Healthy Indulgences

Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies for a Healthy Christmas Treat (+ a GIVEAWAY!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:12:00 +0000

At the request of a reader, I wanted to share with you my sugar-free, gluten-free Healthy Sugar Cookies. That sounds like an oxymoron, right? Stay with me here. These cookies smell and taste just as good as the cut out cookies I've made every year since I was little using grandma's recipe. The aroma of sweet cookie dough (i.e. buttery vanilla-y goodness!) filled the kitchen as I gingerly rolled out the dough.

I used my grandmother's antique cookie cutters to cut the familiar shapes that remind me of so many past Christmases. The dough I worked with was sugar-free, but the steps for making the cookies, and the accompanying feelings of nostalgia were the same.

I posted variations with and without sugar since I know some of my gluten-free readers don't eat low carb. If you make these with a sugar containing sweetener (e.g. honey, white sugar, etc) they will be crispy, depending on what you used. Made with honey or palm sugar the cookies will become soft again unless you dry them out in the oven at 175 degrees or so for a couple of hours. Since I made these cookies sugar-free using erythritol, xylitol, and stevia, the batch I made were soft at room temperature. Cakes and pies are so much easier to de-carb than cookies because they don't rely on sugar for their structure or texture as much. There is, however, a solution to this textural issue. To achieve that delightfully crispy sugar cookie texture, store your "sugar" cookies in the freezer. Seriously! Straight from the freezer the texture of these cookies is perfect. They're not icy - just delectably crispy. Freezer storage is a minor trade to make for getting to enjoy sugar cookies that are not only flavorful, but nourishing.

I used a blend of xylitol and erythritol in these cookies since the texture of cookies is much better with a mixture of the two sweeteners than with erythritol alone. If you use palm sugar or honey, I recommend adding stevia extract powder to supplement the sweetness.

PSA: Be sure to keep these treats away from your pets! Google xylitol and dogs for more info.

Healthy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used millet flour)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Sweetener options:

-2 Tablespoons xylitol +2 Tablespoons erythritol + 1/8+1/16 teaspoon pure stevia extract powder

-1/3 cup palm sugar or honey

1/2 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Whisk together dry ingredients excluding the erythritol and xylitol. Cream xylitol, erythritol, and butter together until fluffy and smooth. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients until dough comes together, then shape the dough into two balls. Wrap dough balls in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. The dough won’t hold together as well if it isn’t chilled long enough. Roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper, peeling off the top sheet and flipping the dough over on to the other sheet as you roll it out. Flipping the dough and peeling off the top sheet every time you roll the dough with your rolling pin a few strokes ensures that the sheet of dough won’t stick to the paper. Once dough it rolled to 1/8“ thickness, cut it into shapes with cookie cutters and bake them on an insulted cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake cookies at 325 degrees for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges barely brown. Let cookies cook on sheet one minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down completely. To ensure that moisture doesn’t form underneath the rack, prop it up on top of a couple of drinking glasses! I read about this trick and have used it ever since to avoid soggy cookie bottoms. Store cookies in the freezer between sheets of wax paper. Keep cookies frozen and eat straight from the freezer for the best taste and texture.

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In the spirit of the season, I'm bringing you another GIVEAWAY, sponsored by Iherb.com. Iherb.com is my source for 5 lb bags of erythritol, xylitol, coconut flour, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and NuNaturals pure stevia extract powder. I order from them every couple of months, and my shipment of baking supplies always arrives in great condition within a couple of days of placing the order. They usually slip a few free samples in their packages, too. :) I'm so glad to have found out about them back in 2008 when I started the blog and all of this experimentation with funky ingredients! In the interest of full disclosure, I do acquire rewards dollars when anyone uses the iherb.com coupon code posted in the banner at the left sidebar. This revenue really helps offset ingredient costs for me, along with your donations, so thanks to everyone who has used the code!

The winner of this giveaway will win a $50 shopping spree at iherb.com, shipping and handling included! This contest is open to U.S. and international residents. A winner will be picked on December 31st. If the winner lives outside the U.S. (includes Canada), he or she would be responsible for any customs fees, duties, and taxes. Leave a comment with your email address for a chance to enter. If you create a Facebook post or Tweet about the giveaway with a link to this blog post, you'll receive an extra entry in the contest.

Healthy Chocolate Whoopie Pies are here! Sugar-free, gluten-free, and finger-lickin' good.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:35:00 +0000

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Healthy Indulgences readers! School's out and baking season is here. After a semester of new beginnings during which I moved back home to Florida and started my post-baccalaureate coursework, it's time to get back in the kitchen and go on a baking spree. I'm trading in my calculator for my camera and ditching the library for the kitchen these next few weeks, bringing you holiday sweets and a couple of GIVEAWAYS!

Update: The lemon curd post and Gary Taubes summaries are on hold until the new year. We have many seasonal goodies to make over! Stay tuned...

To kickstart the baking bonanza, here are some sugar-free, gluten-free Healthy Whoopie Pies to satisfy your sweet tooth.

They're all the rage, and perfect for an easy, kid-friendly holiday dessert. My version of these cakey cookie sandwiches with a sweet buttercream filling tastes every bit as good as the traditional dessert chock full of flour, sugar, and shortening! Made with ground almonds, a little oat flour, pure unsweetened cocoa powder, and natural sweeteners, you can feel good about indulging in these treats after your holiday feast. Actually, they're wonderful any time of the year. In fact, you should make these right now. You need fuel to get through all that gift-wrapping and baking, right?!

Healthy Whoopie Pies (Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free)

Makes 8 cookies, about ~3.5" (~9 cm) in diameter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup oat flour (or other gluten-free flour*)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter**, preferably organic
Sweetener options:
6 Tablespoons erythritol + 2 Tablespoons xylitol + 1/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract
OR
6 Tablespoons Truvia + 6 packets sugar-free sweetener of choice
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum***

*Millet flour works well in this recipe for a certified gluten-free safe option.
** You might be able to substitute coconut oil or organic palm shortening for dairy-free Whoopie Pies.
***Xanthan gum is required if using a gluten-free flour to keep cookies from being too crumbly.

Preparation:
Set out butter and eggs on counter to bring to room temperature. Measure cocoa powder by scooping it into measuring cup and leveling the top with a knife. Add to mixing bowl along with oat flour measured the same way. Measure almond flour by scooping it into measuring cup and gently packing it down, then sweeping the excess off the top with a knife. Whisk together cocoa powder, flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Powder erythritol and xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet blender until it is finely ground. Beat erythritol and xylitol into butter, creaming the mixture for a minute or two until it is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and xanthan gum. Add dry ingredients and mix till batter is smooth. Chill batter for 1-2 hours, or until firm enough to scoop. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use an ice cream scoop to dispense 8 rounded scoops of batter on to parchment paper. The cookies spread to about 3.5" in diameter, so you might want to draw circles on the parchment to be sure you don't space them too closely. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a moist crumb. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then move them to a wire rack with a spatula to finish cooling.
~5.3g net carbs, 148.75 calories per whoopie pie cookie (1/8 of a recipe), made with oat flour

I created a couple of healthy whoopie pie fillings for you to choose from. The ridiculously fast n' easy one is the Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Crème Filling, which quickly comes together in a food processor. I got the idea for a peanut butter filling from Bakerella. The more traditional vanilla crème filling is reminiscent of a buttercream frosting since I adapted it from my cupcake frosting recipe here. I like it better than the old version since the addition of ricotta cheese cuts the greasy mouthfeel, giving this revamped Sugar-Free Vanilla Whoopie Pie Filling a luxurious yet light texture. I pureed the ricotta for about 3 minutes, stopping after each minute to give my little Cuisinart Handy Prep (<-- shout out to my sister and her husband for that kitchen donation - thanks, guys!) a rest. The smoother you blend the ricotta, the better the texture of the filling. Use red and green food coloring to add a festive tint to the filling. If the food coloring separates out of the filling (i.e. looks curdled), mix some xanthan gum in with a spatula or beaters to smooth out the texture. Start with 1/16 teaspoon, then mix around and observe the filling again a couple of minutes to see if the texture has smoothed out.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies are fun and festive for birthday parties!

Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Crème Filling
Makes enough for 4 whoopie Pies

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons erythritol OR Truvia
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract powder, to taste (if using erythritol)

Preparation:
Process erythritol (or Truvia) in food processor a minute or so to grind it finely. Add ricotta, peanut butter, vanilla, and 1/16 teaspoon of stevia powder (if using) to start. Blend filling 2 minutes, scraping the bowl at the one minute interval. Taste the filling and add more stevia if necessary.

~20.8g net carbs per batch of filling

Sugar-Free Vanilla Crème Filling

Follow the recipe for my Sugar-Free Buttercream Frosting posted here, using 2 Tablespoons of erythritol and 2 Tablespoons of xylitol in place of the 1/4 cup of xylitol called for. Before making the buttercream frosting, puree 1/2 cup ricotta cheese along with 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract in a food processor for at least 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the processed ricotta to the finished buttercream frosting, whipping the mixture for another 5 minutes. Add pure stevia extract or powdered erythritol a little at a time to sweeten the filling to your liking. Using a stand mixer is recommended for this particular recipe. Otherwise, get ready to give your arms a work out!

~18.4g net carbs per batch
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In celebration of the season, I'm bringing you guys a couple of exciting giveaways of healthy goodies! First up is a giveaway sponsored by NuNaturals, the company that makes my preferred brand of stevia extract. There will be FOUR prize winners, with each prize package consisting of the following:

(1) One box of NuNaturals NuStevia packets, 50 ct.
(2) One bottle of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia Liquid, 2 oz.

This contest is open to continental U.S. residents only since the prizes are shipped directly from the company. PO Box addresses are not valid for shipment of prizes. Leave a comment with your email address (with extra spaces like this --> healthyindulgencesblog @ gmail . com <-- to avoid the spambots!) for a chance to be picked as a winner. I'll conduct a random drawing the day after December 25th to determine the winners. If you create a Facebook post or Tweet about the giveaway with a link to this blog post, and include a link to your post or Tweet about the contest in your comment below, you'll get an extra entry in the contest. :)

Finally, I have a special coupon code for shopping on www.nunaturals.com for you all. Enter BLG1211 at the checkout page to receive 15% off your entire order.

Good luck, readers, and stay tuned for a giveaway from Iherb.com coming up next post!

Healthy Decadent Chocolate Mousse - Sugar-Free and Incredibly Easy!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:58:00 +0000

This healthy chocolate dessert is rich, decadent, and ridiculously simple to prepare. You might just find yourself eating chocolate mousse for the next few weeks. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Did I mention this mousse is sugar-free, low carb, and so easy a caveman [with a blender] could do it?

Many thanks to the Pioneer Woman for developing the method for this fabulous recipe. She even has photos showing how to make this dessert, although there are no chocolate chips in my version since it's sugar-free. She calls it Pots De Creme. I call it Chocolate Mousse. Whatever you call it, it's a surefire hit with company, or any time you want to indulge.

Scroll down for the recipe!
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As promised, here's a summary of the first chapter of Gary Taubes' latest book Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It. I'll be going through it over the course of the next few posts, so stay tuned if you'd like to follow along. I highly recommend ordering the book yourself to see what all the well-deserved hype is about!

"Chapter I: Why Were They Fat?"

These days, we are told that we get fat because we eat too much and don't exercise enough--2 conditions resulting from our wealthy lifestyle in which food is plentiful and physical activity is no longer built into our work and play. Taubes challenges the assumption that taking in more calories than you burn is the driving force behind the obesity epidemic.
Historically, obesity has been associated with poverty, not wealth. Taubes gives many examples of poor populations (the Pima indians, the Sioux, the Italians living in Naples in the 1950s, the Zulu and Bantu in Africa, and many more) who were impoverished and suffered from diabetes and obesity to the extent that us supposedly overfed, sedentary Americans do. Once the Pima and Sioux indians living on reservations switched over from their traditional diets of meat, fish, and crops to government rations consisting of white sugar and white flour, a large percentage of the people became overweight despite the hard physical labor they performed, and the symptoms of malnourishment they showed. In Trinidad in the 1960s, the islanders consumed less than 2,000 calories per day, yet 1/3 of the women older than 25 were obese. Why were these populations fat despite the fact that the people were physically active and consumed less than the recommended amount of calories? Gary Taubes sets out to explore this question in the subsequent chapters of the book.

Stay tuned for more chapter summaries coming your way...
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Easy, Rich Chocolate Mousse (Sugar-Free)

Makes 4 small servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (3 1/2 squares of Baker’s Chocolate)
Sweetener options:
3 Tablespoons of Truvia + 4 packets of Splenda
OR
3 Tablespoons erythritol + 2 teaspoons xylitol + 1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia
OR
10 teaspoons honey + 1/8 teaspoon pure NuNaturals pure stevia
2 eggs, preferably organic, room temperature
2 ounces of cream cheese**

Preparation:
Chop unsweetened chocolate very finely. Heat coffee and half and half in a glass cup in the microwave for about 50 seconds, or until it starts to bubble. Add heated coffee mixture, sweeteners, chopped chocolate, and vanilla to blender. Blend mixture for one minute or until chocolate is melted. Add eggs and cream cheese, and blend. Taste, and adjust sweetener if necessary. Pour from blender into serving glasses, and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set the mousse. Serve mousse topped with sugar-free sweetened heavy cream, if desired. Garnish with grated 70% chocolate, a sprig of mint, or a few raspberries.

**If you'd like to make this recipe dairy-free and paleolithic diet friendly, replace the half and half with coconut milk, and replace the cream cheese with 2 Tablespoons of coconut milk and 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil.

~4.7g net carbs, 229 calories per serving made with Truvia and Splenda
~5.65g net carbs, 234.5 calories made with erythritol, xylitol, and stevia
~23.2g net carbs, 282.2 calories made with honey

Related recipes from other bloggers:
Sugar-Free Chocolate Mousse @ Hold The Toast
Low Carb Chocolate Mousse @ Deliciously Thin
Low Carb Chocolate "Mousse" @ Cravingsugar.net

Secret Recipes Club: Sweet Chili Green Beans with Bacon (A Healthy Low Carb Side Dish!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:29:00 +0000

I have a new favorite healthy side dish. Not surprisingly, it involves bacon.

