lumpy.

Pour or spoon 1/2 batter into a lightly greased hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Check after 2 1/2 minutes to see if it releases easily. If not, let it cook another 30 to 40 seconds and check again. The cook time will vary with waffle irons. Mine is a flip and takes about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes to cook.

Makes 4 waffles. If you’re a light eater, half a waffle will be enough.

Nutrition Info per waffle:
Calories: 232 Fat: 19 Net Carbs: 3.7 g Protein: 11.1 g

Awesome Bourbon Pecan Syrup

Best made just before serving, so the recipe is per waffle.

Per waffle:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 tablespoon sugar substitute
1 tablespoon Kentucky Bourbon
1/4 cup sugar-free pancake syrup (Mrs. Butterworth’s)
OR
*1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoon brown sugar substitute and 1 teaspoon maple extract

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar substitute. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the bourbon, stir and cook another minute or two. Add the maple syrup and cook one more minute to just warm the syrup.

*If you’re making your own syrup, prior to starting the pecans and the waffles, mix the water, brown sugar substitute and maple extract in a saucepan and cook on medium high heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir frequently so it doesn’t burn and stick. It will take about 10 minutes and it won’t get very thick.

Spoon over buttered waffle and serve. Delicious!

Nutrition Info for 1 serving sauce:
Calories: 324   Fat: 31.9 g   Net Carbs: 1.2 g   Protein: 2.7 g

Originally POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 3/26/2014 4:16 PM