Pucker up…!

 

LEMON CUSTARD CREAM PIE

This is such a gorgeous, summery dessert!  Tart, creamy, and light, it’s made with Greek yogurt to make it a little more figure-friendly, but no one will ever guess it’s low sugar and not completely sinful.  

A few fresh blueberries or blackberries folded into this would be absolutely delish!

Cut calories even more by skipping the crust and serving in beautiful tall glasses!

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Filling:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cup Splenda Granular
1 cup 2 % milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular yogurt is too thin)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped (whip after measuring) OR 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip

Crust:
One pkg Murray’s sugar free Shortbread cookies, crushed into fine crumbs (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine cornstarch, Splenda Granular, and milk. Whisk continually until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Rapidly whisk the tempered egg yolks into the cornstarch mixture. This will be very thick.

Return to medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. This will be very thick and will have big bubbles popping on the surface. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter until incorporated. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Cover and cool completely. (This will be VERY thick when cooled.) Beat with a whisk to loosen up and gently stir in yogurt and whipped cream OR Cool Whip.

While filling is cooling prepare crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a fork combine the cookie crumbs, almond flour, and lemon zest. Stir in melted butter until incorporated. Pat mixture into a 9 or 10-inch tart shell or a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes or until just golden. Allow to cool on wire rack completely.  Pour filling into cooled crust and garnish with more zest or thin lemon slices.  Chill until very cold.

Makes 10 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 229; Protein 6 g; Fat 16 g; Carbs 15 g; Fiber 0 g; Sugar 2 g; Sodium 142 mg

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Hello, Lover!

RED VELVET WAFFLES

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream “Frosting”

Valentine’s Breakfast for a special someone?  Perfect.  Lazy Sunday morning for those you love all year?  Amazing gesture!

These are gorgeous and have the familiar red velvet flavor that’s coveted.  A hint of cocoa, slightly sweet…and a fun deep red that makes them seem more work than they are!  I topped them with a traditional cream cheese-whipped cream “frosting”, and a drizzle of syrup.   

No matter when you make them, or who you make them for…you’ll be loved in return!

I also think this batter would work as pancakes, if you don’t have a waffle maker…might as well give it a shot! 

(These are not low carb…simply low in sugar.  But for a special day, we’ll live through it!)

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Waffles:

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup Whey Low Granular (Splenda or sugar)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cup skim or 2% milk  (if making into pancakes reduce to 1 1/4 cup)

3 eggs, separated

6 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

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In a large bowl whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, Splenda (sugar), salt, and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together the milk, egg yolks, melted butter, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar.  Add to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.  With a spatula, fold into the batter mixture.  (It’s okay if a few fluffs remain.)

Make in a preheated waffle iron per instructions.  Serve immediately with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream.

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Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup Splenda (or powdered sugar)

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

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Beat the whipping cream, Splenda, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.  Beat in the cream cheese until smooth.

Makes approx 7 servings, depending on your waffle maker.  I used a Belgium maker and the photo below is from one batch in the maker.  Stats are for seven servings (two waffles, each about 5 inches square; approx 1/3 cup of topping) that look like the photo.

Per Serving:  Calories 341; Fat 15 g, Protein 13 g; Carbs 30 g, Fiber 2 g; Sugar 7 g; Sodium 399 mg

 

 

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Just one Oatmeal Cookie…no flour!

“JUST ONE” OATMEAL COOKIE

Snack attack?  Urgent Sweet tooth?  Need a quick cup-of-coffee-partner?  Whatever the need or whenever it rises here’s a fast treat that won’t have you battling a full cookie jar!  

If oatmeal isn’t your thing, you’ll find my “Just One” Peanut Butter Cookie HERE!  (And if you want a larger batch…ingredient amounts are below!)

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1 teaspoon melted butter

1 1/2 teaspoon egg beaters or whipped regular egg

1 1/2 tablespoons oatmeal – Old-fashioned or Quick (Quick works best)

2 teaspoons Splenda Granular

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Drop of vanilla

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Mix all ingredients well and drop on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. (Toaster oven work-out time, here!)