Sweet chili greens beans, topped with sesame seeds, caramelized onion, and bacon crumbles. Mm-mm good!

Peggy over at My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good (isn't that a fun blog name?) came up with this gluten-free decadent veggie side dish featuring bacon and onion with an Asian flavor twist. Crisp-tender cooked green beans get their mild heat and sweet flavor from a couple of fresh poblano peppers, minced ginger, and a dash of Thai chili sauce. It's an addictive fusion of flavors that will have you coming back for more!

The recipe requires a few steps, but it came together quickly after I got the bacon cooking in my new cast iron skillet. I did have to cook everything for a bit longer than the recipe notes stated since the bacon burned when I tried cooking it over medium-high heat. I substituted ginger powder for fresh ginger, and red poblano peppers for the Thai chilis Peggy used. Instead of "sweet chili sauce," I used a hot chili sauce I found in the Asian section of the grocery store that has 0 grams of carbohydrates according to the label. Any chili sauce that contains garlic and rice vinegar in the ingredients will do the job. I added erythritol and a pinch of stevia to the hot chili sauce to create my own sweet chili sauce in a pinch. You can use any sugar-free sweetener you like here. Finally, I'd recommend you stick to the amount of bacon grease she uses here (1 tablespoon) instead of leaving extra in the pan, thinking that more fat equals more flavor. As delicious as bacon grease is, the taste of the green beans can become too oily rather quickly, especially if you top the dish with a drizzle of sesame oil. Strain and save that extra bacon grease in a cup for frying eggs!

Sweet Chili Green Beans

Adapted from a recipe at My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb. green beans, trimmed

4 strips of bacon, chopped

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced OR 1 ¼ teaspoons ginger powder

3 thai chiles, minced, OR 2 poblano peppers, seeds removed and minced

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce OR 4 teaspoons hot chili sauce + 2 teaspoons sugar-free sweetener

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 c. water

sesame oil, optional

toasted sesame seeds, optional

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until beans are a bright green. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the ginger, minced pepper, chili sauce, fish sauce, and water. Add green beans and toss to coat. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until water evaporates, the sauce thickens, and the beans become tender.

Stir in bacon and garnish plated green beans with sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, if desired.

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I made this dish as a newly inducted member of the Secret Recipes Club!

Sugar-Free Vanilla Ice Cream + the Comprehensive Alternative Sweeteners Information Post!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:01:00 +0000

As promised, here's my printable guide and Question and Answer post for baking with sugar-free sweeteners! Thank you for submitting your sugar-free baking questions through Facebook and email.

I created this sugar-free baking tips sheet with reminders of how you use sugar-free natural sweeteners and a couple of widely available low carb artificial sweeteners. Feel free to post this chart on your own website, or link back to the chart as a reference. The more people who have access to information explaining how to use these healthy sweeteners, the better! I'll update the body of this post (not the comments) with answers as more questions come in. You are welcome to provide your own feedback and answers to questions in the comments. I'd love to hear about your experiences with sugar-free baking, and any information you might have to add! Hopefully we can all collaborate to make this a helpful post for both fledgling and veteran sugar-free bakers.

Troubleshooting Questions for Baking with Sugar-Free Sweeteners

Question: How do I eliminate the "minty" cooling sensation in baked goods made with erythritol?

Answer: Reduce the amount of erythritol you’re using, and/or use another sweetener along with erythritol in your recipe. In my dessert recipes, I like to pair a good-tasting stevia extract with erythritol in order to boost and "round out" the sweet flavor. I use NuNaturals brand stevia since it does not have an aftertaste when used properly. The pure powdered stevia extract is what I use for the recipes on this blog since it is very concentrated and does not contain carby fillers (starches or sugars to add "bulk" to it, e.g. maltodextrin).

To sweeten your batter or dough with stevia and erythritol, start with a very small amount (1/32 of a teaspoon) of stevia and add more, pinch by pinch, till your dough tastes sweet, but not bitter. Then, add a little erythritol, and taste the batter again. Mix in more erythritol and keep tasting and adjusting till your dough is sweet enough. You want something to be little too sweet if you're going bake it. Remember to use as little erythritol as possible to avoid the "cool" aftertaste. It takes some practice, but you'll get a feel for it! :) You could also use artificial sweeteners like Splenda or saccharin to boost the sweetness of erythritol while keeping your recipe low in carbohydrates. I dislike the aftertaste and the chemical processing associated with Splenda and saccharin, so I don't have much experience baking with them. Another solution to the "cooling" problem is to add ingredients like xylitol and xanthan gum that keep the erythritol dissolved. Read the questions and answers below for more information about this.

Q: How can I get erythritol to dissolve more easily? How can I ensure that my baked goods made with erythritol do not taste gritty?

A: Keep erythritol dissolved to avoid grittiness or a cooling effect. Grind erythritol into a powder in order to dissolve it in cold or room temperature liquids. The texture of powdered erythritol should be like that of powdered sugar. You can buy erythritol in powdered form, or grind it yourself! J I use a coffee grinder or my Magic Bullet blender to powder erythritol before using it in recipes that require that step. The recipes on this blog require you to measure out your erythritol before grinding it into powder.

In recipes containing a lot of fat (e.g. frostings, "fudges," and homemade chocolates, use as little erythritol as possible, or none at all, to avoid a gritty consistency. I like to combine erythritol with xylitol, xanthan gum, and sometimes a little honey to minimize erythritol's tendency to crystallize. See the below questions for much information on how to use xylitol and xanthan gum with erythritol.

Q: How do I avoid a dry and crumbly texture when using erythritol?

A: Increase the amount of moisture in your recipe. If you’re making a cake, add a little sour cream or coconut milk to the batter, or bake the cake for a shorter length of time. If you are making a cookie or other hard pastry, you won’t achieve the best-tasting results using erythritol and xylitol. Cookies require sugar for structure and a crunchy or crispy texture. You can only make cake-like cookies with xylitol and erythritol.

Q: What is xanthan gum, and how do you use it?

A: Xanthan gum is a naturally derived thickener with zero carbohydrates, subtracting fiber. A little bit goes a long way in most recipes! It can enhance the bread or cake-like texture of gluten-free pastries, and increase the "creaminess" of liquid fillings and ice cream. To ensure that your treats made with erythritol don’t become gritty or “cool”-tasting, you can add a little xanthan gum (start with 1/8 of a teaspoon), which forms an invisible web that will stop erythritol from crystallizing. You can get away with using more xanthan gum in a baked dough or batter than in a sauce you are thickening. In liquids, xanthan gum can quickly become slimy, so add it little by little, whisking and checking for consistency.

Q: What is xylitol, and when do I use it? How do you use xylitol with erythritol?

A: Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a slightly different molecular structure than erythritol. It has less of a tendency to crystallize and taste "cool" compared to erythritol. Using a small amount of xylitol (1/2 teaspoon to 2 Tablespoons, depending on the recipe) can help to keep the erythritol stay dissolved in your desserts. I use as little xylitol as possible in my recipes since I get unpleasant side effects (gastric discomfort and bloating) if I eat more than a small amount. People vary in their tolerance to xylitol. Xylitol is unsafe for some animals due to how their bodies process it, so be sure to keep your treats made with xylitol stored out of reach of pets.

Since I can't create a post without a recipe, here's my current favorite quick and easy vanilla ice cream. It's perfect for summer! It's best eaten within a couple days of churning it. Still tweaking it to come up with that perfect premium vanilla blend...

This healthy vanilla ice cream recipe is sugar-free and a snap to make. Just throw everything in your blender or Magic Bullet, chill, and freeze in your ice cream maker. No cooking or fussing with eggs required! There a two versions of this posted below - one version made with ingredients available at the grocery store, and one version with the usual sweeteners (erythritol, xylitol, and stevia) I use for this blog. Try the version with the ingredients that suit your taste and lifestyle. The ice cream recipe using erythritol, xylitol, and stevia is my favorite since it has no aftertaste and uses natural sweeteners. Since there is no sugar in either of these recipes, the ice cream is best consumed within 24 hours of making. Otherwise, leave your storage container out on the counter for 10 minutes, or till it becomes softened n' scoopable. It's worth the wait!

Sugar-Free Vanilla Ice Cream

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1/16 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons Truvia
4 packets of Splenda
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 tsp + 1/16 tsp xanthan gum (available in the health foods section of most grocery stores)

Preparation:
Add half and half, heavy cream, salt, Truvia, and Splenda to blender. Blend for 20 seconds. Add vanilla, salt, and xanthan gum. Blend for 10 seconds. Chill mixture in a bowl (or in your blender) in the fridge overnight. For faster chilling, place mixture in a bowl, and set it over a larger bowl full of ice cubes and water. Cover bowl containing ice cream mixture with plastic wrap. Chill mixture in ice bath for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, till the mix is very cold to the touch. Pour ice cream mix into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer freshly churned ice cream into tupperware containers or steel canisters, and let it chill in the freezer for 4-6 hours before attempting to scoop it. You can also enjoy your ice cream soft-serve style, straight out of the ice cream maker.

~4.4 g carbs per 1/3 of a recipe

Sugar-Free Vanilla Ice Cream (Naturally Sweetened)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 cup half and half

1 cup heavy cream

1/16 teaspoon sea salt

3 1/2 Tablespoons erythritol

2 teaspoons xylitol

1/8 teaspoon pure NuNaturals stevia powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 tsp + 1/16 tsp xanthan gum (available in the health foods section of most grocery stores)

Preparation:

Add half and half, heavy cream, sea salt, erythritol, xylitol, and stevia to blender. Blend for 20 seconds. Add vanilla and xanthan gum. Blend for 10 seconds. Chill mixture in a bowl (or in your blender) in the fridge overnight. For faster chilling, place mixture in a bowl, and set it over a larger bowl full of ice cubes and water. Cover bowl containing ice cream mixture with plastic wrap. Chill mixture in ice bath for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, till the mix is very cold to the touch. Pour ice cream mix into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer freshly churned ice cream into tupperware containers or steel canisters, and let it chill in the freezer for 4-6 hours before attempting to scoop it. You can also enjoy your ice cream soft-serve style, straight out of the ice cream maker.

~6.5 g carbs per serving (1/3 of a recipe)

Review (and a Giveaway!): Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour by Elana Amsterdam

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:30:00 +0000

Update: The winner of the giveaway is commenter #54. The publisher will be contacting you shortly. Thanks for participating, all!

Now that school's out for ~~summer~~ an indefinite period of time (yay, graduation!), I am attending to blog-related matters that have been shelved for months. It's great to be able to spend more time connecting with readers and fellow bloggers. A few books that have been sent my way for review will be featured in upcoming posts. I'll be discussing the content, layout, and of course, the recipes for you guys!

First up is Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour, a dessert cookbook and ode to the beloved title pastry by Elana Amsterdam, the blogger and almond flour chef extraordinaire who runs Elana's Pantry.

Around the time I started my blog, I stumbled upon her treasure trove of a website. Elana's Pantry is a food and lifestyle blog with an eco-friendly flare, chock full of naturally delicious gluten-free recipes accompanied by mouthwatering photos. Elana and I first connected a couple of years ago when she gave me shout out at her chocolate peanut butter tart post. That was a huge honor since I had admired her and sung her praises since stumbling upon her site back in 2008, marveling at her creative and user-friendly recipes using fresh ingredients. I don't think anyone can match her ability to turn ground nuts into decadent desserts!

Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour is the second cookbook released by Elana, following the Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. Her second collection of recipes is a showcase of the sweet stuff, with almond flour and coconut flour having the starring roles. These two high protein, nutritious ingredients are combined with eggs, oil, and agave nectar to create a dizzying array of classic pastries and original colorful confections. Elana's creativity knows no bounds, with cookie dough cupcakes ("Cookie Suprise Cupcakes," pg. 36) and ice cream sundae cupcakes ("Banana Split Cupcakes," pg. 37, topped with a banana slice and cherry!) being a couple of the more eclectic picks. Don't those sound amazing?

Trying to decide what to make from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made With Almond and Coconut Flour was a bit of a challenge. There are so many delicious looking recipes packed into this beautiful little cookbook! Looking through the many tantalizing photos of cupcakes, I wondered what I could try that would appeal to the low carb and paleolithic eaters reading this blog. I turned the page to the Savory Treats section. Aha! Spying the recipe for "Garlic Cheddar Muffins" (pg. 86), I knew exactly what I was making. Those and the "Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins" (pg. 84) looked irresistible.

Here's how the "Garlic Cheddar Muffins" (pg. 86) from the Savory Treats section of Elana's book turned out for me. Oh my goodness, these babies are to die for. Red Lobster called, and they're totally jealous of Elana's healthy version of their beloved bread basket staple!

Here's the "German Chocolate Cake" (pg. 71) I made. Chocolaty coconut flour cake topped with a coconut pecan filling? Yes, please! The cake was moist, and the frosting had the consistency of the real deal, without the cloying sweetness. M-mm! I used honey in place of agave for you paleolithic eaters out there. The substitution worked beautifully. The recipes in this book are well crafted and easily adaptable in my experience working with them. Elana is truly an expert at what she does!

Last but not least, here's my attempt at Elana's "Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins" (pg. 84), also from her savory treats section. The chives and goat cheese pack quite the flavorful punch. Elana describes them as a great "breakfast on the run," and I agree.

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Scallion Goat Cheese Muffins (recipe p 84, image p 85)]

Makes 10

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 large eggs

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts

5 ounces goat cheese (10 tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and black pepper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and eggs. Blend the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then stir in the scallions.

Scoop 3 tablespoons of batter into each prepared muffin cup, then press 1 tablespoon of goat cheese into each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from the edge of the muffin (to avoid the goat cheese center) comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then serve.

Reprinted with permission from Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. Copyright © 2011 by Elana Amsterdam, Celestial Arts, an imprint of Ten Speed Press, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Annabelle Breakey.

