Tag Archives: cranberry

Desserts, Recipes

Rugalach for the Holidays

Photo: Close up of rugalach

Just a little late for the Jewish holiday, I made a batch of low carb Rugalach cookies. These are simple to make, although a little time-consuming, and make a delightful cookie for the holidays. After my first batch, I plan to make a few minor changes to the next batch I make, but I wanted to get this recipe up before I do that. I cut down a little on the chocolate used, and this recipe reflects that.

Rugalach Cookies

FOR THE DOUGH:
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup low carb all-purpose flour *

FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 cup raspberry jam, apricot jam or marmalade
3 tablespoons sugar substitute
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I prefer pecans, but you can use walnuts or almonds)
1/3 cup chopped cranberries
2 ounces sugar-free chocolate, finely chopped

FOR THE GLAZE:
2 tablespoons egg whites
1 teaspoon cold water
2 tablespoons sugar, preferably coarse sugar

* For this recipe, I used Dixie Carb Counters All Purpose Low Carb Flour rather than their biscuit mix. Tova Foods also has an All Purpose Low Carb Flour as does LC Foods. I have not tried this with Almond Flour, but I believe it would work fine since it is mixed with cream cheese.  You will need to make sure the dough is chilled well or it will break easily.

Make the dough first. In a food processor, place the softened cream cheese pieces and the softened butter pieces. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse until the cream cheese and butter are blended together. Add the flour and pulse several times to mix it in. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed to get all the flour mixed in. Pulse until the dough forms large curds.

You can mix it with a hand mixer also, but don’t let the dough form into a ball on the blades.

Turn the dough out into a bowl and gather it into a large ball. Divide it in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic, then put into the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours.

Before you begin rolling the dough out, make the filling. Heat the jam over low heat or in the microwave until it liquefies. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar substitute and cinnamon together in a small bowl and set aside. Chop the cranberries in a small food processor. In a microwavable bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the cranberries. Microwave for 40 seconds. Stir well.

Ready two baking sheets.

Pull one disc of dough from the refrigerator, place a sheet of parchment over the breadboard, and sprinkle low carb flour on it. Roll out the dough into a circle about eight or nine inches in diameter. If it is too firm to roll easily, let it sit for about 10 minutes. Spoon or brush about 1/2 of the melted jam in a thin layer over the dough and sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon sugar over the top. Scatter 1/2 of the nuts, 1/2 of the cranberries, and 1/2 of the chopped chocolate over the jam. Cover the filling with a piece of waxed paper and gently press on it to push the filling into the dough. Remove the waxed paper, Slide the disk onto a baking pan and put the pan in the refrigerator to chill while you roll the second disc and repeat the steps.

Pull out the first pan when you put the second pan in, then cut the original dough into quarters, like you would a pizza. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter for this. Try to get it separated evenly. Now, cut each wedge into three triangular slices. Starting at the outside edge, roll the dough toward the middle to form a crescent cookie and tuck the end tip under the dough on the baking sheet, curving the cookie a little. Repeat with each triangular shape, cutting each of the quarter wedges into three triangles.

Pie cut for 12 slices.

Repeat with the second round of cookies. Put the shaped cookies in the refrigerator or other cold place on their baking sheets  to firm up for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F.) Position the racks in the oven to divide it into thirds.

Before baking the cookies, mix the egg white and water together and brush over the tops of the cookies and sprinkle the granulated sugar substitute over each.

Photo: One dozen rugalach cookies

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom racks and turning them from the front to the back of the oven about mid-way through the baking. Remove when they are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack until they are just warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 cookies.

Nutrition information per cookie:
Calories:102.2 Fat: 8.9 g Net Carbs: 1.0 g Protein: 3.3 g

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Fall Harvest Means Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Muffins

In the northern hemisphere, the weather has begun cooling as we move into Fall.  Places further to the north and at higher elevations are starting to see the first signs of fall with the trees beginning to change colors.  Around here, all it takes is a cold snap at night and our trees begin the transition.  I had one turn orange in spring one year when a false spring had lured it out, then a cold snap came in and the tree went into fall mode.  It never got green through the whole summer, but the leaves stayed on until late fall.

This is truly the beginning of fall and for me that means cranberries and pumpkins and other winter squash.  So I’m offering up my first fall recipe for this time of year– a delicious and wonderful low carb pumpkin muffin enhanced with chopped cranberries and pecans.  I also have a secret ingredient to help keep them moist.  So let’s just keep it between us, ok?

Cranberry Pumpkin Nut Muffins

I call these my deluxe muffins with everything good in them and less than 3.5 carbs!  Yes, it looks like a lot of ingredients, but it mixes together quickly and with little fuss.

1/2 cup Low Carb Baking Mix
2 tablespoons Almond Flour
1/4 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder(optional)
1 tablespoon Sugar-Free Pudding mix (Vanilla, Butterscotch or Cheesecake)
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
2 tablespoons Butter or Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 oz Sugar-free Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup (optional)
2 tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tablespoons Water
2 large Eggs
3 tablespoons Liquid Egg Whites
1/3 cup Cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup Pecans or Walnuts, chopped

For the optional vanilla whey powder, use the equivalent amount of either baking mix or the almond flour if you prefer.  For the pumpkin pie spice syrup, use just a little more sugar substitute and 2 tablespoons of water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.) Prepare 8 cupcake molds by spraying with baking spray or putting cupcake papers in them.

Chop the cranberries in a food processor so that they are small pieces but not too tiny. Chop the pecans into small pieces or break with your fingers.

In a medium bowl, add the flours, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and baking powder and mix together. Add the remaining ingredients, except the cranberries and nuts and mix until all the ingredients are moistened. Stir in the pecans and cranberries and mix into the batter well.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, about two tablespoons to each cup until they are about 2/3rds full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven. Check with a toothpick inserted in the middle. If it comes out mostly clean, they are done.

Makes 8 cupcakes.

Nutrition Info per cupcake:
Calories:130.6 Fat: 10.2 g Net Carbs: 3.2 g Protein:5.9 g