Holiday, Festive Low Carb Recipes
Appetizers
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
* 1 pound fresh mushrooms
* 7 to 8 ounces crabmeat (canned or fresh picked) NOT IMITATION!
* 4 green onions, thinly sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon ground savory
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/3 cup mayonnaise
* 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat (rinse if using canned), green onions, herbs, and pepper. Mix in mayonnaise and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until well combined. Refrigerate filling until ready for use.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Remove stems. Spoon out the gills and the base of the stem, making deep cups. Discard gills and stems. Fill the mushroom caps with rounded teaspoonfuls of filling, and place them in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan and paprika.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve immediately.
Serves 6. Approx 5 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Christmas Cottage Cheese Molds
Here's a festive salad to serve during the holidays that makes a colorful splash at the table. We make one in Red and one in Green and sit them side by side on a rectangular platter or in adjoining dishes! Top with real whipped cream if you like!
Red Mold
Ingredients:
* 1 envelope sugar free cherry or strawberry Jello
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 tsp berry flavor extract *
* 2 cups cottage cheese (not low-fat)
* 1/2 cup strawberries, diced
* 1/4 cup Splenda
* 4 drops red food coloring
Prepare Jello according to package directions, but omitting cold water. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, and extract to Jello. Beat with hand-held mixer for 30 seconds. Add Splenda and red food coloring, and beat an additional 30 seconds. Fold in cottage cheese and berries. Pour into a wet 1-quart mold. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes 8 servings. 4 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
* NOTE: You can substitute DaVinci Sugar Free cherry/strawberry syrup for the extract if you like.
Green Mold
Ingredients:
* 1 envelope sugar free lime Jello
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
* 2 cups cottage cheese (not low-fat)
* 1/2 cup melon (honeydew or cantaloupe), diced in tiny cubes
* 1/4 cup Splenda
* 4 drops green food coloring
Prepare Jello according to package directions, but omitting cold water. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon/lime juice to Jello. Beat with hand-held mixer for 30 seconds. Add Splenda and green food coloring, and beat an additional 30 seconds. Fold in cottage cheese and melon. Pour into a wet 1-quart mold. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Makes 8 servings. 6 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
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Lobster Soup Royalle
Ingredients:
* 2 cups fresh or canned lobster meat
* 3 Tbsp butter
* 3 cups heavy cream
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
* 1/4 tsp onion powder
* 1/4 cup sherry
* nutmeg to taste
Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces. Melt butter in skillet and add lobster. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
Separately mix heavy cream with water. Add to skillet, stirring constantly. Do NOT allow this to boil. Add salt and onion powder. Refrigerate overnight. Reheat. Add sherry. Serve in soup bowls or in a table-serve tureen. Sprinkle with nutmeg just before serving.
Makes 6 servings. 4 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Classic Egg Nog
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Splenda
* 2 eggs, separated
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 2 cups water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Brandy or rum flavoring to taste
* 1 teaspoon eggnog flavored oil (LorAnn or Amish brand) [optional]
* 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped with sweetener of choice
* Ground nutmeg and/or mace
Beat 1/2 cup Splenda with egg yolks. Add salt, stir in 2 cups cream and 2 cups water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Beat egg whites until foamy then gradually add remaining Splenda, beating to soft peaks. Add to cooked mixture and blend thoroughly. Add vanilla and flavoring(s). Chill at least 3-4 hours.
Pour into punch bowl or cups. Dot with "islands" of whipped cream. Sprinkle with nutmeg and/or mace.
Serves 4. 4 grams per serving.
Holiday Staples
Roast Turkey
This is an easy, delicious way to cook turkey. It will never be dry.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Atkins Roast Turkey Have turkey at room temperature. Remove giblets from cavity. Run turkey under cold water to clean inside and out. Never soak a turkey in water. Dry it well.
Rub turkey with salt inside and out. Use about 1/3 tsp salt per pound. Insert poultry pins to draw body opening together. Use string to lace between pins (as you would lace a shoe).
Tie legs together with string if they are not already tucked under a piece of skin or brace. Bend wing tips under body and tuck loose neck skin under turkey.
Put 2 large pieces of aluminum foil crisscrossed in large roasting pan. Place turkey breast side up on foil.
Cover turkey breast with slices of uncooked bacon.
Bring up lengths of aluminum foil and seal around turkey. It should be completely covered.
