Tag Archives: pecans

Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes

Pumpkin Muffin with a Twist

Pumpkin season is upon us, as if I actually wait for pumpkin season to enjoy one of my favorite flavors.  I usually buy extra canned pumpkin in the fall in case there’s a shortage by the beginning of summer.  Just recently, I read that the pumpkin in the can isn’t pumpkin, but a mixture of winter squashes.  That could be.  I do know that jack-o-lantern pumpkins aren’t like cooking pumpkins and there is a pie pumpkin that is a better flavor and texture for it.  But even if the pumpkin is really a mixture of various squashes, which could include pumpkin, the real flavor comes from the spice combination you add to it.  So butternut squash, acorn squash, kobacha, or pumpkin, you still get a delicious result.

I often miss the muffins that are big, moist, and loaded with carbohydrates. No matter how you cook it, the low carb muffin won’t be the same, but I have come up with a plan to make a big, tasty low carb muffin that is satisfying.  It uses a muffin-in-a-minute approach to get a big fluffy muffin, then you bake it for a short time to finish it off and it magically resembles a baked muffin in flavor and texture.  Try it and you might find it will become a favorite.

While I use a combination of flours to make my muffins, you can use all one type of low carb flour or baking mix.  I don’t recommend all coconut flour.

Pumpkin Pecan Magic Muffin

1 tablespoon Low Carb Flour
1 tablespoon Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1 teaspoon Coconut Flour
1 Egg
2 tablespoon Pumpkin Puree
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
Pinch salt
5 Pecan halves, broken into pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

In a microwaveable bowl, break the egg and add the oil, then stir vigorously with a whisk or a thin spatula until the egg is well mixed. Add the seasonings, salt and sugar substitute and mix well. Then add the flours and stir in until completely mixed.

Microwave for one minute. Let cool and set a few minutes. Prepare a baking pan by spraying with cooking spray. Turn the partially cooled muffin onto the pan. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar substitute or cinnamon and sugar substitute mix and serve warm or cooled.

Makes 1 muffin.

Nutrition information per muffin:
Calories: 346 Fat: 33 g Net Carbs: 4.2 g Protein: 17.6 g

If you give this a try, let me know how you like it.

Desserts, Recipes

Low Carb Version of Hepburn’s Brownies

Recently, I saw a recipe from the New York Times that said it was Katherine Hepburn’s own for Brownies. It’s a simple recipe and I really wanted to try it, but I also needed to adapt it to low carb. It uses a lot of powdered chocolate and very little flour. I made it and it turns out well, with a rich dark chocolate flavor and a lot of nuts. I plan to make it again, but I am going to make a couple of changes so that it isn’t quite so dark chocolate-tasting as I prefer a lighter taste to my chocolate, being very fond of milk chocolate. When I do that, I’ll post the lighter version.

The best part of this recipe is that it is very low in effective carbs with only 1 net carb in each square. Without further fanfare, here is the low carb adapted recipe.

Low Carb Hepburn’s Brownies

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 stick Butter
2 Eggs
1 cup Sugar Substitute
1/4 cup Low Carb Flour
1 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
pinch of Salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees(F.)

Use a medium-sized heavy pot. Over low heat, melt the butter until it’s almost completely melted (or put this over a double boiler to avoid burning). Stir in the unsweetened cocoa powder until completely mixed in. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes.

Mix the flour, sugar substitute, salt and nuts together in a bowl.

Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture one at a time, blending each in well. The mixture will begin to thicken. Add the vanilla and stir it in, then add the flour and nut mixture and stir it in until it is completely blended.

Pour into a buttered (or cooking spray coated) 8×8-inch baking pan. Spread the batter so that it is even, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake so that the brownies are gooey inside. Let cool completely, then cut into 16 2×2-inch squares.

