My Best Low Carb Brownies*

Well, after months of messin’ around with all sorts of ingredients, and a lot of bean recipes, I’ve come up with my own.

And I’m pretty happy with it. I still find that it dries out quickly so it works best with some ice cream or some mousse as a foil, but otherwise the taste works just fine.

I know the ingredients aren’t easy and are expensive in some cases. I urge you to buy in bulk, and buy the base item and use your food processor to make the “flours”.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 c almond flour
• 1/4 c coconut flour (I use dried unsweetened flakes and whirr them in the food processor)
• 1/4 c oat flour (regular oat meal whirred in the food processor)
• 1/4 c whey protein
• 1/4 quinoa flour
• 1/2 c cocoa powder unsweetened
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c sugar substitute of your choice
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 1/2 c bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c walnuts chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients except the sugar in a bowl.
2. Whisk the sugar and wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Add the wet to the dry and mix until well mixed.
4. Ad the chips and the nuts.
5. Place in a well-greased 9 x 9 pan.
6. Place in a 350° pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry.
7. Cool on a rack in the pan.

SERVES: 9

NOTES: you can change up the nuts of course and the chips if you prefer something else. Don’t over bake…It’s better to be slightly wet in the middle than too dry.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

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No-Bake Cheesecake Pie*

This is easy to make and so good, well, let’s just say it’s hard to eat one piece.

What is delightful, is that you can pair the cheesecake with any fruit that you wish, making it as elaborate or simple as you desire. Plain or dressed up, it tastes spectacularly good.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup sweetener of your choice, (powdered will leave a smoother consistency)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 cup sweetener of your choice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream, divided use
•  1 envelope Knox gelatin

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour and  sweetener. Stir in butter until well combined and clumps form.
2. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Refrigerate until needed.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream or yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest together until smooth. Beat in sweetener until well combined.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp heavy cream and the gelatin. Stir into cream cheese mixture until combined.
5. In another large bowl, beat cream until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until well combined.
6. Spread filling in prepared crust, cover with plastic and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, until set. Pour topping over chilled cheesecake and serve.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: I love this plain, but any fruit will work, and any method. You can use fresh fruit, or cook it down to a sauce.

SOURCE: All Day I Dream About Food

Lemon Crock Pot Cake

This is a good serviceable dessert. It comes together easily and of course takes care of itself in a slow cooker. The flavor is quite good, the texture fine.

You can add a fruit puree as a topping, or whipped cream. A ganache might be quite effective as well.

This looks rather plain, but dressed up with a topping, it becomes a fine company dessert.

Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

3 tablespoons sweetener of your choice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup whipping cream

Juice from two lemons (about 2 tablespoons)

Zest from two lemons

2 eggs

TOPPING:

3 tablespoons granulated sweetener of your choice

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum in medium bowl.
2. Whisk together butter, whipping cream, lemon juice, zest and egg in large bowl.
3. Add dry mix to wet mix and combine until well blended. Spread into 2-4 quart slow cooker crock lined with aluminum foil.

TOPPING:

1. Combine all topping ingredients in bowl and pour over cake batter in crock.
2. Cover crock pot and cook on high setting about 2-3 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Serve warm with fresh fruit and whipped cream, if desired.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: Since slow cookers come in so many sizes and powers, it’s rather difficult to give the correct time for cooking. But since slow cooking is slow, you have plenty of wiggle room. Just start checking early and every fifteen minutes or so after the first hour and a half or so.

SOURCE: Lowcarbyum

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie*

This is simply the best substitute for a regular chocolate chip cookie I’ve found. It’s my new favorite. With this base, you can probably do about anything you desire with other flavors adding and subtracting as the mood strikes you.

All manner of dried fruit, nuts, other things like peanut butter chips, or mint will work here just fine.

Make this in a brownie pan just as easily as a pie dish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup quick oats (or certified-gf quick oats)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tbsp oil (canola, veg, or coconut)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 C sugar substitute of your choice
• 1 cup chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a good food processoR.
2. Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.)
3. Bake at 350F for around 35-40 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

SERVES: 9-12

NOTES: Add anything at all that strikes you. Coconut, dried cherries, any nuts you like. Vary the chips and flavorings. Substitute another flavoring for vanilla.

SOURCE: adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Cheesecake Ice Cream*

This is seriously cheesecake turned into ice cream. And it’s simply wonderful.

Put it with any fruit topping and boy you will be humming  a happy tune.

Quick and easy to put together as our most ice cream bases, it will be a winner in your ice cream arsenal.

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 3/4-1 c sugar or substitute of your choice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 oz mascarpone
• 1 c milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 c sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put cream cheese in a mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the sugar as the mixer is working.
3. Then add the mascarpone.
4. Drizzle in the milk and vanilla.
5. Fold in the sour cream.
6. Cover and put in fridge until very cold, or overnight.
7. Place in a commercial ice cream maker and churn according to instructions.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: The cheese flavor is real here, so it is probably not a great ice cream to eat plain. But it rocks with any sort of fruit topping.

SOURCE: Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

Mascarpone Mousse*

This stuff was made in heaven. It’s so perfect and decadent, well swimming in it is probably illegal.

I’m fairly convinced you can probably add just about any flavoring you wish to this, making it great for chocolate mousse as well. I’d add melted chocolate to the mix rather than unsweetened cocoa but both should work.

Perfect accompanied by fruit either just sliced or made into a compote or jam.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 6 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

• In a large bowl, beat mascarpone, cream cheese, 4 tbsp sweetener and vanilla together until well combined.
• In another bowl, beat cream with remaining 2 tbsp sweetener until it holds stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until combined.
• Pipe or spoon into 6 small dessert cups.

SERVES: 6

NOTES: This stuff is so perfect that it would work well as a refrigerated frosting, or at least the middle layer in a cake.

SOURCE: All Day I Dream About Food

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream*

Yeah, strawberry ice cream. Made fresh. With cream and fresh strawberries.

Yeah.

Just do it.

You know you want it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 c strawberries
• 3/4 c whole milk
• 1/2 c sugar of your choice. I used stevia.
• 1 1/2 c heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the strawberries into a food processor and pulse until chopped.
2. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in a separate bowl until they are well mixed, and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour the strawberries into the milk and stir in.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Place in an ice cream maker and follow the general instructions.
6. Remove from ice cream maker and place into a container and place in freezer.

SERVES: 1/2 gallon

NOTES: Add a tbsp of vodka to help prevent crystallization. Remove from freezer about 30 minutes before using to soften to a scoopable consistency.

SOURCE: Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker recipe booklet