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If you want the chance to win a copy of Elana's cookbook, leave a comment below. Please include your email address (with spaces, to avoid the hungry spambots). If you win, the publisher will contact you requesting your address.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post with a comprehensive discussion about the various alternative sweeteners!

Bread, made healthy! Tasty Grain-Free and Low Carb Rolls, perfect for sandwiches.

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Bread! Yes, bread. The sweet aroma of yeast-y dough filled up my kitchen while I was shaping and baking these promising mounds into the perfectly browned, crusty n' soft rolls you see below.

To my readers, who've wrapped their burgers in lettuce, their sammies in gluten-free wraps, and have grown accustomed to using a knife and fork for formerly handheld entrees - this one is for you guys. You who have dutifully forgone high carb, refined foods to avoid allergens, take charge of your health, and eat like Grok (Mark Sisson's paleolithic alter ego) can eat bread again without fear. Go ahead... take a bite!

A reader request led to the experiments that produced these golden rolls, made without grains, tree nuts, or dairy. You can, however, use ground almonds (aka almond flour or almond meal) in this recipe if you wish. However, I'm beggin' you to give my new favorite ingredient - sunflower seeds - a fair shot. What does the humble sunflower seed have to offer you? Its miniscule size, neutral flavor, and dry texture make it the ideal candidate for grinding into a very fine, low carbohydrate "flour" in a Magic Bullet blender, coffee grinder, or food processor. In addition to being easy on the taste buds, these little seeds are easy on your pocketbook, which is important for a student like myself in these tough times! Sunflower seeds are $2-$3 per pound compared to almonds, which are at least $7-$8 in my neck of the woods. Healthy, whole foods eating does not have to break the bank, folks! Finally, I wanted to create some special treats for you tree nut-free eaters reading the blog. It must be tough eating low carb when every baked good recipe features those darling almonds in one form or another. For y'all who are allergic to coconut... I'm sorry! Check out these lovely bread recipes here and here by Elana Amsterdam and Karina Allrich to see if you can't tweak their loaves to your liking.

Special thanks to Karina for sharing her wealth of knowledge with the blogosphere of gluten-free bakers over at her visual and literary feast of a blog. Having never used yeast to make any kind of baked good, I had no idea what to do with the aromatic granules in the pink and blue packets until I'd perused her recipe instructions and helpful hints.

These hearty sweet rolls are so good toasted with peanut butter, or made into sandwiches with all the fixins'. The flavor and texture of these rolls will knock your socks off! They are much more substantial and filling than regular white bread, with a more dense, heavy texture from the nutritious flax meal, coconut fiber and sunflower seeds. I don't recommend using a loaf pan to make the dough into a regular bread "loaf," since it won't cook properly that way. They're good enough to eat alone, one after the other, until your experimental batches slowly disappear, leaving you wondering why you didn't make a double batch. If you are watching your food intake to lose weight, bake up some rolls and share them with the ones you love. Take them to a fourth of July picnic, and make some new friends. ;)

Healthy Bread Rolls (Gluten- and Grain-Free)

Makes 6 rolls

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sifted coconut flour

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons ground sunflower seeds

1/4 cup golden flax seed meal

1/8 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt*
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/16 teaspoon pure stevia powder
1 1/8 teaspoon Active Dry yeast (half of a packet)
4 large eggs, room temperature (no cold eggs!)
5 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter OR 5 Tablespoons - 1 teaspoon of oil (I use half EVOO, half EVCO)
1 1/2 teaspoons honey (the sugar will be eaten by the yeast)

1/2 cup warm water**

*Add 1/8 teaspoon more salt for more of a biscuit flavor

**Add 1 teaspoon extra water if you are using oil instead of butter

Preparation:

Grind sunflower seeds and whole flax seeds (if you did not buy flaxseed meal) into a fine meal with a coffee grinder, Magic Bullet blender, or food processor. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Alternatively, grease the 6 wells of a muffin top pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift coconut flour into a bowl, gently spoon it into your measuring cups, and level with a knife. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sunflower seed meal, flaxseed meal, sea salt, xanthan gum, stevia, and baking powder.

Warm 1/2 cup warm water in the microwave for 8-10 seconds to heat it. Drop yeast into it. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter or oil, and honey. Whisk yeast water into egg mixture. Use hand mixer to beat the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Continue to beat the batter for one minute to smooth out lumps and give the dough a light and airy quality.

Spoon out the sticky dough onto the cookie sheet in 6 dollops. Shape the dough into rounds and smooth the tops with wet fingertips. Don't press the dough flat - just round out the tops to give the rolls a more pleasing appearance. Dip your fingers into water as necessary before smoothing the tops of each roll. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove rolls from the oven, and wait a minute or two before gently prying them out of the pan and setting them on a cooling rack lined with a paper towel. Let rolls cool for a half hour or so (I know, I know, it's tough!). Slice one in half. Add a healthy dollop of butter, or leave it plain. Eat.

Store rolls in plasticware containers lined with paper towels. Refrigerate after 24 hours. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds, or toast, for the best taste and texture.

-5.2 grams net carbohydrates per roll (not counting 1 teaspoon of the honey, since the yeast consumes most or all of the sugar**)

-294 calories per roll**

**If anyone has an exact formula for the grams of sugar consumed per teaspoon of yeast added, please let me know in the comments.

Here are my other recipes for low carb, bread-like creations:

English Muffins

Homemade Low Carb Gluten-free Wraps

Related recipes other blogs that might be of interest you:

Gluten-free, low carb buns (aka Oopsie rolls) by Jamie @ Your Lighter Side....

Foccacia Bread (GF) from Jennifer Eloff @ Splendid Low Carbing.

Multi-Grain Bread from Shauna @ Gluten-Free Girl

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Hope you have a lovely July 4th holiday!

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups - Homemade Treats that are Low Carb, Primal, and Nearly Sugar-Free!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:13:00 +0000

This healthy version of everyone's favorite peanut buttery candy is quick and easy to make. Check 'em out!

Yes, we can eat peanut butter cups following a healthy, whole foods eating plan. These delicious candies melt in your mouth, and give you a dose of antioxidant rich chocolate and immune system boosting coconut oil. This recipe is pretty nifty since you can shape and flavor your chocolates any way you'd like! The possibilities are endless...

This is going to be the first in a series of quick and easy desserts that can be made with primal (or paleolithic diet-friendly) ingredients. I'll include a low carb (sometimes sugar-free) version for each of these recipes as well, of course.

These peanut butter cups are a snap to make! My hope is that people who are new to lower sugar and sugar-free desserts will find these chocolaty confections to be an easy transitional treat. The ingredients are easily accessible and affordable, too. Two versions of the peanut butter cups are posted. The first one is the quick and easy primal version, and the second one is the low carbohydrate version. The low carb version came about through my experiments with making chocolates using erythritol and xylitol. I didn't think the peanut butter cups would ever taste right using those sugar alcohols, but the bit of added honey and the xanthan gum worked magic! The honey and xanthan gum eliminate the "gritty" texture of the erythritol and xylitol.

A note for my primal readers: I used peanut butter in the candies you see above since I do eat legumes (peanut butter, chickpeas in hummus, and black beans for this delicious chocolate cake). You can substitute almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or even macadamia nut butter for the peanut butter. Just be sure to get a nut butter with a very smooth consistency. I'll admit to using commercial peanut butter when I make these, just because it makes the texture incredibly luscious! You can probably tell that I don't sweat the small stuff when it comes to living a low carb whole foods lifestyle. It's great to strive for perfection, but I know my limits when it comes to this stuff! If you're too strict, it can be difficult to stick to healthy eating long term.

This recipe is inspired by the Carob Fudge posted by the clever and creative Ricki over at Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. Check out her lovely gluten-free and vegan recipes.

Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 14 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons coconut oil**

3 Tablespoons peanut butter*

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

5-6 teaspoons honey
Tiny pinch fine sea salt
A pinch (~1/16 of a teaspoon) pure NuNaturals powdered stevia extract

*Can substitute smoothly ground almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
**Can substitute with organic palm shortening or cocoa butter, both of which are dairy-free. The cocoa butter will yield more firm candies.

Preparation:

Heat cocoa powder, coconut oil, and nut butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is completely smooth and liquefied. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and honey with a spatula. Add a bit of stevia, stir until incorporated. and taste. Add a pinch more stevia if necessary. Pour into silicone molds, silicone muffins cups, or paper mini muffin liners in a mini muffin pan. If you're using silicone mini muffin cups, you can just place them on a cookie sheet. Freeze candies. After candies have set (takes 10-20 minutes), pop them out of silicone molds and store them in zip top bags in freezer. You can leave the candies in the paper liners if you're serving them to company, or want to handle them without getting any chocolate on your fingers. Store the treats in the fridge for a more fudge-like texture.

~3.4g net carbs per 1/14th of a recipe

~48g net carbs for the whole batch

Healthier Peanut Butter Cups (Low Carb version)

Makes 15 mini peanut butter cups

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil OR unsalted butter**

3 Tablespoons peanut butter*

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon xylitol
1/2 Tablespoon erythritol
Pinch (1/4 of 1/8 teaspoon) xanthan gum
2 teaspoons honey
Tiny pinch finely ground sea salt
A pinch (~1/16 of a teaspoon) pure NuNaturals powdered stevia extract

*Can substitute smoothly ground almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
**Can substitute with organic palm shortening or cocoa butter, both of which are dairy-free. The cocoa butter will yield more firm candies.

Preparation:
Mix together cocoa powder, coconut oil and nut butter over low heat in a medium sized saucepan. Stir occasionally with a spatula until smooth. Turn off heat and leave pan on the warm burner while you perform the next step.

Grind xylitol and erythritol into a fine powder in a Magic Bullet blender or coffee grinder. Mix in xanthan gum. Dump powder mixture into a small saucepan, add honey, and turn up heat to medium. Stir around mixture for a couple of minutes until mixture is translucent and liquified. Scrape down the sides and heat for 5 more minutes. Wash and dry your spatula thoroughly.
Remove both pans from stove. Add vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture, and stir it in until smooth. Take clean spatula and scrape hot liquified sweeteners into the chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth. Add a little stevia, stir it in, and taste. Add more stevia if desired, stir it in, and pour the final mixture into silicone molds, mini muffin paper liners, or larger paper muffin liners. Freeze candies until hard. Pop candies out of silicone molds, and store in zip top baggies or tupperware, separated by wax paper. Remove candies from freezer just before serving.

~32g net carbs and 772 calories for the whole batch (using 2 teaspoons honey)
~2.1g net carbs and 51.5 calories per 1/15th of a recipe (using 2 teaspoons honey)

Peanut Clusters (or Almond Clusters)

Unsalted peanuts (no skins) or whole almonds
1 batch of the recipe for Peanut Butter Cups

Roast a cup or two of nuts in the oven for 18-20 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring around once. In a convection oven, set the temperature to 300 degrees, and roast for 15 fifteen minutes. Let nuts cool, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper cut to fit. Freeze cookie sheet while peanuts cool for about 10-15 minutes. Pour nuts into saucepan and stir them around with a spatula to coat. Get spoonfuls of the peanut chocolate mixture and drop in small dollops on to cookie sheet. Freeze until set. Remove from freezer just before serving.

Chocolate Dipped Stawberries

1 batch of Peanut Butter Cups made with almond butter (or peanut butter, if you like)
Fresh strawberries

Dip cleaned, dried stawberries into warm chocolate mix, holding the stems firmly. Twist your hand to coat the strawberry evenly up to the stems. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Let berries set until hard in freezer. Dip strawberries once more in coating if desired, and store in freezer. Serve in paper muffin liners.

Related recipes from other bloggers:
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge from Jennifer Eloff @ Splendid Low Carbing
White Chocolate Peanut Butter from Carolyn @ All Day I Dream About Food
Raw Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fondue from Kelly @ The Spunky Coconut

Healthy, Homemade Granola Bars (pssst... they're Sugar-Free!)

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:12:00 +0000

Quick announcement: Healthy Indulgences now has a Twitter @ indulgehealthy (add me, er... follow me?)

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These are not your typical granola bars. What's so special about 'em? Look closely...

You don't see any oats, do you? Or sugar. I know you can't see there's no sugar, but I promise you it's not there (okay, so there's 1 tiny teaspoon of honey in the whole recipe!). Low carbers and gluten-free eaters, take heart. These snack bars are sure to satisfy your craving for this formerly forbidden treat.

What's so tempting about granola, and why might it not be the healthiest snack? For starters, it tastes like candy! Looking at the label, it's easy to see why. Granola is chock full of honey (sugar), brown sugar (sugar), crisp rice (starch), dried fruit (sugar), oats (starch) and canola oil (fat). Granola bars are carbs, carbs, and more carbs, glued together with processed fat. Sounds like a recipe for a high-GI junk food, doesn't it?

And yet, granola bars are touted as "all natural" and full of "whole grains," so we feel less guilty reaching for one of these innocent treats versus a candy bar. Interestingly enough, per gram, a Snickers bar has 3 less grams of sugar than those Nature Valley granola bars in the vending machines! At least the Snickers has peanuts and cocoa butter, for some protein and healthful saturated fat. While neither of these are great snack choices, it makes you think, doesn't it?

Oats (certified gluten-free, if you're gluten intolerant) are not inherently unhealthy. I even use a little oat flour in low carb pancakes and pie crust for structure and chew. It's just that eating a whole bowl of oatmeal for breakfast might not be the best for weight loss, unless you're going for a morning run.

The granola bars you see below and at the top of this post are made from nuts, seeds, and other wholesome ingredients. This recipe is super flexible. Just use what you have on hand! You could make these paleo friendly by nixing the xylitol, and adding a bit more honey. Most importantly, they won't give you that fat-storing blood sugar surge. And yes, they still taste like candy.

A little chewy and a little crunchy, these bars taste just as good as the store bought kind.

