A Simple and Yummy Dessert Solution

This little bowl full of cherries  makes any sugar free ice cream or cake base into a true delight.

Ingredients

3 cups of  frozen cherries( from Costco)

1 cup of your favorite sweetener

1 pkg of unsweetened Cherry Cool Aid mix

3/4 tsp – 1 level tsp of Guar Gum

Directions

Place cherries in glass dish to thaw,

When thawed,pour off liquid into small mixing bowl.

Into liquid stir in sugar, Cool Aid mix and Guar Gum.  Mix well.  Add cherries and place in refrigerator.

*Note – I use 1 tsp of the Guar gum, but if you want your juice a bit more thin then first try the 3/4 tsp, you can always add a bit more later.

You can also use any other of the frozen fruits for this recipe- strawberries, blue berries, etc. even peaches,  Just make sure you add the appropriate Cool Aid flavor.

Happy Eating!!!

J’s No Guilt Low Carb-Low Fat Salad Dressing

As Sunday evenings are a “clean the frig” night, I decided to make myself a salad, using up the left overs in the frig.  Sound familiar?  As a result I came up with this recipe for my salad dressing.

Ingredients-

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard

2-3 Tablespoons of Splenda (or your favorite sweetener)

1/2 rounded tsp of Guar Gum (to thicken)

Whisk all the ingredients together and place in refrigerator for about an hour.  Test for thickness.  If necessary, you can a a pinch more of the Guar gum.  Whisk it in, and return the dressing to the frig.  Don’t be upset if you get a bit to much, you can easily whisk in a few drops of water.

The options- cut back on the sweetener then add garlic, or sun dried tomatoes, bits of pepper, etc.  Have fun experimenting on your on version.

Remember- everything I make is just a place to  “start.”

Enjoy!  J

Strawberry Delight

 

 

 

Yesterday I was experimenting with Avocados, and came up with this delicious nutrient dense low carb desert. To learn more click on the link below.

The nutrients in Avocado’s.

I scooped 1 whole Avocado into my blender, added 1 1/2 cups of slice strawberries, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 tsp of lemon juice, and Splenda(or your favorite sweetener) to taste- I started with 1/2 cup.  Blended it until smooth, froze it, stirring about once an hour to blend in the frozen particles around the edges of the container.  This makes about 4 nice servings.

To speed up the process or to eat immediately, next time I will use frozen berries.

I know it sounds crazy, but I am going to try using chocolate next time.  I will let you know how it turns out.

UPdate!!

1 avocado,3 tbsp cocoa, 1/2 cup cream, 2/3 cup sweetener, 1 tsp of vanilla.  Whir it up and enjoy.  It makes a smooth Chocolate Mousse.  You could also use it in between layers of cake, or for the icing.

 

Yum!  Yum!

J

Sugar Free Buttermilk Doughnuts

I know it has been a while since I posted, but I am a musician at heart, and the Christmas season always takes a lots of my time up in performances, and rehearsals.  That said, I whipped up a batch of donuts this past week and thought I would pass the recipe on.

There buttermilk donuts aren’t as carb friendly as my other recipes but they are still sugar free and have a wonderful flavor.

Just as a guess, I would put these at about 18 carbs per  serving.  Still a relative few for a great sweet tooth pleaser.

* You could also replace half the flour with the oat flour, just remember to add 1/2 tsp more baking powder, and 1/2 tsp guar gum. (this will cut your carb count a couple of points)

Here goes-  Set over to 350.  Grease 2 doughnut pans (6 wells each)

1)  In large bowl stir together-

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Splenda (processed as in all my other recipes)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup dry powdered milk( finely ground)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2) In separate bowl mix together-

1 extra large egg

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted shortning

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon extract

Make a well into center of dry ingredients, pour in liquids and stir until just incorporated.  Do not over mix.  Place batter in large ziplock bag,cut small hole in bottom corner, pipe into greased wells of doughnut  pan.  Makes 12.

Bake at 350 for 17 minutes.

* Set to 15 minutes and check.

** I am going to experiment with raising the temp to 375 next time and baking them a bit faster.  Will let you know what happens.

Finish by brushing doughnuts with melted butter, and sprinkle with a mixture of Splenda and Cinnamon.

J’s Neopolitan Cake

Since I was a kid I have always loved the ice cream that came with three flavors in one carton- chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.  So…. with that yummy combo in mind I set to work creating another low carb cake with those same great flavors.

 

I used one layer of the Cinnamon Chocolate Cake, and one layer of the basic yellow cake in my recipe book.