Per Cookie: 69 Calories; 3 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 3 g NET Carb; (2 g Fiber); 0 g Sugar; 41 mg Sodium

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TO MAKE A WHOLE BATCH:

1/3 cup melted butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg OR 1/4 cup Egg Beaters

2/3 cup Whey Low Gold or Splenda Granular (or brown sugar if you can have it)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/3 cup oatmeal, Old-fashioned or Quick (Quick holds together better)

Raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts – optional

Mix all ingredients.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  Make into 16 cookies (to use the stats above).

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How I do love you…!

QUINOA PUDDING

Well, well!  I’ve been thinking about trying to do this for a long time and have found a new favorite!  Made with quinoa, this dish has a nuttiness and a little more “chew” than traditional rice pudding where the rice gets very soft.  

I’ve given a simple vanilla recipe here, but made with part coconut milk, almond milk, or added cocoa powder, spices, or citrus zest, there can be lots of  variations.  (And I can’t wait to try them all!)

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Quinoa does have quite a few carbs – which sort of goes against my low-carb approach to eating – but with more protein than rice, it is absorbed more slowly into the system and, therefore, doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar or carb cravings…for me at least.  And that’s a very good thing!

(White rice has a glycemic load of approx 23, quinoa as a glycemic load of approx 13.  This is a link of common questions concerning GL and GI info, if you’re interested.)

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1 1/4 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup fat free half & half
1/4 cup Splenda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve and well drained
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste (or a vanilla bean, split and scraped)

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1/4 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 tablespoon Splenda

Cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, pumpkin pie spice, lemon or orange zest, brandy extract, etc.

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In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, bring milk and half & half to a boil. Add the Splenda, salt, quinoa, and vanilla extract/paste.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 min, stirring frequently.  Cool.

Transfer to a dish, and chill, completely.   Whip the 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon Splenda until quite stiff; fold into the chilled pudding.

(You may eat it warm before adding the whipped cream, but it’s SO good after!)

Makes approx 6 servings (1/3 cup each)

Per Serving: Calories 130; Protein 5 g; Fat 4 g; NET Carbs 16 g; (Fiber 1 g); Sugar 6 g; Sodium 140 mg

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If you love peanut butter like I love peanut butter…

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

WOW.  This is one rich pie.  I made it into a PIE once, actually…since then I freeze it in slightly rounded 1/4 cup portions and stick it away for a frozen nap. (Out of sight, out of mind……  oh, who am I kidding?  I know it’s there, but it’s harder to binge on when it’s solid as a rock!)

Anyhow…yes, it’s rich.  But for a special treat it is absolutely fantastic and so good, you’ll swear you really shouldn’t be eating it.  But you can.  In moderation.  Like small servings – frozen, to slowly shave off tiny bites and completely savor over several luxurious, heavenly moments!  

(Ignore the ancient photo.  I haven’t had the energy to take new ones this summer – maybe soon!  Plus it’s a humongous piece.  Did I mention not to pig out on this fabulousness?! )

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Crust: (totally and completely optional – I give you stats for both ways)

1 1/2 cup sugar-free cookie crumbs OR graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In microwave-safe bowl melt peanut butter and butter. Add to crumbs and mix until well combined. Pat into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely.

Filling:

One 8-ounce pkg. reduced-fat (or fat free) cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
One 12-ounce container (3 cups) frozen whipped topping, thawed OR 3 cups sweetened whipped cream
Chopped peanuts or cookie crumbs

Stir together cream cheese, peanut butter, Splenda, and vanilla until well mixed. Fold in thawed whipped topping. Pour into prepared pie crust and carefully smooth to edges. Sprinkle chopped peanuts or cookie crumbs on top for garnish. Cover tightly and chill overnight.  Makes approx 16 servings.
WITH CRUST:  Per Serving: Calories 219; Protein 7 g; Fat 17 g; Carbs 11g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 205 mg

WITHOUT CRUST:  Per Serving: Calories 162; Protein 6 g; Fat 14 g; NET Carbs 4 g; (Fiber 1 g); Sugar 1 g; Sodium 152 mg

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Are these YOUR favorite?

SUGAR FREE “CADBURY” EGGS

 I have to say, they aren’t MY fave.  I prefer a caramel-chocolate-nutty-coconut thingy instead of the super-sweet-make-your-teeth-ache candies.  But a friend requested these and here they are!

Kind of hard to work with, as the ooey-gooey filling (which makes them so yummy to folks!) is soft and hard to mold.  A quick trip in the deep freeze helps that, though.  All in all they turned out pretty darn close to the real-deal.  