Cook in 400° oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Cook for 15 minutes per pound if turkey is over 10 pounds. If under 10 pounds, cook for 20 minutes per pound.
Want Stuffing?
Make Atkins Almond Stuffing recipe. After salting inside of bird, fill body cavity loosely with stuffing. Add 5 minutes per pound baking time.
Either way, make sure thermometer inserted into thickest part of inner thigh registers 180°F. Transfer turkey to platter; tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes. Serve turkey with Turkey Giblet Gravy or your favorite low-carb gravy.
Servings vary - turkey without stuffing/gravy has 0 carbs. Refer to those recipes for carb counts.
Fruit Glazed Rock Cornish Game Hens
Ingredients:
* 4 Frozen Rock Cornish Game Hens
* (thawed- each weighing between 1 3/4 and 2 pounds) Salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter
* 4 Tablespoons chopped chives – fresh or frozen
* 1 teaspoon dried rosemary – crushed
* 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/4 cup sugar free fruit jam
* 8 pkts Splenda
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Wash the hens thoroughly, then dry inside and outside with paper towels. Sprinkle the skin and cavities with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter, remove it from the heat, and add the chives and rosemary. Place about 1 Tbsp of the melted butter mixture inside each hen. Close the hens with small metal skewers or toothpicks. Tie the legs together with clean string. Add the lemon juice to the remaining butter mixture. Place hens in a roasting pan, breast side up. Baste them with the herb-flavored butter and roast them in a 350°F oven for about 1 hour, turning the hens occasionally and basting with the herb butter. After 1 hour, raise the temperature to 475°F to 500°F to brown and crispen the skin.
Warm the jam, remove it from the flame and add Splenda. When the hens are almost done, brush them evenly with the jam and roast until nicely glazed. Remove the string and serve hot.
Serves 4. 1.5 grams net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Sautéed Ham Slices in Cherry Sauce
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup Lucky Leaf "Lite" Cherry Pie Filling
* 1/4 cup sugar free DaVinci Cherry Syrup
* 2 Tablespoons dry sherry
* Dash of ground cloves
* 6 pkts Splenda or equivalent in liquid sweetener
* 2 thick slices (3/4 to 1 pound each) lean ham
* 1 Tablespoon butter
* Watercress or parsley for garnish
In a heavy saucepan, heat the cherry pie filling with the sherry and cloves. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Add DaVinci Syrup and Splenda and return to boil. Boil 1 additional minute and remove from heat. Allow the sauce to sit off the heat long enough to get a bit thicker. Meanwhile, slash the edges of the ham slices to keep them from curling up. In a heavy skillet, brown the slices in butter for 5-8 minutes per side. Remove to a warm serving platter and spoon some of the sauce over the ham. Garnish platter with watercress or parsley for a pretty color contrast (the red and green look especially beautiful on a Christmas table!)
Serves 4. 6 grams net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Savory Herb Turkey Stuffing
The rule for figuring out the proper amount of stuffing is easy to remember — approximately 1 cup per pound of bird. This works very well unless you want stuffing for only one meal, in which case this quantity is excessive. So, starting from the maximum, reduce the among of stuffing to suit your needs.
No more than 4 days or less than 2 days ahead of time, you will need to bake a pan of the Low Carbohydrate "Corn" Bread and have a loaf of commercial low carb bread on-hand. These will need to be dried and cubed — see "BREAD NOTES" below.
Ingredients:
* 8 bacon slices
* 1/2 pound (or more) butter
* 1 cup finely chopped shallots or onions
* 8 cups (approximately) bread crumbs
* * 1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon (or 2 teaspoons dried)
* 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
* 2 cups chopped celery
* 1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 4 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
* 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
* 1 1/2 cups pecans or hazelnuts, toasted; coarsely chopped
* 2 cups canned chicken or turkey broth or fresh stock
* 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
Preheat oven to 325°F.
If preparing stuffing to bake in dish, butter 8x8x2-inch baking dish.
Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels; reserve 1/4 cup bacon drippings in skillet. Cool bacon and crumble.
Add butter to bacon drippings in skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add onions or shallots and celery; sauté just until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in sage, thyme, parsley, and tarragon. Add to bread mix cubes in bowl. Mix in pecans and crumbled bacon. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Stir 1 1/2 cups chicken broth into stuffing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in eggs. Reserve 9 cups stuffing for turkey. Moisten remaining stuffing with remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Transfer to prepared dish. Bake stuffing in covered dish alongside turkey for 1 hour. Uncover stuffing and bake until top begins to crisp, about 5 minutes longer.