The icing is made with the basic whipped cream frosting( the 2 1/2 cups of cream version) I have shared with you before, only this time I added about 1 1/2 tsps of SF strawberry jello mix to give it a beautiful color and a pleasant strawberry flavor.   I used 2/3 cup Splenda, but you can add as much or as little as you like.  Mine was not a bit to sweet.

The strawberry filling was made by  washing and cutting up about 2 cups of fresh strawberries, adding some Splenda (about 1/2 cup) and set them aside for a while at room temp to make a bit of juice.   Once that happened, I used my hand blender to mash up a bit of them-NOT ALL.  Next, I stirred in 1 1/4 tsp of Guar Gum, then put them in the microwave for about 3 minutes.  The cooking process simulated making jam.  My thought was that they would hold up longer.  We’ll see.

After removing the berries , I let them cool in the refrigerator until they  were thickened .

As before with my other cakes, I sandwiched the thickened berry filling between two layers of the whipped cream frosting.  If you notice, I also used my decorator tip to make ring of shells around the top of the cake edge to help hold the remainder of the berries in place.

We just tested the product and found it definitely eatable.  🙂

*Just a note to let you know that I found that using a bit more baking powder in the basic yellow cake doesn’t hurt a bit.  This time I used  1 tablespoon for the single layer.  I will update the recipe book accordingly.

Happy Baking!

J

Doubling a Recipe Does NOT Always Work

I tried making my pineapple cake today, doubling the recipe of my basic yellow cake, using the DaVince Pineapple syrup for the liquid.

Well……., the cake is delicious, but did not raise to the expected 1 1/2 inches, it only made it to 1 1/4 inch.  That 1/4 inch affected the texture a bit, making it more dense (not as light).   Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed, but I learned a valuable lesson.  Just because you were successful with one layer, doesn’t mean doubling it will get you the same result.

The layer above is the single layer recipe, and this one measured 1 1/2 inches, and had a much lighter texture.  What a difference!!

My first reaction was to go to the net for info regarding this matter.  That in itself was a blessing as I found out I was not alone.  I also found out that many factors affect the outcome of doubling the ingredients- the various weights of flour, sugars, and liquids, even eggs can affect the final product.

So…, I will simply make one layer at a time.  Of course, the present cake won’t be too hard to swallow, as I threw in a bit of coconut with the filling, and added some tinted coconut on the top for my presentation.

I have made the changes in the e-book, so you might want to check that out sometime.

The strangest thing of all that comes out of this is that the chocolate cake recipe is not affected at all.   It always raises high and gives me beautiful layers.  All I can figure out is that there has to be a chemical reaction going on between  the cocoa and the remaining ingredients.  Hummmm??????????

Always striving to improve-  J

Another Chocolate Cake?

Since updating my recipes I have been dying to try my idea for a Cinnamon Mint Chocolate cake, so today I indulged.

This cake measure slightly over 4 inches in height

What changes did I make to the original?

Bake 345 degrees for approx 30-35 minutes.
Prepare 8 inch by 2 inch high round pans with liner(parchment or wax paper.    Do not grease sides. Moisten and fold towel strips. Stretch strip around pan and pin. Set aside.

By the way,  this recipe with make two nice 9 inch layers as well.

Cake
Dry ingredients-
9 tablespoons pure cocoa powder (9)
2 cups of oat flour (Arrowhead flour = 108)
4 tsps baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp Guar Gum
1 tsp salt
2 teaspoon of Cinnamon

1/3 cup of dry milk powder

2 cups – Splenda ( measured then pulsed to fine powder)
6 large eggs
½ cup Bestfoods Mayonaise (0)
½ cup oil(0)
4 tablespoons Sugar Free Maple Syrup (0)

1 1/3 cup  DaVince SF  Mint Patty Syrup
½ tsp vanilla

How to’s-  the cake

Turn on your oven!

Beat eggs, Splenda, syrups, mayo, oil, and powdered milk together for about 1 min.  Set aside.

Sift and measure your flour.  Return measured flour to sifter and add in other dry ingredients.  Sift again.  Place in mixing bowl.

Prepare pans ( don’t forget the towel trick)

Lastly-  make well in center of dry ingredients, pour in liquids, beat no more than one minute.

Pour equal amounts of batter in each pan and bake.

Frosting

2 cups of heavy whipped cream

1 or 2 tbsp of SF vanilla pudding mix ( I use 1 tbsp)

1 tsp of mint flavoring ( or more, depending on how minty you want your frosting)

1/2 -2/3 cup of Splenda ( measured, then pulsed to fine powder)

How to’s- the frosting

Pour about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of your cream into mixing bowl.  Add in other ingredients and stir with a spoon or spatula to blend.   Beat  on high speed until mixture begins to feel heavy.  This will be a true “butter cream.”

Enjoy!

