Tag Archives: cranberries

Desserts, Recipes

Quick Dessert with Cranberries and Pecans

Cranberry Pecan dessert photo

I cannot believe March is almost over! Where does the time go? I seem to be way behind on everything this month. But I did manage to try out a quick recipe for a wonderful dessert like Pecan Pie.

I’ve seen several recipes for “Impossible” pies that use the same technique as the Bisquick recipes that work so well to mix all the ingredients in one bowl, pour them into the pie shell, and they separate while they cook to give you a crust on the bottom and sometimes a topping layer. So far, I haven’t been able to duplicate this using low carb flours.The food tastes great, but the crust doesn’t seem to come out on the bottom. This is another one of those recipes. It seems more like a very low flour cake than a pie, but the taste is wonderful.

The original recipe came from Dixie Carb Counters, but I made a few adjustments. I used the DCC All Purpose Flour to make this, but I think it will work equally as well with almond flour, soy flour, or coconut flour (use 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of water). The recipe uses a small amount of flour, so the crust isn’t very thick.I used my cranberries whole, but they might be distributed better if they are chopped.

Cranberry Pecan Pie Cake

Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Pecans, chopped
1/3 cup fresh or frozen Cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F.). Prepare a pie tin or an 8-inch square baking pan by spraying with cooking spray. I also like to line mine with parchment paper, then spray the paper.

In a small bowl, add the sugar, flour, and baking soda and mix together. Set aside. In a larger bowl, add the eggs, butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and whisk together until blended. Stir in the flour until it is all mixed in. Add 3/4 cup of the nuts and the cranberries and stir them in.

Pour into your prepared pan, smoothing until even. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of pecans over the top.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, checking at 20 to see if the edges are getting too browned. If so, cover with foil and cook until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Makes 8 Servings

Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories:162 Fat:15.7 g Net Carbs: 1.6 g Protein: 3.7 g

Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Light and Delicious Ricotta Pancakes

A light and delicious breakfast treat, these little pancakes are satisfying in the way toast and jam is. I used homemade sugar-free cranberry sauce as a filling, but you can also use strawberries or blueberries in them. The carbs come out about the same.

1 tablespoon Butter, melted
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1 tablespoon Sugar Substitute
1 tablespoon Cream
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 tablespoons Low Carb Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup chopped Nuts (Pecans, Walnuts, Almond)

In a medium-sized bowl, add the melted butter, egg, ricotta cheese, cream, vanilla extract and sugar and whisk together well. Mix baking powder and flour together and gently stir into the egg mixture. Add chopped nuts and stir them through the batter. Add a tablespoon of water if the batter is too thick.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Reduce the heat a little. Put two tablespoons of batter on the griddle for each pancake. They should be about 3 inches across. Unless you have a large griddle, you can cook two at a time easily. Cook for about 2 to 2-1/2 minutes until bubbles break through the pancake and the batter appears to be set. Turn to cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes until it is lightly browned.

Remove to a warm plate to keep warm. Prepare the remaining batter into two more pancakes. Butter and serve with syrup or jam.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 246 Fat: 21.9 g Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 8.9 g

With Cranberries/no nuts
Calories:252.6 Fat: 22.0 g Net Carbs: 4.4 g Protein: 9.0 g

 

 

Breakfast & Brunch

Tastes of the Season: Orange Cranberry Pancakes

Cranberry Orange Pancakes

I love this time of year when Fall gives way to Winter and the holidays roll around. It’s a good time to reflect on everything that’s happened in the past year and beginning planning for the next year. So, I want to celebrate this month with Tastes of the Season recipes; those wonderful dishes with flavors that remind us of the joy of the holidays.

Orange is a flavor that is oddly associated with Christmas for me. I think it must be because we always had apples and oranges in our Christmas stockings, thanks to places like Florida and California who produce them in the winter. Now we can also get them from Mexico. Cranberry is another seasonal favorite, although I enjoy them year round. These two flavors were made for each other. They go well in cakes, cookies, bread, jam, and pancakes!

I found an orange pancake recipe that made me chuckle. It called for 1 teaspoon of orange zest. That was it for the orange. Like it’s going to give much flavor? Actually, I don’t think orange zest brings a lot to the party, and it can be bitter. Not to mention, you now have a naked orange that will shrivel in a short time if you don’t use it.

Wanting to stay low carb, I decided to try to make my own version of Denny’s Cranberry Pancakes with Orange Sauce by taking it a step further and making  Cranberry Orange Pancakes. The sauce is similar to the chain’s, but not as sweet.  I, personally, think they’re better.

Cranberry Orange Pancakes with Orange Cream Sauce

Recipe by Rene Averett

2 tablespoons Ricotta Cheese, whole milk
1 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (optional)
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Eggs fresh
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Sugar Free Orange Drink Mix
1 tablespoon Sugar substitute
1/4 cup fresh Cranberries, chopped or cut into small pieces

For Topping
1 ounce Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Sugar Free Orange Drink
1 tablespoon Heavy Cream
2 to 3 tablespoons Powdered Sugar Substitute

If you don’t use the protein powder, increase the low carb flour by 2 tablespoons. You may use a mix of low carb flours, such as Bakesquick, Carbquick, LC Foods Flour, Almond Flour, or Soy Flour.