Healthy Granola Bars (Low Carb, Gluten-and Grain-Free)

Makes 4 bars

Ingredients:

Wet Mix:

1 teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon xylitol

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Mix:

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup pecans or walnuts

3 Tablespoons sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon pepitas

1 Tablespoon finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1 Tablespoon cacao nibs (can replace with more nuts/seeds/etc)

1 teaspoon flax seed meal

2 Tablespoons coconut milk powder (available at Asian grocery stores)

1/16 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/16 teaspoon sea salt

1/16 teaspoon NuNaturals pure white stevia extract

Preparation:

Use a small to medium sized food processor for this. Add almonds and pecans to processor bowl, and pulse 8-10 times. You don't want any large chunks visible. Add sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut, cacao nibs, flax seed meal, coconut milk powder, xanthan gum, sea salt, and stevia. Replace lid, and pulse 3-5x, until pepitas have been chopped up a bit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (300 for convection ovens). Line the bottom of a 8 by 4" loaf pan with a rectangle of parchment paper. Heat honey and xylitol in a small saucepan over medium heat until you see tiny bubbles forming in the honey mixture. It usually only takes a minute or two for the xylitol to dissolve. Wait one minute after xylitol has dissolved, then take honey mixture off heat and stir in vanilla with your silicone spatula. Quickly, scrape hot liquid from pan into dry mixture, and stir around vigorously with spatula until mixture is evenly coated. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of loaf pan with spatula. Bake for 10 minutes (7 minutes, 30 seconds in convection ovens). Remove bars from oven, let cool a couple minutes, and invert slab carefully on to cutting board. Cut into four pieces (across, and then across once more) with a sharp knife. Remold the corners as necessary if a few crumbs break off. Slide bars, bottom side up, on to metal pan. Bake for 9 more minutes (7 minutes for convection oven). Remove from oven, and place bars on cooling rack. Store in zip top bags in the refrigerator. Once the bars are completely cooled, they'll hold together nicely.

~159 calories per bar

~5.5g net carbs per bar

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It feels so good to be finished with college! I having been baking up a storm, getting back into my creative cooking groove. Stay tuned for a barrage of summer treats comin' at ya. Your requests have been very helpful in steering me towards new recipes to make over! Some informational "FAQ" posts requested by readers concerning sugar-free sweeteners (erythritol, xylitol and stevia, yay!) are also in the works.

The triumphant graduate, ready to face the world :)

I have a question for y'all, concerning Twitter - How do you use Twitter for in your daily life (or for healthy cooking chatter)? Are you part of the craze? Let me know in the comments!

Healthy Carrot Cake with decadent Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sun, 29 May 2011 19:56:00 +0000

Why have I made carrot cake over ten times in the past three days? To come up with a Healthy Carrot Cake that's low in carbohydrates and gluten-free for you! This fragrant and flavorful cake is also dairy-free and nut-free, if you omit the classic add in of chopped walnuts. I promise you won't miss the raisins in this nourishing carrot cake that's not just healthy "because it has vegetables in it!" ;) The other bad stuff--those culprits named Sugar and Flour--are conspicuously left out of this recipe. All of that grating was totally worth it.

There is a teaspoon of blackstrap molasses--which is technically a sugar--in this recipe. It's a thick, dark iron-rich syrup made from the sugarcane plant. This molasses is potent stuff, and contributes a rich flavor and coloring to the cake. You can leave molasses out to be completely sugar-free, but I think it's worth the 4 grams of carbs.

You can bake the cake into a traditional rectangular loaf, or snack-sized mini muffins. Get creative and have fun with your sugar-free frosting! It pipes well, using a zip top bag with the corner snipped off.

A bit of food coloring can transform your homemade low carb treats into festive, eye-catching confections worthy of special occasions. Check the food coloring label for hidden sugar before you buy. I made the mistake of not checking the label of the Wilton gel coloring I used here, and saw it contained corn syrup, much to my dismay! That pesky Sugar manages to sneak in everywhere, doesn't it? McCormick food colors, found in most grocery stores, are sugar-free. I've tried a couple of organic dyes, and unfortunately neither of them yielded satisfactory results. You need so little coloring for an entire batch of frosting that I'm not too worried about the health effects. If you have any recommendations for natural food dye, let us know in the comments, please.

The frosting is absolutely delicious any color you make it. It's a new and improved Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting, with a special low carb ingredient that might be familiar to the Asian and Indian readers of this blog...

Powdered coconut milk acts to thicken the frosting, while eliminating the greasy taste that comes from not using powdered sugar. Powdered coconut milk should be available at your local Asian grocery store for a reasonable price. The kind I used comes in a can, but I've seen it in packets. Dairy-free readers might want to know that coconut milk powder does contain a milk protein (casein), so it's not dairy-free (here is a dairy-free cupcake topping). Powdered coconut milk to contain 1.5 grams of carbs and 45 calories per tablespoon based on these nutrition facts. You might want to make just a small batch of this frosting--it's that good!

Healthy Carrot Cake

Makes 18 mini muffins or a small (~3 x 6") loaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sifted coconut flour

2 Tablespoons oat flour

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

Scant 1/4 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract powder

2 large eggs

4 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (imitation works fine - check the label for corn syrup)

1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses

1 1/4 cup (3.5-4 ounces) finely grated carrot, packed gently into cup

4 tablespoons erythritol

1 tablespoon xylitol

1/8 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Optional Add-Ins:

1/4 cup pecan flour (finely ground pecans - can find it in Publix stores in the southern states)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a small loaf cake, prepare a 3" by 6" aluminum loaf pan (disposable kind from the supermarket is fine) by lightly oiling the sides with your fingers. You can use EVOO cooking spray, or a bit of coconut oil on your finger to do this. Place a small rectangle of parchment paper or wax paper in the bottom of the pan. Dust the bottom and sides of the pan with a sprinkling of oat flour to ensure the cake can "climb" as it bakes. Turn and shake the pan with your hands to coat the sides evenly.

If you are making the carrot cake as mini muffins, I highly recommend you get some silicone mini muffin cups. Mine are made by Wilson, and they come in a set of 12. You can find them at Michael's, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or possibly a store like Home Goods. Otherwise, the carrot muffins will be just as tasty, but will stick to the paper wrappers. If you are using paper mini muffin cups, spray them with some EVOO cooking spray. Spoon batter into cups with a regular spoon (a teaspoon), filling them almost to the top. If you only have one mini muffin pan, you can make 2 regular-sized muffins with the extra batter. Use paper cups in this pan as well, and use the 2 center wells to keep the pan evenly heated.

Sift coconut flour, gently spoon into measuring cup, and level with a knife. Add coconut flour to a mixing bowl along with oat flour, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, and stevia. Add pecan meal if you are using it. Whisk together dry ingredients to get rid of any lumps.

Grate carrots, measure them by packing them gently into your measuring cups, and transfer shreds into a clean tea towel. Fold the tea towel over the shredded carrot several times. Wrap the tea towel-carrot package in a larger hand towel. Press down on the whole bundle to get the moisture out of the grated carrot. I recommend stepping on the bundle several times to use all of your body weight to extract the water from the carrots (fun for the whole family!). Unfold the towels to expose the dried carrot shreds.

To get less visible carrot pieces in the cake, use a blender in preparing the batter. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and molasses to a blender. Spoon erythritol, xylitol, and sea salt into blender. Add 1/2 of the carrot shreds, and blend briefly until the mixture is smooth. Add this wet mixture to the dry mix, and whisk it together. Fold in the second half of the carrot shreds. Fold in nuts, if using. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake as directed.

If you don't have a blender, or don't want to use one, you can use a hand mixer. The texture of the cake will just have more visible carrot pieces in it. Beat the wet ingredients together for a minute using your hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and beat the batter until it is smooth. Then, stir in the grated carrot with your spatula. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake as directed.

If you are making a loaf, bake it for 50 minutes. If you are making mini muffins, bake for 22 minutes. If you are baking regular sized muffins, bake for 25 minutes.

Let carrot cake rest in pan until it is cool enough to touch, then transfer to a paper towel-lined cooling rack. When cake is completely cooled, transfer it to a tupperware container or zip top bag, and store on the counter for as long as 24 hours. Refrigerate it for longer storage. This cake tastes best at room temperature.

~1,308 calories for the entire recipe

~37.7g net carbs for the entire recipe

~2g net carbs per mini muffin (no frosting)

~6.3g net carbs per 1/6 of a loaf (no frosting)

Healthy Cream Cheese Frosting (New and Improved)

Makes a little over 1 cup

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup coconut milk powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons erythritol, powdered

2 teaspoons xylitol, powdered

NuNaturals pure stevia extract powder, to taste (1/16-1/8 of a teaspoon)

Preparation:

Powder erythritol and xylitol together in a coffee grinder until very finely ground. Leave cream cheese and butter out on counter to come to room temperature. Cube butter with knife (doesn't have to be exact) and add to bowl along with cream cheese. Beat together with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in erythritol and xylitol mixture along with the vanilla. Beat until smooth and fluffy (30 seconds to one minute), until erythritol and xylitol are dissolved and no longer gritty feeling. Beat in coconut milk powder. Add stevia, taste, and make adjustments as necessary.

~626 calories for the entire recipe

~7.3g net carbs for the entire recipe

And now, I'm off to catch up on answering your emails! Hope you are having a wonderful summer, readers.

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Related recipes from other bloggers you might be interested in:

New and Improved Gluten-Free Low Carb Bake Mix at Splended Low-Carbing

Carrot Cake Muffins at Elana's Pantry

Carrot Cake by The Chicken Lady at Low Carb Friends forum

Spring Weather Means Coconut Cream Pie (take 2)!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:32:00 +0000

I realize I've done a few pies in the past few posts, and I'm letting you know there are definitely other treats on the agenda coming up. I'm just really loving cold and creamy low carb pies for this warm weather we're having here in NC!

There is another coconut cream pie recipe posted here, which I made back in December. This one is a little different since it is free of any starch thickeners. It's better tasting and lower in carbohydrates, which is good news for diabetic and primal readers. Now, I realize dairy is in no way primal, but it is a food group that I consume quite frequently since my Northern European ancestors conferred upon me the ability to handle it pretty well! You might try making this pie with coconut cream, but whipping it to a fluffy and light consistency has proven difficult since it is more stiff than regular cream.

The multiple steps make this recipe sound complicated, but it's really just a bit of a drawn out process. I recommend doing little tasks (blog surfing, laundry folding, etc.) during the intervals between the steps. I promise you that the labor will be well worth it.

I'm not ashamed to admit this slice was gone within minutes of the photo being taken!

This pie is one of my top three favorite desserts of all time. It was gobbled up within a couple of days by my family when I made it as a Christmas treat! It's got just the right balance of sweetness and richness, with a delicate, light filling and a hint of coconut flavor to tantalize your tastebuds.

Toasted Coconut Cream Pie
Adapted from this recipe, from the Tavern Restaurant

Serves 10

Ingredients:
1 envelope plain gelatin
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 large organic eggs, separated
1/2 cup erythritol
2/3 cup half and half, preferably organic
Pinch salt
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals powdered pure stevia extract
1 cup heavy cream, preferably organic
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Nutty Coconut crust (see this post for the recipe)
baked and cooled
1 1/3 cup finely shredded dried coconut, toasted

Preparation:
Bake pie crust according to the directions in this post. Put crust in the freezer or refrigerator to speed the cooling process while you prepare the filling.

Dissolve gelatin in 1/3 cup cold almond milk. In a different bowl, separate the eggs. Add 1/2 cup erythritol to the yolks, and whisk it in until its incorporated. Heat the half and half in a saucepan over low heat until you see bubbles at the edges. Add 1/3 of a cup or so of the heated half and half to the yolk/erythritol mixture and whisk quickly. Then, add the yolk mixture back to the pan and cook over low heat until slightly thickened. This process takes about 10 minutes. Be sure to whisk constantly so you don't get lumps! Remove the thickened mixture from the stove and pour through a strainer into a bowl. Add the gelatin to the heated yolk mixture and whisk it in until it is incorporated. Whisk in stevia and 1 cup of the toasted coconut. Put filling into a bowl, and refrigerate it until it becomes firm. It should thicken up in about a half hour.

In a separate bowl, add egg whites plus a tiny pinch of salt and a bit of cream of tarter if desired. With an electric mixer, beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Remove cooled filling from the fridge, and gently fold egg whites into the yolk mixture. It is fine if there are a few streaks of egg white - it's more important not to break down the light and fluffy consistency. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla. Fold whipped cream into yolk/egg white mixture. Spoon the filling into the cooled pie crust, smoothing the top over with your spatula. There should be 1/2 cup of filling extra. I like to put it in a separate serving glass for a "preview" tasting of the pie. ;) Sprinkle the toasted coconut all over the top of the pie. Refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours before serving.

~8g net carbs, 270 calories per 1/10th of a recipe

Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cup Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:25:00 +0000

Here's a sweet treat for you peanut butter lovers out there! If you are allergic to everyone's favorite legumes, try substituting in smooth almond butter for a nutty flavor.

Try sprinkling chopped peanuts on top (instead of the sliced almonds pictured here). I had to make due with what I had on hand. ;)

Here are some important recipe notes for you before you make this pie.