PS – Here is a tutorial for making your own baking pan jackets.

Baking Pan Jackets

 

 

J

 

Yellow Cake Success at Last

In my last post I share with you my “elevation” discovery, so this has been the week of baking cake 1-?  Each one I baked was getting lighter, so I knew I was on the right track.

As promised I have updated the recipe in my e-book, and also posted the new one here.

I was so excited as I watched it rise.  Having 2 inch high pans, it is not hard to tell that the edges are already at the 1 1/2 mark on the sides.

I even measured them, to make sure.  The best part of all, was the taste test.  The texture was moist but light, which was exactly what I was after.

I also baked it 39 minutes. * With the addition of the mayo and oil combo, you can bake it a bit more without drying out your cake.

Now it is ready for some strawberries, and whipped cream to be added later tonight.  Yum!!

You can upload the recipe at the end of this post.

One more thing- this time I mixed my eggs, sugar, mayo,oil, and liquids first, letting them set while I got the rest of the ingredients ready.  The longer the Splenda or any other sugar substitute has to dissolve before you stir it into your dry ingredients, the better.

**I suggest that you try this single layer version.  DO NOT DOUBLE THIS RECIPE.  Bake in small batches for additional layers.  I find that if I double the recipe, it does not rise as well.  Why?  I haven’t a clue.  So… if you like the cake, and want a double layer, just get the second one ready to put together while the first one is baking.

Just so you know-you can dink around with the baking powder a bit, as your elevation will make a difference.  If you need to experiment, try adding or subtracting be 1/8 tsps.  The same goes for the Guar Gum.  Nothing is written in stone here.  Less is better.

J’s Basic Yellow Cake

This single layer version is about 7 carbs per 1/12 the of the cake.  I you add fruit, then you need to add those carbs , too.  Even if doubled, this cake with whipped cream frosting, still is less than the average piece of bread.  I works for me.  🙂

Oh What Elevation Can Do!!!

I recently went to my friend’s house at an elevation of 3100 ft.  I bake my pineapple cake in her oven.  Wow!  I was the nicest cake I have ever baked, including those baked with white flour and real sugar.    The layers were over 1 1/2 inches high and the texture was much lighter than the one I baked in my oven.  So, I am back to experimenting with the basic yellow oat flour cake.  It stands to reason that if the rule of thumb for higher elevations is to decrease the leavening in the recipe, then the reverse must be true for us folks down in the valley.  *See my post on leavening oat flour.

I will let you know what I find out when my new oat flour arrives.

My Cinnamon Chocolate cake always comes out great at my elevation, so some chemical reaction is happening that needs to be altered for a lighter texture in the yellow cake version.

Cocoa and Flour Substitutions _ How to Substitute Cocoa for Flour _ Flour for Cocoa

Check out the pdf above.  I thought this was interesting info, and perhaps will help in our further cake exploits.

My friends think this version with the bananas is to die for.  I added an extra 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the original recipe per instructed by the info I previously posted.  I made the vanilla whipped cream frosting, and dipped my banana slices in orange juice, then drained them in a colander.   It was perfect. Yummmm!!!

I am no Guru on this issue, just sharing my experience.  I always have to remember that I am dealing with two issues-

1)  a flour that has no gluten

2) a substitute sugar that needs special handling

Till next time-

J

Waste Not! Want Not!

In today’s world as everything is getting so expensive, those of us who want to “follow our passion,” need to find ways to cut cost where we can.  Eating low carb is not cheap!

As I was baking my Cinnamon Chocolate cake this morning, I noticed that I have started to use more wax paper instead of parchment.  I also found myself using the two pieces of wax paper to line my pans to sift my dry ingredients on.  After sifting my flour onto one piece, I place the sifter on the other and pour my measured flour into it.   Having the measured flour in the sifter, I add the other dry ingredients except the sugar.  The next step is to sift all the ingredients together, then place them in a mixing bowl.

Now the two pieces of waxed paper are free to be used to line my pans, and my counter is clean.  🙂

I know it is a little thing, but sometimes all the “little” things add up to a big bill.

Two more things-

1) I also noticed this morning that I always use extra large eggs.  Having done this for years I didn’t even think about it when I wrote my recipes.  I will add this note to the recipe e-book  “baking tips.”

I do apologize for the oversight.

2)  With the info about leavening agent I posted, I add another 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the recipe.  My previous layers have turned out just fine, but we will see what happens.

I just took them out of the oven.  They  both are slightly over 1 1/2 inches high, so don’t be afraid to add a bit more.  I have updated the recipes in my e-book, and included the egg info as well.

J

PS- I am filling this cake with bananas and whipped cream.  Yummm!

I know – a few more carbs, but who’s counting?