Serves 12 to 14. Approximately 4.5 grams net carbs per serving, but since serving size and optional ingredients vary, you might wish to make adjustments according to your actual ingredients and serving size preferences.
BREAD NOTES:
This recipe works best when you use a mix of the faux cornbread and a dense plain low carb bread (baked from a recipe here or a commercial brand). The breads will need to be dried, but because they are low-carb (with no sugar or chemicals to preserve them), special care must be given. When completely cool, slice loaf bread down the middle lengthwise twice making long bread strips. Allow them a shelf in your refrigerator for them to stay laid out flat to "dry" (on a cookie sheet or two paper plates) over at least 2 days. Do the same with the faux cornbread, but cut into thin squares and let dry refrigerated. The day you'll make the stuffing, let the breads sit at room temperature for a few hours. (If they have not dried out sufficiently to resemble "stale" bread, put them in a 200°F warm oven to finish drying out after the cubing step described next.) On a flat surface, preferably a wooden board, cut each of the bread pieces into 3/4-inch cubes and dry in oven if necessary. They're ready to be used in your stuffing!
TIP:
It's a good idea to keep a little high gluten flour on hand in case your stuffing is too wet. Just sprinkle in a bit and mix. It's a great binder and very low in carbs.
Atkins' Original Almond Turkey Stuffing
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
* 1/4 pound smoked ham, finely ground
* 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup fried pork rinds, crushed
* 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
* 1/4 cup dry red wine
* 2/3 cup blanched almonds
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions. Cook until light brown. Add ham, parsley, and spices. Mix well.
Combine mixture with pork rinds, eggs, wine, and almonds.
Serves 10. 4.2 net gram of carbohydrate per serving.
Turkey Giblet Gravy
Ingredients:
* turkey neck and giblets (or pkg of chicken livers)
* 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/2 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
* 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Separate liver from giblets and refrigerate in ziploc bag. Put remaining giblets and turkey neck in large saucepan and cover with 6 cups water. (If using chicken livers instead of turkey giblets, use only neck right now.) Add veggies and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 2 1/2 hours.
After roasting turkey, remove fat and juice drippings to saucepan and set aside.
Add liver and cook 15 minutes more. Remove giblets/livers from liquid. Remove bay leaves, then lenderize liquid with veggies (you can use a blender or food processor if you like.) Chop giblets and add to liquid. Stir in drippings, thicken with xanthan gum and heat just before bubbling. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Add Kitchen Bouquet for color if you like.
Makes 6-8 servings. 2 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Mock Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
* 2 10oz pkgs frozen cauliflower (or fresh 3/4 head)
* 1 tsp chicken boullion granules
* 1/4 tsp white pepper
* 1 tsp minced onion flakes (optional)
* 2 Tbsp butter
* 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook cauliflower in microwave or on stovetop until it is VERY done — fall-apart fork tender. Drain well and mix cauliflower with all other ingredients except cream in food processor or with a powerful mixer (hand or stand). Mixing with mixer will give "lumpier" results than a food processor, but some people feel the lumps make it seem even more like mashed potatoes. Add cream slowly and mix again. (You must be careful adding liquid. If you add too much, you are in for trouble. Your dish may take a tiny bit more or less than the called for amount of cream.)
Spray an ovenproof dish with cooking spray and put mixture in. Add pats of extra butter or margarine on top if you like an extra buttery potato, and a bit of paprika sprinkled on top adds nice color as well. Bake 15 - 20 minutes until hot.
For those of you who think they would not like this dish because they are not fans of cauliflower, I implore you to try it - you'll be hard pressed to tell it from mashed potatoes - it does not taste like cauliflower at this point. Really.
Makes 4-6 Servings. 5-7 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
ALTERNATE VARIATIONS: Instead of using cauliflower, you can also use Turnips! For this method, peel and dice turnips to very small squares and boil till extremely tender (just short of mush!). Use the method above, or skip the oven step if you prefer since they hold their shape better than cauliflower. They have a very potato taste also - you would not guess these started their lives as turnips! For a REALLY rich Mock Mashed Potato, add 2 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened) before adding to the mixer/food processor. Adjust carbs accordingly. Turnips have slightly LESS carbs than cauliflower (and more fiber) so there's no worry of over-carbing.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potatoes?! On a low-carb diet?! Many of us miss the flavor of sweet potatoes in casseroles and more — especially in the Fall. The good news is that by adding just 1/2 cup of real baked sweet potato to a couple of more carb-friendly relatives (pumpkin and squash), we can extend the dish and fool the tastebuds! A finishing sprinkling of our low-carb marshmallows and you'll think you're cheating — but you're NOT!