I created this pie for a contest that featured xylitol, so I had to convert the sweetener to erythritol and stevia. I am generally pretty good at doing this at a glance, but I cannot be sure that you can make this pie without slightly tweaking the stevia and erythritol amounts. Fortunately, you will easily be able to adjust the sweetness to your liking by tasting as you go along. Every other aspect of this recipe works beautifully. Low carb sweeteners like stevia and erythritol don't tend to affect the texture of desserts (unless you are working with chocolate or another substance without much water - see recipe notes) since they don't provide bulk, unlike sugar. You can easily ascertain the sweetness level of no bake desserts, but baked desserts tend to come out a little less sweet after heating, so keep this in mind if you taste a raw dough or crust.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cup Pie

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup organic heavy cream
7 tablespoons erythritol, powdered
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals white stevia pure extract
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Chocolate Cookie Crust (recipe follows)
1 recipe Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping (recipe follows)
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
2 tablespoons erythritol, powdered
Pinch of NuNaturals white stevia pure extract

Preparation:
Measure out granular erythriol, then powder it in a coffee grinder or blender. Soften cream cheese and peanut butter in microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Add vanilla extract. Beat in erythritol on low, then beat mixture a minute or two until thoroughly combined. Smooth mixture around bowl with a spatula if it looks crumbly. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream with the rest of the erythritol. Beat on low until you see soft peaks, then raise the speed on your mixer, and beat until you see stiff peaks. Do not overbeat. Using a spatula, take a generous dollop of whipped cream and stir it into peanut butter mixture to lighten it up and smooth it out. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream until most of the streaks are gone. Smooth mixture into crust and chill for several hours, preferably overnight. Top with chocolate peanut butter topping. Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons erythritol and a pinch of stevia until stiff. Spoon or pipe cream on to pie around the edges. Refrigerate for several hours, preferably overnight. Drizzle the optional Chocolate Peanut Butter topping on the pie before serving, and wait 5-10 minutes for it to set.

Chocolate Cookie Crust
Serves 10-12

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 scant tablespoons beaten egg
4 tablespoons erythritol, powdered
1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon NuNaturals white stevia pure extract
1 cup blanched almond flour, packed
1/8 plus 1/16 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Powder erythritol in a coffee grinder or blender. Melt chocolate and butter together in a microwave safe mixing bowl for 35 seconds. Stir well. Heat for another 10 seconds, and stir chocolate and butter until smooth. In another bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk egg and erythritol into chocolate mixture. Stir in dry ingredients until a ball of dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for a few minutes before pressing it into a pan if it is sticky and hard to work with. Grease a pie tin, and line the bottom with a circle of greased parchment paper. Press dough into bottom and up sides of tin. Poke holes all over crust with the tines of a fork. Bake for 17 minutes. Freeze crust for 20 minutes, or until no longer warm to the touch.

The topping is optional, and can be omitted or cut in half if you are saving carbohydrates. It's quite rich! It adds a decorative touch criss-crossed over the top with a piping bag. You can just use a plastic bag with the corner cut if you don't have a piping bag.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping

Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
3 1/2 tablespoons xylitol, powdered

Preparation:
Melt chocolate, peanut butter, and butter for 30 seconds. Stir well. Melt mixture in 10 second intervals, until it can be stirred smooth. Stir in xylitol with a spatula, smoothing out the mixture until uniform. Spoon into a zip top bag with straight corners. Make a tiny snip in the corner, and pipe chocolate mixture in a zig zag over the top, rotating and repeating three times. You can try erythritol here, but it will taste a bit grainy and will not create a smooth texture, mixed in with the chocolate.

~9g net carbs, 533 calories per 1/12th of a pie (with the add chocolate topping)

~7g net carbs, 477 calories per 1/12 of a pie (without the added chocolate topping)
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Replies to emails and comments will come in waves (correlating with my testing dates) until May 15th, which is when when I graduate. Thank you for having kept up with the blog since 2008, folks!

Starting off the New Year Right with Healthy Coconut Cream Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Hello, friends! Happy holidays!

To ring in the new year on a healthy note, let's make some pie. I asked y'all to request your favorite desserts to give me some inspiration for creating new recipes, and the response was overwhelming. It was foolhardy to think I could answer each of your emails during the school semester, so I'm giving you a heads up that your messages will be read during the couple of weeks before my last semester of undergraduate education.

Thank you for keeping up with this blog, even through the dry spell of no recipes which has lasted for the greater part of this year. I have learned a lot and have experienced much personal growth in my nonfoodie life this year. Admittedly, my passion had waned for cooking and healthy eating during that time period. Seeing your comments come in day after day in spite of my absence has reminded me how wonderful you guys are. Seriously. Thank you for making these recipes, and for sharing your experiences with us all. I cannot keep up with the comments at this time (need to finish my college undergraduate career first), but I do read them all! I am so impressed with your alterations and suggestions for these recipes. It's an honor that you take time to make my concoctions in this world of conveniently packaged insulin-spiking goodies. Honestly, I relied heavily on prepackaged junk food snacks during this past year. Am getting back to eating whole foods over this winter break, and am having so much more energy!

Per your requests, here is a delicious Healthy Coconut Cream Pie to celebrate the New Year!

This pie is a bit higher in carbohydrates than some of my other recipes due to the inclusion of arrowroot starch. I made a couple of coconut cream pies without this ingredient, and they were so labor intensive that I decided to attempt a more traditional pie using a starch thickener. I aim to makes these recipes easy enough for y'all to whip up within a reasonable amount of time, so I took this shortcut. If you'd like a recipe without any starch thickener, let me know in the comments, and I'll post the other one that worked well. Just be warned--the other recipe is not quick to make!

You can use the crust from my Key Lime Pie if you liked that. The crust posted here is very sturdy, and has a definite nutty flavor. Both crusts are very easy to make, and go well with the coconut flavor of this pie. The Nutty Coconut crust is a bit higher in carbs, though.

Healthy Coconut Cream Pie

Serves 10

Ingredients:
For Nutty Coconut Crust:
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
1/3 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup gluten-free oat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, preferably organic
2 Tablespoons erythritol
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

For Coconut Custard Filling:
1 teaspoon plain gelatin powder
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon erythritol
Pinch of sea salt
4 Tablespoons arrowroot starch
3 large egg yolks
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/8 + 1/16 teaspoon Nunaturals pure powdered stevia extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract

For Stabilized Whipped Cream Topping (makes more than you need):
2 cups heavy cream, preferably organic
2 Tablespoons erythritol
1/16 teaspoon Nunaturals pure powdered stevia extract
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Preparation:

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add all crust ingredients except butter to a food processor. Process mixture with short pulses, then process at high power until texture is very fine. Don't worry if the mixture is a bit clumpy from the oils in the nuts and coconut heating up. Melt butter in microwave for a few seconds, then add to mixture. Mix together with a fork, then pat dough into a round ball. Press dough into the bottom of a 10 inch aluminum pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes. Place pie plate on a wire rack or pie stand and cool crust completely.

For Filling:

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. Let gelatin mixture stand for 5 minutes. Separate the yolks from three large eggs, and add yolks to a bowl with vanilla extract. Slowly whisk arrowroot starch into yolks to make a thick paste. Keep whisking vigorously if it looks clumpy.

Add coconut milk, erythritol, gelatin mixture, and salt to a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove coconut milk mixture from the heat. Slowly add 1/4 of the hot coconut milk mixture to the egg yolk-arrowroot paste, whisking constantly.

Add the entire milk-egg yolk mixture to saucepan, whisking constantly (do not stop stirring) until it starts to bubble again. This whole process should take about one minute, with the consistency rapidly changing to that of a thick pudding. Remove filling from heat and scrape into a bowl containing shredded coconut, stevia extract, and coconut extract. Mix all ingredients together quickly, and let filling stand for 15 minutes. Scrape filling into pie crust, and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, covering the surface of the filling with plastic wrap (or a round of wax paper topped with plastic wrap, if you are wary of plastic touching your food).

For Whipped Topping:

To toast unsweetened coconut, sprinkle it in an even layer over a cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring it around occasionally until golden brown. Watch it closely once it starts to brown!

Once filling has cooled, add cream and sweetener to a bowl. Whip the cream with an electric mixer to stiff peaks. Beat in extracts and a pinch of xanthan gum (no more than 1/16th of a teaspoon) until mixed in. Scrape cream into a gallon sized plastic bag, twisting the top to loosely seal it and create a place to hold your makeshift piping bag. Snip off the corner of the bag and grip the top with both hands to pipe the cream around the border of the pie, working inwards in a concentric circle. Work quickly with a firm grip as you pipe the small "blobs" of cream. Sprinkle toasted coconut all over the top of the pie.

These counts are a bit off since I did not use the full amount of whipped cream to topped the pie. I used roughly 2/3 of it.

~13.5g net carbs per 1/10th of a recipe

~457 calories

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The contest winners will be announced shortly. Thank you for your patience!

Scrumptious Sugar-Free Key Lime Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:11:00 +0000

School's out for the summer, and I'm back in the kitchen. So happy to have a break from coursework, and time to create another low carb recipe! Here in Florida, the summer heat has me craving cool, creamy desserts and icy treats to enjoy. Enter a healthy version of the official dessert of the state of Florida: Key Lime Pie!

This is not your momma's key lime pie...

...or at least if my mother made key lime pie (she grew up in North Dakota), it wouldn't be like this! There are no egg yolks or sweetened condensed milk to be found in this version. With all of the tart, sweet flavor and none of the sugar, this low carb key lime pie will remind you of the slices you've enjoyed in Florida seafood restaurants. The pie has a slightly different texture than the original, though, with its airy, almost mousse-like filling. I can promise you that you won't miss the sweetened condensed milk after tasting this pie. Feel free to serve it liberally with whipped cream. We can indulge in that healthy saturated fat on a low carb eating plan!

I think you'll really like this super easy crust. It's worth making the pie just for the crust alone!

Removing the eggs and using xanthan gum as the binder helps keep the texture nice and crisp. You should already have xanthan gum if you have been doing a lot low carb baking (or following this blog!).

The flavor from the blend of pecan meal and almond meal is phenomenal, but if you prefer, you can use 100% almond meal in this crust. The pecan meal might only be widely available in southern states. Our local Publix has a whole section devoted to products from the George Pecan Co. Their pecan meal is really finely milled and fresh tasting. I use it more often than almond meal sometimes, since I have to grind almond meal myself. Pecans do have higher fat percentage than almond, so a one-for-one substitution of pecan meal for almond meal might not work well in all of your recipes.

Healthy Key Lime Pie

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

For Crust:

1 cup blanched almond meal, packed
1/2 cup pecan meal, packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. NuNaturals pure stevia extract
2 tsbp. granular erythritol, powdered
½ tsp. xanthan gum
3 tbsp. butter, melted
½ tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

For Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
7 tbsp. granular erythritol (or other sugar substitute), powdered
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. NuNaturals pure stevia extract
1/2 cup key lime juice (the bottled kind works well)
1/4 tsp. finely minced lime zest (1/8 tsp. for less tartness)
1 packet (2 tsp.) unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together almond meal, pecan meal, cinnamon, stevia, and xanthan gum together in a bowl. Grind erythritol in a coffee grinder to powder it. Whisk into the above mixture. Stir vanilla and salt into melted butter. Add to dry mixture, and knead together dough with hands until everything is distributed evenly throughout the dough. The color of the dough will look even when its ready. Lightly grease a large glass pie dish with butter. Press dough into dish in the shape of a crust, trying to make sure that the thickness is the same all over the pie dish. Poke holes with a fork all over the crust so to ensure that air pockets don't form while it's baking. Bake crust for 14-15 minutes. Make sure to remove crust from the oven once edges are slightly browned. Check the crust a couple of times while it bakes to see if bubbles form. Should you see air pockets rising under the crust, open the oven door, and gently prick those areas with your fork. Place dish on a cooling rack to cool, and wait at least 2 hours for crust to dry out and reach room temperature. You can cover the crust with plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator overnight if you'd like to prepare the filling the next day.

For Filling:
Set cream cheese out on the counter for 2 hours to reach room temperature.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and free of lumps. Powder erythritol in coffee grinder. Stir erythritol and 1/4 tsp. stevia into cream cheese, then beat with mixer for 2-3 minutes on high speed to ensure erythritol has dissolved and texture is smooth. Refrigerate mixture while you perform the next step.

Heat key lime juice, covered, in microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Add lime zest to hot key lime juice. Whisk gelatin into key lime juice until it has completely dissolved. Let mixture cool for 5-10 minutes, or until no longer hot to the touch. Stir key lime juice mixture into cream cheese mixture. You want the gelatin to start thickening as it cools down. Look for a pudding-like texture as you are stirring the cream cheese mixture around the bowl. If it is not thickening, make an ice bath with another bowl filled with ice and water. Set bowl with cream cheese mixture over the ice bath (making sure water doesn't get into cream cheese mixture!) and stir the cream cheese mixture around bottom of bowl with a spatula. Do this for a couple of minutes until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency and is cool to the touch. Remove bowl with cream cheese mixture from ice bath, and set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and 1/8 tsp. stevia until stiff peaks form. Use spatula to fold a dollop of whipped cream mixture into cream cheese mixture, and stir it around a bit. Fold the rest of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until texture is fairly even. Scrape filling into pie crust. Refrigerate pie, uncovered, for 3-4 hours, or until texture is firm enough to cut. Serve topped with whipped cream if desired. Pie will keep at least 3 days refrigerated.

Use the same process to whip cream for garnish as you did above for the filling. Add erythritol, stevia, and vanilla extract to taste. If you don't mind a few extra carbs, you can use a little bit of the canned whipped cream.

---------------------------------------------------
But wait, there's more! :) To celebrate the first new recipe of the summer at Healthy Indulgences Blog, I have a surprise for you readers. Leave a comment stating your favorite pie, and email address, and you could win one of the following prizes:

1) A bottle of NuNaturals Liquid Stevia (perfect for your morning coffee!)

2) A bag of xanthan gum (shipped to you from iherb.com)

Feel free to specify whether you'd like to be entered into the drawing for only ONE of the above prizes (if you already have either stevia or xanthan gum).

I wanted to do a giveaway to say "thank you!" for keeping up with this blog, and sending me your emails, even though I've been too busy with school to contribute much to the low carb community and blogosphere for the past year or so. The bottle of Alcohol Free Stevia was part of the generous package full of products I received from Nunaturals (thank you, Ron Redding!) to keep me stocked up and baking with their stevia products. Since I've loved the taste of their NuNaturals stevia since 2008, it's really cool to get that kind of gift from the company! I wanted to disclose this to you, in the interest of making sure you know why I'm going to be using NuNaturals stevia exclusively from now on. The 1 lb container of Nunaturals pure stevia extract is enough to last a lifetime!

I'm halfway through the blog inbox, and will get to your messages after the end of my next semester (since all of my time will be dedicated to an intense academic year starting very soon!).

