Tag Archives: almond flour

Desserts

Easy Microwave Brownies

Microwave Brownie with Hazelnut Cream Topping

A few weeks ago, I splurged big time and bought a microwave brownie baker at my local dollar store. What the heck? It might turn out to be a shortcut to one of my favorite treats, you know. (By the way, you can buy one just like it or a Betty Crocket one for $5 to $10 dollars!)

The kit includes a plastic pan for the microwave and an odd little measuring box. It has separate compartments and markers to put in your ingredients. Then you dump them all into the baking pan and mix them together. So I guess you could call this a measuring box.

I tried it once as written, cooking them in the microwave for 3 minutes. My brownies came out a little too done and not gooey as promised. So, I changed the recipe a little, using another similar one but used butter in place of oil. I cut the time back by 15 seconds. Brownies were a little less done but lacking the texture I was hoping to get. On the third try, I cut the time back to two minutes. Whoops. Still not in the gooey mode. The fourth time, I cut them back to 90 seconds. This time, they weren’t quite done in the middle. So, the most recent attempt was one minute and forty-five seconds. Success! While the brownies looked a little underdone when I first removed them from the microwave, they cooked a little longer and are now perfect.

The moral of this tale is that you may have to play with the time in your microwave. Since my unit is 1000 watts, a 1200-watt one might need only 90 seconds, while an 800-watt unit might need two minutes.

Alternately, you can abandon the microwave and simply cook them in an 8×8″ pan in the oven. Instructions are below.

I used a combination low carb flour of 6 tablespoons Bakesquick and 2 tablespoons Almond Flour.

Microwave Brownies

1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup All-Purpose Low Carb Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

Wet Add-ins:
1/2 cup Butter, melted and cooled
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped (optional)

Optional Topping (ices two brownies):
1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Hazelnut Spread
1 tablespoon Butter, softened
2 tablespoons Cool Whip or other toppings

Brownies:

Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.

Melt the butter and let cool for a few minutes.

In a small bowl, add the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until the eggs are completely incorporated.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir together until all the flour is moist. Add nuts and stir them in. If you wish, you can add 1/3 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips to make them even richer. Pour batter into a microwavable 6″x6″ pan to microwave or into an 8″x8″ baking pan for the oven.

To microwave, cook 1 minute 30 seconds to 1 minute 45 seconds and let cool. With luck, this will produce a moist, gooey cookie. If it’s not quite as you like it, cook it more or less the next time you make it.

To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Bake 20 to 22 minutes, checking with a toothpick to ensure it doesn’t get overcooked.

To bake in the oven, let cook for 20 to 22 minutes, checking to make sure it doesn’t get overcooked.

Makes about 6 to 8 brownies.

For the topping:
It’s best to make only enough for what you’re going to eat at the time. This recipe makes enough for two brownies.

In a small bowl, add hazelnut spread and butter. Mix together, then add Cool Whip (or even whipped cream if you prefer.) Stir together until it is blended, then spread over the top of the brownies.

If you have friends over and you’re eating the whole pan at once, simply triple the amounts for the topping.

Low Sodium Brownies

For my friends who need a low sodium intake, this recipe works with almond flour and coconut flour.

To make low sodium brownies, use these ingredients:

1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Almond Flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

Wet Add-ins:
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
2 Eggs
3 tablespoons Egg Whites
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped (optional)

Cook in the microwave as described above.

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Keto Breakfast Bars with Variety

1 Comment

Photo: Keto Breakfast Bars

This is a low-carb or Keto adaptation of an oatmeal breakfast bar recipe that has changed so much that it is really a new one.

Using a combination of flour products, I created a nice mix with great flavor but isn’t overly sweet. You can experiment with add-ins, but be aware of the added carbs in your additions. I recommend Carbquick or Bakesquick for the baking mix since they are both low in carbs. Other low carb baking mixes, such as Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour, also work. Add extra sugar substitute if you want your bars to be sweeter. I also add a simple icing for that purpose.

While I’ve used unsweetened almond or coconut milk to keep the carbs low, you can use whole or 2% fat milk or cream. The carbs will go up a little.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars made in pan with separator.