Ingredients:
* 1 small sweet potato
* (baked, cooled and mashed to make 1/2 cup) 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 medium summer squash
* (halved, seeded, baked and mashed to make 1 cup) 4 eggs
* 2/3 cup heavy cream
* 1 tsp xanthan gum
* 1/2 stick butter
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* Dash of allspice
* Dash of cloves
* 1/2 cup Splenda
* 1 Tbsp molasses
* 4 drops of yellow and 1 drop red food color
* Marshmallows for topping (See Low Carb Marshmallows recipe)
Prepare sweet potato and squash to their recipe ready condition as listed above. Ingredients should be room temperature. Preheat oven to 325°F.
Butter a 9-12" casserole dish.
In large mixing bowl, stir together mashed sweet potato, pumpkin, and mashed squash (any summer squash is acceptable here). If some lumps remain, don't worry about it, they add a little character to the dish! In a separate bowl beat eggs with xanthan gum, Splenda and molasses. Add heavy cream and mix (with hand mixer) until well mixed and beginning to thicken.
Add egg/cream mixture to sweet potato mixture and stir by hand to mix lightly. Add salt, spices and food color. Mix to distribute. You may wish to taste here for your sweetness and spice preference. If more is needed, add it now.
Spoon mixture into buttered casserole dish and smooth to even out. Cut remainder of 1/2 stick butter (after using some to butter dish) into thin pats and distribute them over top of casserole. Optionally, you can sprinkle a bit of extra cinnamon on top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until browned at edges and cracking a bit. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before sprinkling with marshmallows.
NOTE: You can top this dish with artificially sweetened meringue instead of marshmallows if you prefer. If you use meringue, give the dish a few moments under the broiler to brown the meringue tips before serving.
40 grams carbs (allowing for fiber) in entire recipe.
Makes 6 servings. 6.5 grams per serving.
Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients:
* One 1-pound box fresh cranberries
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 2 tsp grated orange peel (fresh is best!)
* Dash of allspice
* Dash of cloves
* 10 drops of orange extract
* 5 drops of red food color
* 1 3/4 cups Splenda
Bring cranberries, water and orange peel to a boil. Boil until the skin of the berries pop open (about 5 minutes.) Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients, and mix till thoroughly combined. Cool in refrigerator before serving.
An excellent accompaniment to your low-carb Thanksgiving Turkey meal!
Makes appox. 3 Cups. 1 gram per Tablespoon serving.
Dense Spicy Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
* 3/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
* 1/8 cup "Just Whites" (egg white powder)
* 1 Tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon mace
* 1/8 teaspoon ginger
* 2/3 cup Splenda
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 12-ounce can pumpkin
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 3 large eggs
* 1/8 cup water
* 3 Tablespoons light olive oil or sweet almond oil
Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil a Pyrex loaf pan* and set aside.
Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl. Mix all liquid ingredients (including pumpkin) in large bowl; then add dry ingredients and mix with hand mixer for one minute. Pour into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes; * or use an 8x8 Pyrex square baking dish and bake for 50-55 minutes. (Heating times vary so test with a toothpick for doneness.)
Allow to cool thoroughly before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf or square snack-cake. Entire loaf is 38 carbs accounting for fiber. Slice into 10 slices for 3.8 carbs each, or 15 slices for 2.5 carbs each.
Sides
Creamed Mushrooms with Cheese
Ingredients:
* 2 Tbsp butter
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 pound firm white mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 2 Tbsp dry sherry
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
* Salt
* Freshly ground pepper
* Additional Parmesan Cheese, if desired
Melt butter in a skillet. Add oil and heat to medium. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add sherry and cook 1 minute more. Mix together sour cream, grated cheese, salt, and pepper and add to mushrooms. Cook over low flame until sour cream has warmed thoroughly (do not boil.) Add additional grated cheese if desired. Serve while warm.