Again, don't forget to leave your email address in your comment for this post. It's perfectly fine to leave it in the form "healthyindulgencesblog (space) @ (space) gmail . com" to avoid spam. Last time I couldn't get in touch with the winners after drawing their names.

Hope you are having a sweet summer!

Love,
Lauren

New contact information + updates about recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Hi readers! I wanted to keep you updated, since I have been receiving your emails and comments daily, even in the absence of new recipes. THANK YOU! I love hearing from individuals who share my passion for living and cooking sugar-free. You guys rock.

I have created a new email account that's just for Healthy Indulgences questions and comments. That way, I won't miss any of your emails. You have my sincerest apologies if you have contacted me for a question, and I have not responded to you! I hold off on responding to blog-related queries till I have addressed emails related to academic and personal matters. Hopefully with a separate account for Healthy Indulgences, there will be no more emails buried and forgotten about in my personal inbox.

My summer coursework has taken me out of the kitchen and kept me in the classroom. When I can "find my groove" and feel confident juggling class, cooking, and blogging, I will start posting again!

To those of you who have donated, I am thanking you right here, now, from the bottom of my heart! I appreciate the financial support, since I am still finishing my undergraduate education.

To summarize:
A) New email account for Healthy Indulgences (healthyindulgencesblog@gmail.com, which is posted on the sidebar <---) B) My apologies for missed emails C) Thank you for your support! Hope you are enjoying your summer! Feel free to let me know in the comments if there are any summer dessert recipes you'd like to see recreated as low carb, gluten-free treats.

Best,
Lauren

Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:48:00 +0000

At last, I am posting the recipe that goes with the photo you see below! Apologies for the delay. Am enjoying the last days of Spring Break. The Floridian in me is pretty excited about it (hint: it's a well-loved pie!), too.

Regarding comments, I'm sorry to say I cannot keep up with them for the time being. I am merely a student, with my top priorities being school work and other activities on campus. Please do not hesitate to email me. Go ahead and shoot me another one if I miss your first email! I will be creating a separate email account shortly just to respond to blog comments and questions, since they are currently mixed in with my school/work/personal emails. Thank you for your understanding.

At any rate, I hope you will give these easy, tasty cheesecakes a try. You can add what ever berry you like, or perhaps get creative and drop other goodies into the unbaked filling (low carb chocolate chips? sugar-free cookie chunks?!). The gluten-free nut crust could be tweaked with finely ground dried coconut flakes and perhaps a bit of buckwheat flour to make it nut-free for those allergic, but I will leave the experimentation up to you this time!

By the way, these cheesecakes were an entry for a contest sponsored by a sugar-free retailer that occurred ages ago. I have since tested the recipe multiple times, and the results have been met with "winning" ratings by my testers, although these tasty bites did not garner accolades in the official contest. The official contest winners were, incidentally, not low carb dishes. Doesn't the low-glycemic crowd need love too? ;)

Healthy Mini Cheesecakes with Fresh Berries

Serves 8

Chocolate Crust:

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon xylitol or erythritol, powdered
1/4 teaspoon pure NuNaturals powdered stevia extract (if using erythritol and not xylitol)
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a muffin tin with the metal liners containing paper muffin cups. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or blender. Melt chocolate and butter together in a microwave safe mixing bowl for 35 seconds. Stir well. Heat for another 10 seconds, and stir until chocolate butter is smooth. In another bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Whisk beaten egg and sweeteners into chocolate mixture. Stir in dry ingredients until a ball of dough forms. Mix dough with clean hands if it becomes too stiff to stir. Grease a pie tin, and line the bottom with a circle of greased parchment paper. Divide dough into eight pieces and press into bottom of greased muffin papers. Poke holes in the crusts with the tines of a fork. Bake for 15 minutes. Freeze crusts for 10-20 minutes, until no longer warm to the touch.

Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients:
1 package cream cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup xylitol or erythritol, powdered
1/8 teaspoon pure NuNaturals powdered stevia extract (if using erythritol)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 large egg
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
½ cup (heaped) fresh raspberries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill a cake pan with an inch of hot water, and place in oven on lowest shelf while you prepare filling. Mix cream cheese with erythritol or xylitol until smooth. Blend in cream, and then beat in extracts and egg. Do not over mix. Drop 4 to 6 (depending on size) raspberries into each muffin cup. Press down gently on berries that stick up. Pour filling into muffin cups all the way up to the top. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 25 minutes. Cool out on the kitchen counter until room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled and about, about four hours. Best served within two days, as these do not keep well.

Ganache Topping (optional)

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons xylitol or erythritol, powdered
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure powdered stevia extract (if using erythritol)
2 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, cut into four pieces

Preparation:
Place chopped chocolate, butter, and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on HIGH for 40 seconds, then stir until smooth. Mix in xylitol or erythritol and stevia with a spatula, until uniform in consistency with no clumps. Spread over cheesecakes with the back of a spoon or a clean fingertip. Press a raspberry in the center. Let the ganache set for about 10 minutes, then serve. Prepare ganache immediately before the portions that you are serving. It tastes best served immediately upon chilling.

Good things come to those who wait...

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:57:00 +0000

To all of my amazing, supportive readers: The wait is over! You'll be seeing a new recipe posted every week or so. I can't make hard and fast promises, but I WILL attempt to designate a few hours each weekend to post, so as to use up some of this stevia (and erythritol! oh my) I received from the wonderful Ron Redding over at NuNaturals. Furthermore, I'd like to show my appreciation those of you who have used my iherb.com rewards code (see sidebar) and who have made Paypal donations. I am able to restock baking supplies once again! Since I'm a full time college student, every little bit really helps.

Stay tuned! I should have a new post up, featuring a brand new tasty sugar-free dessert, by **March, as I have my first major round of exams to prepare for up until then! Spring break is coming up in early March, which will give me a breather. Sorry for the delay, folks. The recipes are ready to go, but writing up a thoughtful post takes time. If I don't respond to your first email, please try me again, as I have been on the computer less and less as of late, and sometimes my inbox gets backed up. Thank you for your patience!

**Edited

Again, I can't thank y'all enough for your supportive emails, comments, and for spreading the word about sugar-free living! Feel free to contact me via email instead of in the comments please. Have fun with your healthy baking, all!

All the best,
Lauren

Blogging Break

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 03:01:00 +0000

Am back at school now with a tough courseload, so I will not be posting (or cooking!) for awhile. In the mean time, check out these tasty links:

Flax "Rye" Bread @ Elana's Pantry
Grain-Free Zucchini Bake @ Whole Life Nutrition
Grain-Free Coconut Flour Biscuits @ Diet, Dessert, And Dogs
Cultured Coconut Milk Kefir @ The Healthy Cooking Coach

Be back when I have more time to play in the kitchen!

~Lauren

Healthy Grain-Free Chocolate Zucchini (or Apple) Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:18:00 +0000

Just returned, completely rejuvenated, from a trip to a see friends and relatives up north. Minnesota and North Dakota are some of my favorite places on Earth. I feel revitalized from being immersed in this uplifting, highly social culture for two weeks. Let me explain: In Fargo, North Dakota, it seemed as if everyone wanted to strike up a conversation with you, a perfect stranger, soon to be new friend. The human connection, the sense of community, is strong in these smallish Midwestern towns. How refreshing!

How does that observation relate to low carb cooking? You might be suprised to find out that North Dakota has fabulous health food stores! The selection is much more extensive, and the food more competitively priced compared to what you can find in my Florida hometown. Of course I stocked up, and will be sharing some of these food finds with you.

Have you tried buckwheat flour before? I've used it in a couple of recipes (my Molten Lava Cake and Gluten-free Wraps), but never in large amounts. It's not a grain, but a seed, highly nourishing with its low starch content and antioxidants. As you probably know I'm not big on typical gluten-free flour because of their highly processed nature and carb counts (20+ grams net carbs per 1/4 cup for most!). Fortunately, a little bit of buckwheat flour goes a long way. You can't achieve the same "crust" on quick breads using almond flour or coconut flour alone. The buckwheat flour also helps to bind the nut meal into a smooth dough. Finally, it makes quick breads less mushy, which can be a common problem in low carb baking. Almond meal baked goods can be too moist, especially since we're not using any sugar with it. I bought a bag of fresh buckwheat flour at a tiny health food store in Park Rapids, Minnesota. This flour ended up being much more mild tasting than the Bob's Red Mill brand buckwheat I had been using, which has a strong earthy flavor to it. Look for no label, light colored buckwheat flour at your own local health food store. It's reasonably priced, so you have no excuse not to try it out!

Put that buckwheat flour to good use in this ultra moist gluten-free Chocolate Zucchini Bread. It's really sweet enough to be a rich chocolate cake, with a pleasant subtle spiciness from the cinnnamon and apple. Sugar-free, low carb, and dairy-free, as usual. I guessed on the measurement for Splenda, since I don't care for the flavor. Just taste the batter, and add more Splenda to adjust the sweetness. Less is more with that stuff. The loaf you see here is made with apple in place of zucchini. Your house will smell so good when this is baking. Yum!

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini (Or Apple) Bread

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons coconut oil OR unsalted organic butter
2-1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup erythritol OR xylitol OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract (if using erythritol or xylitol)
2 cups (5 ounces) grated peeled apple or zucchini
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (buckwheat, millet, etc.)
2 cups nut meal (I used 1/2 almond meal, 1/4 ground sunflower seeds, 1/4 ground pecans)
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease an 8" by 5" loaf pan well with coconut oil, and sift cocoa powder over the bottom and up the sides. Cut a rectangle of parchment or wax paper to fit the bottom, and line the pan with it.
Grate zuchini or apple and press between a dishcloth or paper towels to blot out moisture. Melt coconut oil gently in the microwave, or scoop out and heat in a double boiler until liquified. Measure out the tablespoons of liquid oil into a bowl. If using butter, melt until liquified. Whisk in eggs, whites, vanilla, stevia, and erythritol or xylitol, and beat for a couple minutes until sweetener is dissolved. If the brand of xylitol or erythritol you buy isn't finely milled, then run it through your coffee grinder to powder it before adding to the batter. Chop chocolate and melt in 30 second intervals in the microwave until liquified; scrape into batter and beat well. Measure out nut meal by packing it into your measuring cup firmly, and scraping the top level. Whisk together dry ingredients, and stir into batter. Fold in grated zucchini or apple. Beat well for 2-3 minutes. Scrape into pan and tap the bottom forcefully on the counter to pop the air bubbles in the batter. Bake for 1 hour, until the top springs back to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert gently on to a plate and stand upright. Let cool for an hour, slice, and serve. It freezes well, with slices individually wrapped in plastic and foil.

~3.2g net carbs per 1/10th of a loaf, made with zucchini
~4.5g net carbs per 1/10th of a loaf, made with apple

Related content from other blogs:
Gluten-Free Pecan and Apple Bread @ Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
Grain-Free Banana Bread @ Feel Good Food
Grain-Free Sweet Potato Almond Butter Bread @ Deliciously Gluten Free Cooking

Have you tried buckwheat flour? What's your favorite gluten-free flour? Share it with us in the comments section!

Sugar-Free Premium Chocolate Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Sugar-free chocolate ice cream.

This is the real deal.

I busted out my little Cuisinart and produced an ice cream worthy to share with you guys. With a little bit of inspiration from All Recipes (love this site!), we now have a viable alternative to storebought low carb ice cream that's gluten-free and made with fresh ingredients. No sorbitol or maltitol, yuck.

The best part about this ice cream is that it's scoopable right from the freezer. The secret ingredients that make this possible are the heavy cream (as opposed to using part milk or half and half) and the tiny bit of brandy that lowers the freezing point. Now you won't have to wait around to dig into your healthy indulgence on a hot summer day!

Furthermore, this creamy custard ice cream doesn't require any cooking time. Because the ice cream contains raw egg yolks, use only fresh organic eggs. I honestly use conventional storebought eggs every time I make desserts, and have never gotten sick, but you might want to take this precaution if you have a compromised immune system. Additionally, you can find pasteurized eggs in some supermarkets that have already been heat treated for safe culinary use.

If you haven't tried using fresh vanilla beans in your cooking, you might want to give them a try. I ordered them off of ebay for a very reasonable price, and have been using them in low carb custards and pastries ever since. The aromatic floral nature of the tahitian beans and bean pods adds a layer of complexity and richness you can't get from a bottle. Plus, the pod scrapings add those pretty dark flecks to the ice cream base. Order some today, and you won't be disappointed.

Still working on a dairy-free ice cream. Stay tuned.

These photos reflect the heat in my sunny Florida kitchen. Hopefully my frustration with the shoot doesn't come through... :)

Premium Low Carb Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients:
2/3 cup erythritol or xylitol
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 fresh egg yolks, beaten
2 2/3 cups organic heavy cream
1/8-1/4 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract OR 2 vanilla beans, split
1 tablespoon brandy, or other hard alcohol (to keep it soft and scoopable)

Preparation:
Melt xylitol in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and add vanilla bean scrapings and bean pods (if using). Let the xylitol melt completely, and steep for a couple of minutes with the bean. Whisk in cocoa powder and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Stir until sweetener dissolves, with no grainy chunks visible. Remove saucepan from heat. In a large bowl, beat yolks with electric mixer until light in color. Add the rest of the heavy cream a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cocoa mixture into yolk mixture, and beat well. Whisk in stevia, xanthan gum and vanilla extract, if using. Taste, and add more stevia, if necessary. Chill ice cream base in refrigerator for a minimum of four hours, covered in plastic wrap.

Turn on your ice cream maker and strain the base through a fine mesh sieve into your machine to remove the vanilla bean pieces. While the ice cream is freezing, make up the sugar-free chocolate chips. Freeze ice cream for a few hours to make it firm and scoopable.

Use these chocolate chips only for ice cream, since they will melt quickly at room temperature. For chocolate chips that can be used in baking, see this recipe.