These make eight breakfast bars that are filling and very satisfying with your morning coffee or tea. If you feel overly full or want to cut the carbs a little more, you can make a dozen by slicing 4 bars in one direction and three the other way. I have a Copper Chef 11×7-inch pan with separators to make 12 bars that I used, but you can also use an 8×8-inch pan and cut them yourself.

Keto Oatmeal Bar

Keto Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1/4 cup old-fashioned Rolled Oats
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/4 cup Golden Flax Meal
1-1/4 cup CarbQuik or other baking mixes
⅓ cup packed Swerve Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon White Sugar Substitute
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 cup Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch square pan.

Combine oats, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, canola oil, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl. Stir egg mixture into oats mixture until well combined; set aside until flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Spread oats mixture into a prepared square pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

To make this using Coconut flour, replace the Baking Mix with 1/2 cup Coconut flour and add 1/4 cup Egg Whites. The extra egg whites will be absorbed by the flour and help it to rise.

Add-Ins: 1/2 cup chopped Pecans, 1/2 cup chopped Sugar-reduced Craisins, 1/2 cup Blueberries, or 1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree

This version is made with Coconut flour and uses pumpkin puree. You can use this as a base to make any of the bars using Coconut flour.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Info: Keto Oatmeal Bars

Image: Pumpkin Oatmeal Bar

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bars
With Coconut Flour

The pumpkin version is my favorite bar. It’s very moist and filled with spices.

1/4 cup old-fashioned Rolled Oats
1/4 cup Almond Flour
1/4 cup Golden Flax Meal
2/3 cup Coconut Flour
⅓ cup packed Swerve Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon White Sugar Substitute
1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup Almond or Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
3 Eggs
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract or Almond Extract
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Icing
4 tablespoons Swerve Confectioners’ Sugar
1 tablespoon Unsweetened Almond or Coconut Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Prepare according to the above instructions and add pumpkin puree with the wet ingredients. This recipe may take a little longer to cook, so check at 30 minutes, then extend by 5 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrition Info: Pumpkin Oatmeal Bar with Coconut Flour

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Delightful Apple Cranberry Skillet Cake

Photo: Slice of apple cranberry skillet cake.

One of the really lovely things about the last five decades or so has been the availability almost year-round of most fruits and vegetables. If we don’t have them fresh, we might be able to get them frozen. As we move through the next few months, it will be interesting… and possibly a little alarming… to see if that ready access continues while we are still fighting COVID-19.

Apples have been readily available at the market, so I’ve been making a few apple recipes. I’m sharing one I made recently that is similar to the Cranberry Skillet Cake I made a few weeks ago. This one adds in Swerve Brown Sugar to add a nice caramel flavor to the it. So easy to put together, the cake is moist, loaded with flavor, and can be either a dessert or a nice breakfast treat.

I used DCC’s All Purpose Flour and Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour in my recipe. But you can substitute other flour, such as soy , hazelnut , or coconut in for the all purpose flour. If you use coconut , I’ve duplicated the recipe and made the adjustments for the coconut flour. As I’ve mentioned before, it absorbs a lot of moisture and expands a lot so it isn’t a “substitute the flour for the same amount of coconut flour” item. You use at least 50% less coconut flour plus additional egg and possibly water.

I also baked this in an 8″ cast iron skillet, which is perfect for this type of cake. If you don’t have one, use an 8″ round deep-sided cake pan. The nutrition information for both recipes is at the bottom of the page.

Enjoy the recipe, eat well, and stay in, stay healthy.

Apple Cranberry Skillet Cake

1 large Apple, cored and chopped
1/8 cup Craisins or 1/4 cup Cranberries
3 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 cup granulated Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
1 tbsp Brandy or Irish Whiskey
2/3 cup Low Carb Flour
1/3 cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pecan or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 8″ cast iron skillet or an 8″ cake pan. Spray the paper and the sides with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs and sugar substitute in a bowl and whisk together until creamy. Add in the brown sugar, vanilla, brandy (or whiskey), and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Whisk or mix with a spoon to combine. Add the egg mixture and stir it together to mix all the flour in. Add the butter, apples, and nuts and stir until they are mixed in.