Makes 4 Servings. 5 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Holiday Green Beans
Ingredients:
* 2 3/4 lbs green beans, trimmed; strings removed
* 1 Tbsp butter
* 3 Tbsp heavy cream
* 3 Tbsp finely chopped mushrooms
* 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsly chopped
* 2 1/2 Tbsp scallions, freshly chopped
* Salt to taste
* Garlic to taste
* 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
In a 4 1/2 quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add green beans. When the water returns to a boil, cook green beans for 5 minutes. Drain water from beans. Set aside.
In the same saucepan, add butter, cream, walnuts, scallions, garlic and salt. Heat to a small boil, stirring constantly. Heat until slightly thick. Return beans to pan and heat thoroughly. Top with bacon just before serving.
To add a bit of Christmas color, if desired, sprinkle a few chopped pimientos on top around the bacon. It adds only an extra trace of carbs.
Makes 8 Servings. 3 net grams of carbohydrate per serving.
Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients:
* 1 Cup butter at room temperature
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 3 Tbsp water
* 3 egg yolks
* salt
* white pepper
Cut butter into 1" pieces. In a small, heavy saucepan combine lemon juice and 2 tablespoons water and reduce over high heat to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon cold water. Beat egg yolks lightly and whisk into lemon water.
Over low heat, whisk the butter, one piece at a time, making sure that each piece of butter is melted before adding more. Continue to whisk the sauce until it is thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 8 servings. .5 net gram of carbohydrate per serving.
Goodies
Frosted Tropical Fruit and Nut Muffins
Muffin Ingredients:
* 6 whole eggs, separated
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 4 packets Splenda
* 1/4 cup soy flour
* 1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely ground or small pieces
* 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
* 1 teaspoon banana extract
* 1 teaspoon pineapple extract
* 2 teaspoons shredded or ground unsweetened coconut
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar Twin
* 6 packets Splenda
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat egg whites with cream of tarter and 4 packets Splenda. Beat whites until stiff but not dry. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. orange extract and 1/2 tsp. of the banana extract over this.
In a separate bowl, beat yolks with 6 packets Splenda and 2 tsp Brown Sugar Twin. Add heavy cream, pineapple extract and other 1/2 tsp. banana extract. Take a big spoonful of whites and add to yolk mixture and mix together. Then pour yolk mixture over whites and mix soy flour with walnuts and coconut. Throughout mixing process, use care not to break whites down substantially. Fold all this together and pile mixture, into 12 muffin cups sprayed with Pam.
Bake at 350°F for 15 min until tops of muffins are browned, reduce to 325°F and bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool and frost with tropical cream cheese frosting below.
Tropical Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
* 4 oz. cream cheese
* 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
* 1 teaspoon banana extract
* 1 teaspoon pineapple extract
* 4 packets Splenda
* 1 drop red food coloring
* 3 drops yellow food coloring
Whip all ingredients together and frost muffins! Optionally, you can sprinkle a small bit of additional coconut or walnut pieces on top of each frosted muffin.
Makes 12 muffins. 4 grams net carbs per muffin, frosted.
Holiday Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients for Pie Shell:
* 1 cup almond flour
* 1/4 cup Splenda
* 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:
* Holiday Pumpkin Pie 1 can Pumpkin (not "Pie Filling")
* 1/2 cup Splenda
* 3 tablespoons Diabetisweet Brown Sugar Substitute
* 2 Eggs, beaten slightly
* 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 tsp Cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
* 1/8 teaspoon Ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom or Allspice (optional)
Prepare pie shell: Melt butter in a small bowl. Add almond flour and Splenda. Mix well. Press firmly into bottom and up sides of 8 or 9 inch pie plate and refrigerate until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix all filling ingredients in the order given. Use your own judgement about spices — some like a more cinnamon-y mix and others like less. This is your call, but amounts listed result in a rich, aromatic "classic" mix."
Pour mixture into prepared pie shell and place in preheated oven until center tests done (about 45-55 minutes — ovens vary.) Allow to cool completely before serving.
This pie must be kept refrigerated (there's no sugar to act as a preservative), but this pie is amazingly delicious!! Top with artificially sweetened real whipped cream if you like (I do!) This pie is at its best the 2nd day!
Makes 8 servings. 8 net carbs per serving.