Sugar-Free Chocolate Ice Cream Chips

Makes enough chips for one batch of ice cream

Ingredients:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I like Ghirardelli)
1/4 cup xylitol OR 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil OR nonhydrogenated shortening

Preparation:
Powder sweetener finely in a coffee grinder. Melt chocolate and coconut oil in microwave for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Stir again until smooth, and add xylitol and stevia. Fold mixture together with a spatula until a silky smooth consistency is reached. It may take you a minute to work the chocolate mixture around the bowl and smooth out all the chunks of xylitol. Scrape melted chocolate bit by bit into ice cream maker a few minutes before the ice cream stiffens completely. Alternatively, pour on to a sheet pan lined with foil. Freeze for 10 minutes, then peel chocolate slab off of foil. Chop into tiny chunks, working quickly before it melts. Fold chips into finished ice cream.

~13g net carbs for the whole batch of chips
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What is your favorite kind of ice cream? Any good storebought sugar-free or dairy-free brands? Leave a comment and share your thoughts!

Low Carb Vanilla Ice Cream w/Hot Fudge Sauce--No Ice Cream Maker Required!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Just a quick note about comments and emails--I have been traveling, and don't always have a moment to respond to everything as of late. If you have an urgent question about a recipe, please shoot me an email (or two!). Keep in mind that I'm just a college student. Thanks so much for your feedback! I read all of it and take it to heart to improve the content here.

It's ice cream season in Florida!

I've blogged about this frozen treat before, but couldn't resist trying a couple of recipes that seemed pretty easy, with readily available ingredients. Best of all, they don't require an ice cream maker, but still yield deliciously creamy, airy results. Furthermore, they're company worthy, making summer entertaining easy on your low carb plan.

Coming up for you are more ice cream recipes, now that I'm back home with my little Cuisinart ice cream maker. Stay tuned for a scoopable dairy-free ice cream, coming up next post.

Do you know what a semifreddo is? I had never heard of it until stumbling upon this Italian frozen dessert at a food blog. Semifreddo is italian for "half cold," which aptly describes the nature of this icy gluten-free dessert. You whip together cream, separated eggs, sweetener and flavoring, then spread it in a loaf pan or mold. Freeze, slice, and enjoy. It's that simple! All you need is a hand mixer and a few mixing bowls, along with a bit of patience for the whipping and freezing time required.

I topped off the vanilla bean version with a homemade sugar-free hot fudge sauce. It's lick-off-the-spoon worthy. You can make up a small batch if you feel it'll be dangerous to have hanging around.

Seasonal blackberries were used in the making of the deep purple semifreddo. I blended 'em up, strained them, and used them in the custard as well as the fresh sauce drizzled over the top. The sauce helps to cover the cracks I made from using plastic wrap to line the mold. Note to self--don't line the mold next time. Just grease it with butter, and run the mold under hot water if you want your pretty pan design to show on the finished dessert. I used a jello mold for the blackberry flavor, which you can see created the rounded, fluted shape. How cool is the bright purple coloring from the blackberries? You just know something that naturally vibrant has to be healthy!

And to finish up, here are a few cool posts for your weekend low carb cooking:

How to Render Bacon Fat @ Mark's Daily Apple
Flax Meal Bread @ Elana's Pantry
Bacon Wrapped Steaks @ Flour Arrangements

Tastes just like a hot fudge sundae!

Sugar-Free Vanilla Ice Cream (Semifreddo style)

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split (optional)

Sweetening options:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons erythritol, powdered, or 1/2 cup xylitol, powdered plus 1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract
OR
3/4 cup Splenda

4 fresh, organic eggs (whites and yolks separated)
2 cups organic heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:
In first bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks until mixture is a light creamy yellow, then beat in vanilla extract and bean scrapings. In second bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. In third bowl, beat egg whites, add a pinch of salt, and then keep beating until you have stiff peaks. Fold together cream and egg yolk mixture gently. Then fold in egg whites thoroughly, but with as few strokes as possible to keep the airiness. Spread into loaf pan lined with plastic wrap, or a metal mold. Freeze, covered loosely in plastic wrap, for at least 4 hours. Scoop out with an ice cream scoop. Alternatively, run water over the bottom of the pan for a few seconds, unmold, and slice.

~15.5g net carbs for the whole recipe using erythritol and stevia
~31.5g net carbs for the whole recipe using Splenda

This hot fudge sauce will not work will Splenda as the primary sweetener. No matter how much you add, the unsweetened chocolate will still taste better. You must add erythritol or xylitol for the best flavor.

Sugar-Free Hot Fudge Sauce
Adapted from a recipe at AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate (I like Ghirardelli)
2 teaspoons unsalted organic butter
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
6 tablespoons xylitol, powdered, OR 7 tablespoons erythritol, powdered
Pinch NuNaturals pure stevia extract
4-6 teaspoons water

Preparation:
Powder xylitol or erythritol in coffee grinder with pinch of sea salt. Chop chocolate finely. Melt together unsweetened chocolate and butter in a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth. I make my own double boiler by placing my steel bowl over simmering water in a small saucepan. Stir in cream and sweetener mixture, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and water. Add more water to thin it out if necessary. Taste and adjust sweetness with a bit more stevia or powdered erythritol, as necessary. Keep in mind that the sauce will firm up over ice cream. Store in a jar in the refrigerator, and reheat and whisk well to use.

~10g net carbs for the whole batch

Those little white flecks are bits of cream not mixed in well. Still tastes fabulous!

Sugar-Free Blackberry Ice Cream (Semifreddo Style)
Adapted from a recipe at epicurious.com

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:
12 ounces blackberries (2 heaping cups)

Sweetening options:
1/3 cup erythritol, powdered OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered plus 1/8 tsp NuNaturals pure stevia extract
OR
1/2 cup Splenda

1 cup organic heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
5 large egg yolks

Preparation:
Line loaf pan with plastic wrap, if using. Powder erythritol or xylitol in coffee grinder. Purée berries with 1/4 cup cream and salt in a blender until smooth. Pour through a mesh sieve to remove seeds, if desired. Add yolks to a metal bowl and stir in erythritol or xylitol (or Splenda). Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat with mixer until pale, thick, and tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan and set in a large ice bath, stirring it around a few times as it cools. When yolks are cool to the touch, fold in berry puree.

Beat cold heavy cream (with 1/8 teaspoon stevia, if using), in other large bowl, using cleaned beaters. Whip until cream reaches soft peaks. Fold whipped cream into berry mixture gently but thoroughly. Don’t worry if you see a few streaks of white. Scrape mixture into pan or decorate metal mold and freeze, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 5 hours. Run warm water over the bottom of the pan for a few seconds, then invert semifreddo onto a plate. Alternatively, just use an ice cream scoop to serve from the loaf pan. Let semifreddo defrost for a few minutes for easier scooping.

~5.2g net carbs per 1/5th of a recipe, using erythritol and stevia
~7.6g net carbs per 1/5th of a recipe, using Splenda granular

Fresh Blackberry Sauce

5 ounces (1 cup) blackberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon xylitol, erythritol, or Splenda
Tiny pinch NuNaturals pure stevia extract (optional)

Blend blackberries, lemon juice, and sweetener until pureed. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds.

~6.5g net carbs for the whole batch

Easy Sugar-Free Strawberry Mousse--a Low Carb Summer Treat!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Thanks to the readers who entered the contest for the Organic Zero erythritol packets! Andrea is the randomly generated winner. Here is why she eats sugar-free:

"I live sugar-free because my life depends on it. Both of my parents died from diabetes complications and I do not want to go down the same path. We are so fortunate that there are now so many alternatives to sugar such as the product you are promoting. When I was growing up, there was just saccharin which did dnot taste very good. Thank you for your excellent information."

And now for a surprise second winner! I ordered some vanilla beans on ebay, and have an extra bundle to give away. Rachel can have these vanilla beans if she would like them! The beans can be used as a sugar-free flavoring for baked goods, custard, ice cream, and to make vanilla extract. Here is why Rachel eats sugar-free:

"Lauren,

I eat sugar-free because it's what my body wants. How do I know this? Sugar and carbs were ruining my life. I had no idea why I constantly craved sugar and processed carbs, and my obsession quickly turned into an eating disorder. I had no control over my cravings...my body wanted more and more and I became a slave to it. I'd binge on sugary, carb-loaded foods and then feel horrible about it and go to great lengths to undo my binges (which I will not describe in detail here). I also suffered from wild mood swings, irritability and fatigue, all of which everyone (including my doctors!) attributed to PMDD.

But I knew it was more than that. All of the treatments I tried for PMDD symptoms had failed. Eventually, completely exhausted, and my body ravaged from my bingeing cycles, I began to do desperate research into blood sugar and its effects on the body. I was shocked to find out that SO many of the symptoms I suffered from, especially the constant sugar and carb cravings, could be due to extremely unstable blood sugar levels!

I immediately stopped eating all sugar and carbs, and have never felt better. I almost never suffer from cravings anymore, I have stopped my destructive bingeing cycles, and am no longer controlled by food. My emotions and moods have leveled, and I have an energy I never knew existed...one that occurs naturally, not feuled by carbs!

I'm not really writing this for your contest, but mostly to tell you that your blog has been a godsend for new sugar- and carb-free eaters like me. I was beginning to accept that I would never be able to enjoy some of my favorite foods again, but your recipes have given me the ability to do that, while still staying within the confines of my diet and without hurting my body.

Thank you so much! I don't know where you find the time to cook and blog like you do, but I pray that you never stop.

Rachel"

Check out of the rest of the comments from readers about why they eat sugar-free. I really enjoyed reading all of your stories, and seeing how this way of eating is helping people with so many health issues.

Do you crave fresh fruit in this summer heat?

I do, and tend to satisfy that desire with stevia-sweetened lemonade instead of "Nature's Candy." Some days though, you just gotta indulge in those natural sugars, so here's how to on your low carb sugar-free lifestyle. Pair the fruit with fat! It dilutes the sugar carbs, making you satisfied with a smaller portion. It also stops your blood sugar from fluctuating wildly and making you hungry an hour after your fruit snack. Besides, fat makes everything tastes better, especially if it comes in the form of organic heavy cream. It's a divine combination of flavors that inspired countless songs and many different types of desserts.

This strawberry mousse will be the first dessert in a series of easy, quick low carb desserts that require minimal effort, yet will still impress that surprise company coming over for dinner! Besides, who wants to make a big mess in a hot kitchen in this weather? This naturally gluten-free, egg-free mousse can also be made dairy-free with the use of full fat coconut milk! It can be made sugar-free using a combination of stevia and powdered erythritol, but any zero calorie sweetener would work well here. I tried this dessert with Splenda as well, because I have decided to include a measurement for it alongside my preferred natural sweeteners from now on. Although I don't prefer the taste and chemical nature of Splenda for personal use, it is used by so many diabetics and other carb watchers who need to eat a low insulin producing diet to live. Most importantly, there little empirical evidence showing adverse side effects from its use. If by creating an option for sweetening with Splenda in my recipes, I can broaden the appeal of these healthful low carb treats, I am willing to do so. Keep in mind that combining sugar-free sweeteners yields the best taste, and allows you to use less of them overall. Use the sweetening option that works for your lifestyle, beliefs, budgetary constraints, and health concerns.

This mousse might work with honey as well, but I didn't try making it like that since I am attempting to limit consumption of all forms of sugar. I'd start with a 2-3 tablespoons of honey, cooked with the strawberries, if you'd like to go this route.

Strawberry Mousse
Adapted from this recipe at Sugar & Everything Nice

Makes 5 servings

Ingredients:
8 ounces fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled and sliced

Sweetener options:
1/4 cup erythritol, powdered, plus 1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract
OR
1/2 cup Splenda plus 1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract (or 1/4 cup more Splenda)
OR
2-3 tablespoons honey plus 1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon zest from an organic lemon
Pinch sea salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup organic heavy cream

Preparation:
Sprinkle the gelatin over the tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and set aside to soften. Puree the strawberries with the zest, the juice, and the salt. Heat the puree in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring together the strawberries and sweetener just until hot. Add gelatin and stir until melted. Let mixture cool. Beat the cream to soft peaks, and beat in vanilla and stevia. Gently fold strawberry mixture into cream. Pour into serving cups and chill for two hours.

For a stiff, pipeable mousse (like you see in the photos), follow these directions after soaking the gelatin:
Place the strawberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a saucepan over medium low heat, and add the sweetener (erythritol, Splenda, or honey--don't add the stevia yet) and water and cook, breaking up with your spatula. Stir around the pan gently until the sweetener has dissolved. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the strawberries have slightly thickened. Add the gelatin to the pan, and stir until it is completely melted. Puree in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) or food processor. Let cool to room temperature. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks with a hand mixer, and beat in vanilla and stevia. Once the strawberries are cooled, carefully fold the whipped cream into the fruit puree. Pipe mixture into serving bowls, and chill for at least an hour. I used an 8" Wilton piping bag with the largest tip I could find at Michael's craft store. The tip was $1.99 and the piping bag was $1.99.

~6.2g net carbs per 1/5th of a recipe using ½ cup Splenda w/stevia
~4g net carbs per 1/5th of a recipe using erythritol/stevia

A Giveaway! And Sugar-Free Rice Krispie Treats and Marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:26:00 +0000

Does anyone else love shopping for groceries? There's something about perusing the shelves, discovering new foods and special sale items, that makes supermarket shopping trips secretly exciting for me. The international and organic food sections are my favorite areas of the store to wander around in aimlessly, scanning the shelves for anything that jumps out at me. Today I was looking at the gluten-free grains in Kroger, and spotted brown rice "krispies." Immediately the thought of sweet, gooey Rice Krispy treats popped into my head. A reader had asked about the possibility of a low carb, sugar-free version, so I thought I'd give it a shot today.

So let's start by deconstructing rice krispie treats. Crispy rice cereal is not something I'd consume on a daily basis because of its processed nature, starchiness, and low protein content, but it lends that familiar crunch that's so essential for these kid-friendly treats. Next, we need to do something about that corn syrup filled marshmallow. It's 100% sugar! Fortunately, xylitol works well in homemade marshmallows. It's a one for one swap, with a touch of honey to keep the marshmallows moist and soft, and stevia to boost the sweetness. Finally, we need to cut back on the brown rice if we want to make these treats low carb. I replaced half of the cereal with blanched sliced almonds that I dry toasted in a skillet. They're a crunchy, high protein addition to rice krispie (krispy?) treats that I hope you'll enjoy as a healthy twist to old classic!