Nutrition Information per square:
Calories: 122.5 Fat: 12.3 g Net Carbs: 1.0 g Protein: 2.3 g

Notes:  For the low carb flour you can use CarbQuick, LC Foods Cake Flour, Soy Flour or Almond Flour.  I personally don’t like the taste of Soy Flour, so I don’t use it, but if you don’t mind it, then it will work.

Regular Katherine Hepburn Brownies

For those of you who want the full sugar version, here’s the ingredient list and the instructions are the same:

1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 stick Butter
2 Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
1 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
pinch of Salt

Nutrition Information per square with regular sugar and flour:
Calories:170.5 Fat: 11.7 g Net Carbs: 15.2 g Protein: 2.7 g

Are you a Brownie fan?  (Isn’t everyone?)  Which do you prefer — dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Let me know in the comments and let me know how you like the recipe.

Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts, Recipes

Holiday Breakfast Waffles Are Great!

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Typically on Christmas or New Year’s, I’m looking for something a little special for breakfast that isn’t too heavy or too high in carbs because that big holiday dinner is coming and I want to be able to fully enjoy it. So this recipe for Cranberry Waffles works really well. It is easy to make and very satisfying. Put a couple of strips of bacon or sausages with it and it’s the perfect holiday breakfast.

There are a couple of other good options on this site for holiday breakfast that are equally easy to make and can even be made in advance. (By the way, the waffles can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready for them. Simply microwave for about 40 seconds or until they are hot, then butter and serve.)

Check out these recipes:

Breakfast Egg Casserole
Fiesta Cornmeal Pancakes
Pumpkin French Toast
Ricotta Waffles with Bourbon Pecan Sauce
Cream Scones
Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

Cranberry Waffles

Waffle cut to show the cranberries and rich texture of the cake. Tastes as good as it looks.

I used a Belgian waffle maker and this recipe makes two waffles that will serve two people, so a total of four servings from the recipe. A regular waffle maker will probably make at least six waffles.

1/2 cup low carb flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/4 cup Cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons Sugar Substitute
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Chop cranberries up with a food processor.

Heat the waffle iron. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together and stir well to combine. If the batter is too thick, add a little water until it is liquid enough to spread without the aid of a spoon. It should be thick, but able to spread once it is placed in the waffle maker.

When the waffle maker is hot, spray with cooking spray, then put one-third to one-half cup of batter into the iron and use the back of a wooden spoon to spread if it is a little too thick. Close the lid and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions until steam from the waffle is almost dissipated (about 2 to 3 minutes), then carefully lift up on the lid. If the waffle is done, the lid will lift easily. If it doesn’t, let it cook a little longer.

When the lid lifts easily, carefully lift the waffle from the iron with spatula or pancake turner to give it support. Waffles made with almond flour and other low carb flours tend to be delicate when they are hot. The easiest way to get it out in tact is to put a plate over the waffle and flip the whole iron, but be careful to use hot pads so you don’t burn your hand.

Cut each waffle in half, butter and serve with sugar-free syrup.

Makes four to six servings, depending on your waffle iron.

Nutrition Information per 1/2 Belgian waffle:
Calories: 187 Fat: 8.3 g Net Carbs: 2.5 g Protein: 13.5 g

Adding either pecans or walnuts will add about a .2 net carbs to each serving and brings the calories up to about 212.5.

For a special dessert, use one-fourth of a waffle on a dessert plate with a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream (Breyers makes CarbSmart, which is delicious) and a tablespoon of Cranberry Syrup over the top. Or you can top it with whipped cream and a little low carb Cranberry sauce.

You can make your own cranberry syrup by using the recipe for cranberry sauce, then processing in a food processor until it is completely pulverized, putting back in the sauce pan with a little water and cooking until thick. You can strain if you don’t want any pulp in it, but it isn’t necessary.

Regular Version

To make this fully carb’d, here’s the ingredient list. The directions are the same.

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Nutrition Information per 1/2 Belgian waffle:
Calories: 208.6 Fat:6.0 g Net Carbs: 30.2 g Protein: 7.2 g