Christmas Cookies
Ingredients:
* 2 sticks butter - room temperature
* 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated shortening or lard
* 1/2 cup Splenda
* 1 egg
* 3/4 tsp (from the package) Kool Aid or Wylers no sugar added drink mix
* [Use "Red" flavor (Cherry/Strawberry etc.) for red cookies, and Lime for green cookies] 1 cup vanilla whey protein powder
* 1/2 cup oat flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* Additional 1/3 cup Splenda
* Food color - optional
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream softened butter, shortening and 1/2 cup Splenda. Add egg and mix. (If you're using the optional food color for added drama, add a few drops now and mix thoroughly.) Add drink mix, vanilla whey protein powder, oat flour and baking powder and mix till blended. Refrigerate 1/2 hour. Put 1/3 cup Splenda in a small bowl. Roll dough into small balls and roll each lightly in Splenda. Bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, being careful to watch so they don't burn.
Makes 5 dozen cookies. 1 carb per cookie.
Peppermint Cheesecake
Ingredients for Crust:
* 1/2 cup almond flour
* 1/4 cup macadamia nut flour
* 1/4 cup pecan meal
* 1/4 cup Splenda
* 1 Pkt Sweet-N-Low or Cyclamate
(mixing sweeteners gives a sweeter, synergistic effect!)
* 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
Ingredients for Cheesecake Filling:
* Peppermint Cheesecake 5 pkg. (8-oz) Cream Cheese, softened
* 1 1/2 cups Splenda
* 1 teaspoon flour
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup Sour Cream
* 1 Tablespoon DaVinci Creme de Menthe sugar free syrup
* Red and Green Food Color
Prepare crust:
Melt butter in a small bowl. Add ground nuts and sweetener. Mix well. Press firmly into bottom of springform pan and refrigerate until firm.
Prepare filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat cream cheese, Splenda, flour, vanilla and peppermint extract with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed just until blended. Blend in sour cream.
Remove 2 (1/2-cup) portions of filling mix into two small bowls. Into one, add DaVinci Creme de Menthe syrup (and a drop or two of green food color if you like.) Mix well. Set aside. Into the other, add 1/2 tsp extra peppermint extract and 5 drops of red food color. Set aside.
Remove pan with crust from refrigerator. Pour white filling into/over crust, spreading to fill evenly. With a spoon, drop little blobs of the red and green mint filling mixtures from the small bowls over the top of the cheesecake, making sure they are as evenly spaced as possible. Run a table knife into and through the colored circles drawing the colors down into the cheesecake and making random swirling patterns. Be careful not to drag it down all the way to the crust, and don't over-mix. The idea is to create interesting swirls of red and green through the cake.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Approximately 110 net grams of carbohydrate in entire cheesecake. With 16 servings, this is 6.8g net carbs per slice.
Chocolate Bread Pudding With Spiced Cream
Ingredients:
* 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
* 4 large eggs
* 1 cup Splenda
* 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar Twin
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon pure sugarfree vanilla extract
* 1 cup sugar free chocolate, melted
* 1/4 cup diet Orange Soda
* 1 cup half-and-half
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 8-10 slices day-old low-carb bread
(cut into 1/2" cubes — about 4 cups)
* 1 cup sugar free chocolate chips
* Spiced Cream (recipe below)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-cup (9 1/4 x 5 1/4 x 2 3/4-inch) loaf pan with butter.
Whisk eggs, sweeteners, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, melted chocolate, and diet Orange Soda together in a large mixing bowl until very smooth. Add half-and-half and heavy cream and mix well. Add low carb bread cubes and allow mixture sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the unmelted chocolate chips. Pour the remaining bread mixture over the chocolate chips. Bake until the pudding is set in the center, about 55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
To serve, cut the pudding into 3/4-inch thick slices. Top with spiced cream.
Makes 10 servings; 8.9 grams net carbohydrate per serving.
Spiced Cream:
* 1 quart heavy cream
* 1/3 cup granulated Splenda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Beat the cream with an electric mixer on high speed in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Add the Splenda, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat again until the mixture thickens and forms stiff peaks, another 1 to 2 minutes.
Low Carb Almond Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1-1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
additional Splenda, for decorating
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Stir together flour and Splenda. Blend in butter, egg and vanilla until well mixed. Form into 1-inch balls on a cookie sheet and flatten each with a fork. Sprinkle with additional Splenda. Bake for 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool.