Spoon the batter into the cast iron skillet (or cake pan) and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is done. Insert a toothpick and if it is clean when removed, the cake is done. Set aside to cool.

Serve with whipped topping or low carb ice cream for dessert. Or spread butter over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar Substitute for a breakfast cake.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Photo: Apple cranberry skillet cake

Almond and Coconut Flour Version

1 large Apple, cored and chopped
1/8 cup Craisins or 1/4 cup Cranberries
3 tablespoons Swerve Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Egg White
1/4 cup granulated Sugar Substitute
1/3 cup Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 tbsp Brandy or Irish Whiskey
3 tablespoons Coconut Flour
1/3 cup Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8″ cast iron skillet or an 8″ cake pan. Spray the paper and the sides with cooking spray.

Combine the eggs, egg white, and sugar substitute in a bowl and whisk together until creamy. Add in the brown sugar, vanilla, brandy (or whiskey), and cinnamon and whisk to combine.

In a medium bowl, add the coconut flour, almond flour, and baking powder. Whisk or mix with a spoon to combine. Add the egg mixture and stir it together to mix all the flour in. If the batter is too dry, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Add the butter, apples, and nuts and stir until they are mixed in.

Spoon the batter into the cast iron skillet (or cake pan) and smooth the top.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is done. Insert a toothpick and if it is clean when removed, the cake is done. Set aside to cool.

Serve with whipped topping or low carb ice cream for dessert. Or spread butter over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar substitute for a breakfast cake.

Nutrition Info for Apple Cranberry Skillet Cakes

Breads, Recipes

If it’s Halloween, it must be Pumpkin Bread

Image: Pumpkin Loaf

I can’t believe I haven’t published a pumpkin bread recipe since pumpkin is one of my all-time-favorite flavors. This recipe is so delicious and really easy. The cream cheese adds flavor and texture to the loaf. I seldom specify a low carb flour, but in this case, I do recommend using Dixie Carb Counters All Purpose Flour to make a wonderful bread loaf. It will still turn out well using other flour replacements, such as almond flour, soy flour, or coconut flour, but not textured as beautifully.

Note if you use coconut flour, halve the amount it is replacing (1 cup of flour = 1/2 cup of coconut flour) and add two eggs or two egg whites since the rise will come from the eggs. Of course, other flour choices might change the net carb count.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf

4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup Butter
1 Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup LC Foods Sweet Brown or more sugar substitute
2 tablespoons Swerve Brown sugar blend
2 Eggs
1 cup canned Pumpkin
1 1/4 cup DCC All-Purpose Flour or other low-carb flour
1/2 cups Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 cup chopped Pecans or Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. I prefer using a layer of parchment paper on the bottom to prevent sticking, then spray with cooking spray over the bottom and up the sides.

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and Sweet Brown (if you are using) in mixing bowl. Beat until creamed together. Beat in eggs, adding one at a time, then add the pumpkin.

In another bowl, mix the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk until mixed. Pour the dry ingredients into the egg and cream cheese mixture and stir together until the flour is mixed in and evenly moistened, but don’t over mix. Stir in the nuts. Spoon into the loaf pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove and cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. If the sides are stuck, use a plastic knife or thin blade to go around the edges of the pan, then invert over a plate. Let cool on a rack.

Makes 12 slices.

Image: Nutrition Info for Pumpkin Loaf

Desserts, Product Review, Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Done 2 Ways, and a Product Review

 

A 48 ounce tub of Breyers CarbSmart Vanilla front of packLast week, I wrote about my quest to find some low carb ice creams other than CarbSmart, which our local grocery stores carry only in vanilla, even through three other flavors are available (chocolate, peanut butter, and smooth mint). When I asked one of our local stores to please carry other flavors, not just of CarbSmart but of other brands, I was told I could order a case, but they don’t have room on their shelves for many choices.

But I digress. I found other lower carb options at three of our local stores and sampled a couple of more.