Make the topping first. Use a mixer or small food processor to cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add the cream, orange drink, and sugar and mix together completely. Add a drop of yellow and a drop of red food coloring if you want an orange color. Your drink mix might be enough to turn it a light orange. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add the eggs, ricotta cheese, drink mix, cream, and oil. Stir until well mixed. Add low carb flour, Protein powder (if using) and baking powder. Mix together until the batter is blended and completely moist. If it is too thick, add a little water to thin. You want a pretty thick batter, but it should be spreadable. Stir in the chopped cranberries.

Heat a non-stick pan or griddle until a drop of water sizzles on it, then spray with cooking spray and add the batter for one or two pancakes, about three tablespoons of batter per pancake, depending on how large your skillet is. Lower the heat to a medium high heat, cover with a lid and cook until the top is only slightly moist, then turn with a spatula. Cook the bottom another couple of minutes.

Butter the pancakes, if you wish, then spoon or spread the topping over them and serve.

Makes 2 servings of 2 pancakes each.

Nutrition Information per serving pancakes only:
Calories: 275 Fat: 23.7 g Net Carbs: 3.8 g Protein: 10.9 g

Nutrition Information per serving orange topping only:
Calories: 159 Fat: 17.3 g Net Carbs: 0.7 g Protein: 1.2 g

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

Fruit Cobblecakes are a Nice Change

We bought a bag of apples for the holidays and still had a few remaining toward the end of January, so I’ve been looking for recipes that use apples. I ran across one for an Apple Pudding and I tried it using low carb ingredients. It’s very good, but I wouldn’t call it a pudding. I’ve dubbed it a cobblecake because it’s more like a cobbler and cake combination.

It’s also a flexible recipe that you can easily substitute different fruit into it. So far, I’ve tried cherries as well as the apple version. But I’ve given you some other options like peaches and berries to try.

You can make it gluten-free by using almond flour, soy flour, or a gluten-free flour of choice. The only one I wouldn’t use is coconut flour, primarily because it won’t rise without an egg in the recipe. If you decide to try it, add 1/4 cup liquid egg whites and 1/4 cup coconut flour to replace the flour in order to get a puffy cake. The almond milk makes it a good choice if you’re lactose intolerant, although you can make it with cream or milk instead of almond milk if you prefer.

Apple Cobblecake
Apple Cobblecake

Basic Apple Cobblecake

1 cup Apple slices (about 1 medium apple)
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 tablespoon Sugar-free Gingerbread syrup (optional)
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 cub Low Carb Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or 1/4 cup Cream plus 1/4 cup Water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the apple slices, cloves, and cinnamon into a microwave safe bowl and add syrup and mix. Microwave for 2 minutes.

In a bowl or the blender, mix the rest of the ingredients until they are completely blended and smooth.
Pour the batter into 1 quart casserole dish. Put the apples slices in the middle. Do not stir in.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let cool about 10 minutes and serve with whipped cream or low carb ice cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information per serving with almond milk:
Calories: 151 Fat: 13.4 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 4.2 g

Nutrition Information per serving with cream:
Calories: 199 Fat: 18.6 g Net Carbs: 4.5 g Protein: 3.6 g

Peach Cobblecake

Use the same recipe, but use only 3/4 cup of peaches.

Nutrition Information per serving with almond milk
Calories: 154.5 Fat: 14.2 g Net Carbs: 3.9 g Protein: 2.7 g

Cherry Cobblecake with whipped topping. Photo at the top is the whole cake in a casserole dish.
Cherry Cobblecake with whipped topping. Photo at the top is the whole cake in a casserole dish.

Cherry Cobblecake

3/4 cup fresh or frozen Cherries (Cranberries or Blueberries)
1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
1/2 cub Low Carb Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or 1/4 cup Cream plus 1/4 cup Water
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for blueberries, try Almond Extract)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the cherries in halves or quarters and mircowave with a tablespoon of water for 1 minute to soften them.

In a bowl or the blender, mix the rest of the ingredients until they are completely blended and smooth.
Pour the batter into 1 quart casserole dish. Place the cherry pieces and any juice in the middle. Do not stir in.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let cool about 10 minutes and serve with whipped cream or low carb ice cream.

Makes 4 servings.

Cherry Cobblecake
Nutrition Information per serving with almond milk:
Calories: 159 Fat: 14.1 g Net Carbs: 4.7 g Protein:2.8 g

Cranberry Cobblecake
Nutrition Information per serving with almond milk:
Calories: 152.5 Fat: 14.1 g Net Carbs: 2.8 g Protein:2.6 g

Blueberry Cobblecake
Nutrition Information per serving with almond milk:
Calories:160.4 Fat: 14.1 g Net Carbs: 2.8 g Protein:2.6 g