Pecan Sandies
Serving Size: 2 Cookies
Servings: 12
Per Serving: 92 Calories; 9g Fat; 3g Protein;
3g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 1g Net Carb
Ingredients:
3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup
1/4 cup Carbquik
1 ounce pecans, very finely chopped, 1/4 cup
1 egg white
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons Splenda or liquid equivalent
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or caramel extract (I used caramel)
Dash cinnamon
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix all ingredients well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and drop dough in 24 small mounds. Place baking sheet in freezer 5-10 minutes to firm up the dough.
Remove from freezer and roll dough into balls; put back on baking sheet making sure to space them evenly 6 across and 4 down. Cover the balls with plastic wrap and take a vitamin bottle cap, a little less than 1/2\" thick, and press down firmly over each ball of dough. Be sure to press all the way down to the baking sheet. Peel off the plastic wrap and repeat until all the cookies have been shaped.
Bake at 325º 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Low Carb Strawberry Jewels Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup Maltitol® crystals
2 cups almond flour
3 packages unsweetened Strawberry Kool-Aid® powder
1 cup melted cocoa butter
1 cup Splenda® sweetened syrup
red & green decorative sugar crystals*
Instructions
Makes 36 Servings
Blend the dry ingredients together then stir in the syrup. Pour in the melted cocoa butter and mix thoroughly. Chill for 10 minutes until just beginning to firm up. Do not allow to get hard. If you do, just heat in the microwave for a minute. It must be a soft dough-like mixture.
Divide the dough into 36 balls. Wearing latex or plastic gloves, form each ball into the shape of a strawberry. Dip the large end in the green crystals and then roll the body of the strawberry in the red crystals. Return to the refrigerator to firm up. These keep well in an air tight container.
Total carbs: 74.4
Per serving: less than 2.07
*The small amount of decorative sugar that ends up on each candy has been added into the total carbs and divided by the servings.
Low Carb Sugar Free Apple Walnut Caramel Cake
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup butter - softened
4 eggs
1/2 cup Vanilla Sugarfree Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup Splenda® Granules, Maltitol or Diabetisweet
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups almond flour
1 cup tart apple, peeled and diced
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup Brown Maltitol or Brown Diabetisweet
1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a bundt pan with spray oil.
Combine wet ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Mix dry ingredients together and then fold in wet ingredients. fold in apples and walnuts. Pour evenly into baking pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert on a serving plate.
While cake is cooling, make caramel topping by combining brown sweetener and heavy cream in a small sauce pan. Cook, stirring constantly until it comes to 240°F (soft ball). Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When topping is cooled down, drizzle over cake. Garnish with chopped walnuts.
Total Net Carbs: 74
Per Serving: 4.63
Home Recipes Desserts Candies and Sweets
Low Carb Creamy Fudge
Ingredients
1 cup cocoa butter
2 blocks unsweetened chocolate
2 cups powdered Maltitol
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
In top of double boiler melt then measure the cocoa butter. Grate or chip the unsweetened chocolate then add to the cocoa butter in the double boiler and allow to melt and blend. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly.
Soften the cream cheese and blend with the Maltitol. Add the vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the still hot cocoa mixture and whip with electric mixer until smooth and shiny and just beginning to thicken. Add the walnuts. Pour into an 8X8 glass baking dish lined with waxed paper. Chill completely. Cut into 36 squares. Keep refrigerated.
Total ECC Carbs: 16
Per Serving: less than 1/2 carb each
Low Carb Italian Walnut Cake
This traditional Italian cake is a clear demonstration that a few simple ingredients, properly combined, can yield extraordinary results. If it takes you a few days to eat up all of your Italian Walnut Cake, the Splenda® on top will melt, leaving a glazed look instead of powdery whiteness, but it will still taste wonderful. This would be fabulous with a simple cup of espresso.
Ingredients
12 ounces (340 g) walnuts
1/2 cup (100 g) polyol sweetener, divided
4 eggs
1 pinch cream of tartar
3/4 cup (18 g) Splenda®
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons (30 g) extra Splenda® for topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9" (22.5 cm) springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, and line the bottom with a circle of baking parchment, or a reusable Teflon pan liner.
Put the walnuts in your food processor with the S-blade in place. Pulse till nuts are chopped medium-fine. Add 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the polyol sweetener, and pulse until nuts are finely ground but not oily. (Don't over process. You don't want nut butter!)
Separate your eggs. Since even the tiniest speck of egg yolk will cause the whites to stubbornly refuse to whip, do yourself a big favor and separate each one into a small dish or cup before adding the white to the bowl you plan to whip them in! Then, if you break one yolk, you've only messed up that white. (Give that one to the dog, or save it for scrambled eggs for breakfast.)