Halo Top frozen dessert is probably the lowest carb ice cream ProductImage_WEB-MintChip-190620asubstitute on the market with most of their flavors coming in around 1 net carb. I tried their mint chocolate chip, which was very good although being sugar-free means it is harder than ice cream and needs to thaw for about 5 to 10 minutes before you can scoop it out. I’ve opened two of their cartons and both had a frozen lump of the product with lots of space around it within the container. They are supposed to hold two cups but I don’t think they do. Two of my ice cream scoops equal 1/2 cup and the mint had three servings in it. Halo Top comes in 26 different flavors sold in pint cartons. Of course, my  trio of grocery stores had about six different flavors between them. I would give this a rating of 4 stars. It tastes good, no after taste, but it isn’t as creamy as CarbSmart, and it seems a little shy on the stated quantity.

The other one I tried is Enlightened Frozen Desserts. This is a really good diary-free ice cream substitute, but it also contains more sugar than the others, so it comes in around 8 to 10 net carbs per serving. If you have enough carbs to spare, then this is a terrific option. I tried their Salted Caramel bars and their Chocolate Mint Swirl bars, and they are delicious. You don’t miss the cream in these at all, and there is no aftertaste. They make an amazing 32 different flavors and are available at a reasonable price in pint cartoons. Again, our local stores stock a few of their flavors. I give this one a 5-star rating, right up there with CarbSmart, except for the higher carb count.

So, if you are on a quest for ice cream substitutes, you might try one of these options. If you can get CarbSmart, it is made with cream, and delicious with only 4 net carbs per half cup.

How About a Recipe?

Now, since I haven’t posted a recipe in the past two weeks, here’s one that comes from a keto site for Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs. This is an almond flour dough that is eaten uncooked, so it is like eating cookie dough, sort of. The almond flour leaves it a little grainy, and it doesn’t taste totally like cookie dough to me. On the plus side, the flavor is pretty good, and one fat bomb makes a satisfying quick treat that boosts your carb burner with the fat content.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

Photo: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

The recipe is simple and is pretty much exactly as it is on the keto site I borrowed it from, except I rephrased it a bit. For one thing, the ingredients don’t have to be termed keto-friendly. Most of the sugar-free are. I used Hershey’s Sugar Free Chocolate Chips. I also used Splenda granulated which is almost fine enough to be confectioner’s sugar, but if you want to take it to a powder, you can do it in your blender.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners Sugar Substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
2 cups Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened. You may have to finish it off by hand. My mixer balked before the flour was completely mixed in. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Use a 1/2 tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flat on the bottom, and place on the paper. Put them in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm the balls up, then put in a plastic bag and store in the ‘fridge until you are ready to snack on one. They will keep for about a week or you can freeze them for up to a month.

Makes about 36 balls.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Fat Bombs

Make Those Bombs Cookies

Image: Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now, as I mentioned, I wasn’t too enthused with these as a raw dough ball, so I decided to turn them into cookies. It’s an easy change, and I even added the egg after the rest was mixed. Ideally, if you’ve decided to make cookies, you’ll mix the egg in with the sugar and vanilla. These cookies are about the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve made. They are firm, yet soft in the middle and have a wonderful flavor. I had expected them to spread on the pan, so I only patted them down a little, but they held up through the cooking. If you want yours a little flatter, then press them down to the size you want.

1 stick Butter, softened
1/3 cup Confectioners sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
Pinch of Salt
2 cup Almond Flour
2/3 cup Sugar-Free Chocolate chips
1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add softened butter and beat until it is light and fluffy. Add in the sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla and beat until mixed into the butter.

Add the almond flour, a little at a time, and mix until it is completely moistened.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Place plastic wrap over the bowl and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

Use a one-tablespoon measure or cookie scoop to form the dough into half-balls, flatten on the bottom, and place on the paper, allowing 2 inches between cookies. Press down slightly to spread the dough. Place in the refrigerator for another twenty minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned on top. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes or more. Almond flour is delicate and will break if you try to move the cookies while they are still hot.

Once they cool, enjoy or you can store in a plastic bag for a few days. Makes 18 delectable cookies.

Nutrition Info: ChocChip Cookies

If you try these products or these recipes, please leave me a message. I’d like to know how you like them or if you disagree with my opinion. Everybody’s taste buds are different.