Now for the fun part! I'd like to share my other food find from the organic foods section at Kroger. It's organic erythritol, on sale for a Manager's Special promotion! I'm passing the savings on to you guys by giving it away to one lucky reader. Leave a comment, telling me why you eat sugar-free, to be entered into a drawing for a box of this natural, calorie free sweetener.

You have a whole week to enter! I'll ship the box to the winner as long as you're located in the U.S.
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And now, back to marshmallows! Don't be intimidated by the number of the steps for this recipe. The process is pretty straightforward. You don't even have to use a thermometer. Just set up your bowls in advance, and have your ingredients already measured out if you're trying to do this with a hand mixer, like I did. You'll be adding everything with one hand, and mixing with the other. Isn't a little bit of labor worth it for (almost) sugar-free marshmallows, though?

They look a little rustic, but taste every bit as good as regular marshmallows...

Sugar-Free Marshmallows
Adapted from this recipe at AllRecipes.com

Makes about 7 cups mini marshmallows

Ingredients:
1 cup xylitol
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear imitation is recommended)
Big pinch sea salt
1/8 teaspoon good tasting pure stevia extract (NuNaturals)
Organic cornstarch or toasted coconut, for dusting (optional)

Preparation:
You can find step by step photos of this process here. I use a different method, but the pictures of the beaten marshmallow are accurate.

Grease an 8 by 8 inch pan with butter or nonhydrogenated shortening. Set out a saucepan and a large stainless steel bowl, or a large pot. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together xylitol, honey and 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water. Heat xylitol mixture, without stirring, until it bubbles vigorously. Place remaining water in a large bowl or saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over the surface of this water. Heat bowl containing gelatin and water over a saucepan of simmering water to melt and liquefy the gelatin. Remove gelatin from heat. Turn down xylitol mixture to medium heat and boil solution until it turns a deep amber color, as seen in this photo. Remove immediately from heat and pour into bowl of dissolved gelatin. It will foam up considerably, thus the need for the large bowl in which to heat the gelatin. Whisk together once the foam dies down, and transfer the amber colored liquid to a glass measuring cup. In a clean bowl (preferably metal), start whipping egg white with a pinch of cream of tartar, or one drop of vinegar. Whip until the egg white is at the stage of soft peaks. Slowly stream in xylitol solution over the course of a minute or so, beating all the time. Try not to hit the sides of the bowl as you stream in the hot xylitol mixture. Turn up mixer speed to high and beat egg white xylitol mixture for 5-10 minutes, until fluffy and thick. Beat in vanilla, stevia, and salt. When marshmallow is beginning to set, it will pull on the beaters a lot and leave tracks. Pour immediately into greased dish and spread around with a spatula. Let set out on the counter for about 8 eight hours. If you are eating the marshmallows out of hand, invert the pan onto a clean surface, like a cutting board. Marshmallows should flop out onto surface after a bit of shaking. Pry them out gently with a buttered silicone spatula if necessary. If you are eating these out of hand, place sifted cornstarch into a large bowl. Chop marshmallow block into 1 inch cubes, or 1/2 inch for mini marshmallows, with a large buttered knife. Toss handfuls of marshmallows into cornstarch and shake around the bowl. Store in a ziptop bag on the counter.

~17g net carbs for the whole recipe, depending on how you count xylitol (add 7g net carbs for each tablespoon of cornstarch you toss the marshmallows in)

Low Carb Rice Krispy Treats

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
4 cups sugar-free mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons regular organic butter or nonhydrogenated shortening
2.5 cups sliced blanched almonds
2 cups GF organic crisped brown rice cereal
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt (if you use shortening; just a pinch if you use butter)

Preparation:
Toast almonds in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant and crunchy. Do NOT let them brown, or they will taste burned. Set aside to cool.

Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add salt and mini marshmallows, and stir until melted and thoroughly blended into a smooth mixture. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cereal and almonds. Stir until well coated. Using buttered spatula, press mixture evenly and firmly into a buttered 8 by 8 inch pan. Cut into squares when cool.

~7g net carbs per 1/12th of a recipe

Don't forget to enter the contest with a comment! It closes Friday of next week, July 12th.

Healthy Cake with a Secret, Part 2- Gluten-Free Low Carb Yellow Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 21:06:00 +0000

First off, check out this article in which the research on dietary fat is discussed. Our nutrition philosophy is getting more and more positive press!

(Please ignore the robots on the paper liners. They were on sale!)

Since posting my chocolate cake made with black beans last month, I've received quite a few requests for a vanilla version of this incredibly moist, easy recipe. You ask, I deliver! These gluten-free sugar-free low carb (grain-free!) yellow cupcakes are made with coconut flour in place of the cocoa powder, and white beans instead of black beans. Cocoa powder and coconut flour seem to work interchangeably! It's a pretty cool discovery that I hope y'all can make use of in your own gluten-free low carb baking pursuits. And because someone will ask: These cupcakes do not taste like beans or coconut! Just butter and vanilla and moist yumminess. Using beans and coconut flour in place of almond flour is budget-friendly, so you can experiment with this recipe by adding cinnamon, nuts, sugar-free chocolate chunks, different extracts... have fun!

But wait, looks like Kelly over at The Spunky Coconut beat me to the punch! Her yellow cake with chocolate frosting looks scrumptious. Be sure to check out her take on this cake (and all other tasty recipes!) at her beautiful blog.

As for the frosting (a.k.a the ONLY reason for eating cake)? I've got you covered there. Professional bakery icing, the kind made with shortening and white sugar, always appealed to me. It's something about the pure whiteness of the frosting, the supercharged vanilla flavoring, and memories of cupcakes from a bakery in my hometown. The almost artificial taste that you know means it can't be good for you!

Fortunately, tweaking this type of frosting to be low carb and healthful is only challenging with respect to the sweetener substitution. Even using transfat free organic palm oil shortening, the problem lies in getting rid of the gritty, "cool" quality that xylitol and erythritol (my preferred naturally occuring sugar substitutes!) can lend to heavily fat-based recipes. And stevia alone has no texture to provide structure or cut the greasy mouthfeel of the fat.

Enter swiss meringue buttercream, the ultra smooth egg white based frosting that is commonly found on wedding cakes. Dissolving xylitol in the egg whites seem to fix the texture issues beautifully. Adding a pinch of stevia rounds out the sweetness perfectly. The clear vanilla extract I found at the grocery store maintains that blindingly white hue, and that fake vanilla taste lends a certain authenticity that can't be achieved with the real deal. The clear vanilla is also ideal for the cake part of the recipe--it doesn't muddle the golden coloring.

Regarding the sweetener, I'm not positive that erythritol wouldn't become gritty. I am out of it right now, and have only tested this recipe with xylitol. The great part about working with xylitol is that it forces you to have portion control if you are sensitive to it! Finally, the question of whether to use butter or shortening in this recipe can only be answered by you. I honestly don't enjoy the "buttery" taste of frosting made with real butter, but it works well here if you'd like to use it. The positive aspects of making this frosting with nonhydrogenated shortening are that a) the vanilla flavor comes through better, and b) it's dairy-free! This sugar-free low carb icing will taste so real that I advise you make a very small batch if you're a frosting fiend like I am.

Healthy Yellow Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1-15 oz can white beans, rinsed (I used cannellini beans, white kidney beans) OR 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
5 large eggs plus 1 yolk
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR nonhydrogenated shortening
3/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract (NuNaturals brand)
3/4 cup erythritol OR 2/3 cup xylitol OR 1/3 cup honey
4 teaspoons vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla is recommended)
6 packed tablespoons Bob's Red Mill coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rise beans in a fine mesh sieve and shake off the water. Blend beans with the eggs, vanilla, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sweetener until light and fluffy. Beat in pureed mixture. Measure out the coconut flour like you would cocoa powder, by spooning it straight from the bag, packing it down a bit, and sweeping the top of the spoon level. Add to the batter along with the rest of the dry ingredients, and whip together for another minute or two until fluffy. Spoon batter into paper liners sprayed with extra virgin olive oil spray. I use a 1/4 cup measure to distribute batter. Fill cupcake liners a little more than 3/4 way full. Rap muffin pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch. I set my oven to 325 degrees because it runs hot, but 350 degrees should be just right for accurate, calibrated ovens. The cupcakes will be golden brown around the edges. Let cupcakes sit for 24 hours, so that all of the bean flavor disappears. This is important, really! Hide them from yourself if you must (just don't forget about 'em!). Enjoy your moist cupcakes with absolutely no beany taste.

~4g net carbs per 1/12th of a recipe, using erythritol

Sugar-Free Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost 3-6 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 large egg white
1/4 cup xylitol (honey might work as well)
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter or nonhydrogenated shortening, cut into chunks
Pinch good tasting pure stevia extract (optional, for best flavor)
Big pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla recommended)

Preparation:
Step by step photos for making a swiss meringue buttercream icing can be found here.

Whisk egg white together with xylitol in a stainless steel bowl set over a small saucepan full of water. You don't want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Set heat to medium-low to bring water to a simmer. Whisk egg white with xylitol 3-5 minutes, or until xylitol is completely dissolved. Dip clean fingers into egg white mixture, and pinch for any undissolved granules. Mixture will appear white and foamy. Remove steel bowl from water, and beat egg white mixture until it has about doubled in volume, and is room temperature (cool to the touch). Beat in vanilla and salt. Add chunks of softened butter or shortening, one at a time, beating for 3-5 minutes until mixture is smooth and no longer curdled. Beat in a tiny pinch of stevia and taste for sweetness, making adjustments if necessary. Don't fret if your buttercream doesn't look smooth for awhile--it will eventually come together!

If after incorporating the butter the icing is too "loose" and soupy, sit the mixing bowl in an ice bath to cool, or stick the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes, and try beating again. If the mixture is chunky like cottage cheese, heat the bowl over the simmering water again and try beating until it comes together into a smooth icing. Use a spatula to smooth out the consistency. Finally, if you think the frosting tastes too "greasy," trying cutting back the butter by one or two tablespoons. Leave out the stevia. It will be considerably sweeter, though.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag, or just spread directly on cupcakes. To revive refrigerated frosting, microwave it for 5-8 seconds, and stir around bowl with a spatula until smooth and creamy again. Or whip until fluffy with beaters.

~0-26g net carbs per batch of frosting, depending on how you count xylitol

Recipes from other blogs you might enjoy:
Sugar-Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream @ Domestifluff
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes @ Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried (SCD-friendly)
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting @ Elana's Pantry
Fluffy Cupcakes @ Comfy Belly

Fluffy, Diner-Style Healthy Pancakes... Low Carb and Gluten-Free!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Going to keep this post short and sweet. It's been a busy weekend! Summer term is already wrapping up, with only a couple weeks of class left.

This morning, I got a craving for pancakes! I've been searching for a healthy low carb version of those fluffy white stacks of carb-fog-inducing bliss ever since I saw my friends chowing down on flapjacks at my favorite breakfast diner, The Golden Griddle. It's a mandatory stop on our annual trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the end of the school year. Every May, Dukies take over this quaint restaurant for a weekend, and get served by the likes of our super friendly waitress Kathleen, and other purveyors of Southern hospitality. We've had Kathleen as our server for two years running, so going to Golden Griddle now feels like a special welcome from the small beach town.

These pancakes are just perfect--fluffy, light, and lacking that musty whole grain flavor that tends to be associated with "healthy" bread products. In other words, they taste every bit as good as high carb white flour pancakes! They're not grain-free, but they are dairy-free and gluten-free if made with certified gluten-free oats. I grind mine into a fine meal in my Magic Bullet or coffee grinder. If you're looking for grain-free pancakes, check out this recipe using almond meal from Laura Dolson's low carb about.com site. The blend of coconut and oat flours used here is much more budget-friendly (and low in calories, if you're interested) than a nut meal based dish. Stay tuned for a recipe for all natural sugar-free "maple syrup"! If you don't mind sucralose/Splenda sweetened products, the Maple Grove Farms brand sugar-free syrup is a satisfactory replacement for the carb filled "real thing."

I eat a small serving of two flapjacks as an accompaniment dish to my standard breakfast of scrambled eggs and nitrate-free bacon, not as a main meal. Double or triple the batch to share the love!

Topped with real buttah. Viva la low carb!

Healthy Low Carb Pancakes

Makes 2 medium flapjacks. Serves 1.

Ingredients:
1.5 tablespoons organic heavy cream OR 2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 large egg
3.5 tablespoons water (use only three if using coconut milk)
1/4 cup sifted oat flour (made from GF oats)
2 tablespoons sifted coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon NuNaturals pure stevia extract OR 2 tablespoons sugar-free sweetener

Preparation:
Heat a nonstick pan (yes, I use nonstick and refuse to apologize) to medium heat, or until a drop of water sizzles and "dances" around the skillet. You don't have to grease it. When measuring oat or coconut flour, sift a bit of it (or whisk it until the lumps are broken up), and lightly spoon the amount called for into a tablespoon or quarter cup measure. Level off with a knife. Whisk together egg and cream, and add dry ingredients. Whisk batter very well until there are no longer lumps. Let it sit for a minute or two to thicken up. Pour or scrape batter on to skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on surface of pancake. Flip and cook other side for about 30 seconds. Serve with butter and sugar-free maple syrup, or a bit of honey, if desired.

~12g net carbs per serving

What is your favorite healthy breakfast? Leave a comment and share it with us!

Recipes from other blogs you might enjoy:
Grain-Free Coconut Flour Pancakes @ Organic and Thrify
Gluten-Free Flapjacks @ Elana's Pantry
Low Carb Almond Ricotta Pancakes @ Denver Low Carb Examiner
Purely Pecan Pancakes @ Local Forage