Put the whites in a deep, narrow mixing bowl, and put the yolks in a larger mixing bowl. Add the pinch of cream of tartar to the whites, and using your electric mixer (not a blender or food processor!), whip egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks. Set aside.
In a larger bowl, beat the yolks with the rest of the polyol sweetener, and all of the Splenda®, until the mixture is pale yellow and very creamy-at least 3 to 4 minutes. beat in the lemon zest and the salt. Stir the ground walnuts into the yolk mixture-you can use the electric mixer, but the mixture will be so thick, I think a spoon is easier. When that's well combined, gently fold in the egg whites, using a rubber scraper, a third at a time, incorporating each third well before adding the next.
When all the egg whites are folded in, gently pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle top with the 2 additional tablespoons Splenda® while cake is hot, then let cool before serving. Cut in thin wedges to serve.
Per Serving: 194 calories; 18 g fat; 9 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 1 g dietary fiber; 3 g usable carb.
Carb count does not include polyol sweetener.
Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
1.3 grams of carbs per cookie
Makes about 40
Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar-free chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 packets of sugar substitute
2 tablespoons soy flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat, or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl blend together all ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on prepared baking sheet. You should have 40 cookies. If you have more, the carb count per cookie will be less, and if you have less than 40 cookies the carb count will be more. Bake about 10 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Magical Peanut Butter Cookies
* 1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
* 1 1/3 cups baking sugar replacement (recommended: Splenda)
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter, 1 cup sugar replacement, the egg, and vanilla, and stir well with a spoon. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. With a fork, dipped in sugar replacement to prevent sticking, press a crisscross design on each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes, remove from the oven, and sprinkle the cookies with some of the remaining sugar replacement. Cool slightly before removing from pan.
It's a very, very easy recipe and the cookies turn out great. I love both the texture and the taste. To make them a little more decadent for the holidays, melt a little chocolate and drizzle it on top.
Sugar Cookies
1-1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
additional Splenda, for decorating
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Stir together flour and Splenda. Blend in butter, egg and vanilla until well mixed. Form into 1-inch balls on a cookie sheet and flatten each with a fork. Sprinkle with additional Splenda. Bake for 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups Splenda
1-1/2 teaspoons dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces sugar free chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Beat together butter, Splenda, and molasses until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. In a separate bowl, stir together ground almonds, vanilla whey protein powder, oat bran, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until blended. Stir in nuts and chopped chocolate bars. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets. Flatten with a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool.
Low Carb Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Serves/Makes: 6
Ingredients:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 eggs separated
12 packets Equal
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Melt the chocolate and butter together, stir and let cool to room temperature. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form, add Equal and whip until peaks are stiff.
Add a small amount of whipped whites to cooled chocolate to "lighten" it, then mix in the remainder of whites and gently fold together.
Whip the cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into chocolate mixture. Chill for at least 2 hours.
Low Carb Cheesecake Recipe
Serves/Makes: 6
Ingredients:
5 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
5 large eggs
18 packets Sweet n Low or Sweet One sweetener or Equal or a combination
1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Make sure cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a springform pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, beat eggs, cream, sweetener and extract. Add cream cheese in 1 to 2 oz chunks for easier beating. After all lumps are gone pour into pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool and chill before serving. Great with whipped cream topping.
Do not use low fat cream cheese.
Almond Ricotta Creme Recipe
Serves/Makes: 1
Ingredients:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 package sugar substitute
1 teaspoon slivered toasted almonds
Directions:
Mix together the ricotta, almond extract, and sugar substitute in a dessert bowl. Serve chilled and sprinkled with toasted almonds.
Butter Rum Muffins Recipe
Serves/Makes: 4
Ingredients:
1/4 cup tofu -- or soy flour
1/4 cup sesame seeds -- ground
1/4 cup soy flour -- or whey or soy protein isolate
2 large eggs -- lightly beaten
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon butter -- softened
1 teaspoon rum -- or essence
3 tablespoons Splenda
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Generously butter four 1/2 cup muffin tins. Combine the flour, sesame seeds, whey protein, eggs, sour cream, butter, rum, sweetener, vanilla, and baking powder in a food processor and process for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the batter evenly among 4 muffin tins, filling each about half full, and fill empty muffin tins with water. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.