Given more trial and error I think I could come up with a cooked sugar-syrup that is thick like corn-syrup, using Whey Low Granular.  For these I had on hand maltitol honey flavored syrup – which is a sugar alcohol.  This can give some intestinal distress to people…and by ‘some’ I mean LOTS…and to ‘people’ I mean ME.  (I’m no longer speaking to Andrea…thank you very much.)

Maybe next year a few weeks ahead of Easter we’ll bring out the recipe again and see what happens!  Meanwhile – they are what you’d expect – super sweet, sticky beyond belief, with a crisp chocolate shell – and in the realm of Easter-Candydom that makes them just about perfect.

(I don’t expect everyone to rush out and make these!  It was more of a fun why-not, just to say I did!)

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The Powdered Whey Low can be found HERE…and the maltitol syrup HERE and HERE.  I made a half batch and the recipe amounts reflect that.

And I couldn’t get them perfectly round like an egg.  So they are FLAT…but egg shaped…sorta. And they were frozen so the chocolate set up immediately!

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1/4 cup Maltitol syrup

2 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Whey Low Powdered

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2-3 drops yellow food coloring (a drop of red if you want an orange yolk)

6 ounces SF chocolate chips/solid chocolate (OR regular bittersweet/dark)

1 teaspoon shortening

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In a medium bowl beat until fluffy, the syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt.  Slowly beat in the WL powdered and cornstarch until mixture is well combined.  Remove 1/3 of the mixture to a small bowl and add the food coloring.  Place bowls in the freezer for at least an hour or until hard enough to work with.

Quickly make small yolks and cover them with the white – Place on plastic wrap and mold into egg shapes.  IMMEDIATELY place back into the freezer.

In a small bowl SLOWLY melt the chocolate and shortening – stirring every 20 seconds.  Be careful – chocolate can scorch in the microwave very quickly.  Melt until it’s warm to the touch, but not hot.

Place toothpicks in both ends of each egg (leave the ones you aren’t using in the freezer) and spoon chocolate over the top and bottom.  Place on waxed paper and immediately place back in the freezer.  Continue until all your eggs are covered.  How many eggs you get depends on how big you make them.

And I’m not even going to attempt to give you the stats.  If you have to ask…!

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Get your caramel on.

CARAMEL LAYER COOKIE BARS

No such thing as too many cookies…so here ya’ go.

These were created to use with Cinnamon Bliss…one of my favorite things on earth.  You can find it in this link at Amazon.com and a little goes a long way, so the jug will last awhile.  If you can’t find it or don’t want to have that much hanging around, my Gold Caramel Sauce or a good-quality store-bought sugar-free sauce would be wonderful in these.

(Using the commercial stuff, these are fairly full of sugar alcohols – which I’m not fond of.  Whey Low doesn’t contain any, so using that and the recipe for Caramel Sauce would be best if you are sensitive to SA’s.)

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Crust:
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup Whey Low granular, Maltitol crystals, or Splenda Granular
1 tablespoon sugar-free maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preaheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.
Stir together almond flour, flour, oatmeal, Nature Sweet crystals or Splenda, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly.  Reserve 1/2 cup for the topping. Pat remainder into the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until starting to become golden on the edges.

Filling:
2/3 cup Cinnamon Bliss OR Gold Caramel Sauce – recipe link above (or store-bought SF)
2/3 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds

Bring sauce and nuts to boil and, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes. Pour over baked crust.  (If using Gold Caramel Sauce, just heat through…don’t boil or it will be TOO chewy!)

Topping:
4 ounces sugar free Dark or Milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup reserved crumbs

Sprinkle chopped chocolate over caramel layer. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over chocolate. Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly on edges and top crumbs are slightly golden. Cool in pan and cut into 16 pieces.  Makes 16 servings.

Per servings: Calories 207; Protein 4 g; Fat 15 g; Carbs 15 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 83 mg

 

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Kiss, kiss, love, love…

RED VELVET CAKE

Hello, Beautiful!

Sometimes being bad is really very good…and with this cake, on a special Valentine’s Day (with someone or alone!) it’s even better.

I’ve cut the original recipe in half to give you a single layer, but split it and stacked the gorgeousness into an impressive little number that will get you noticed and loved in return.   (The photo makes it look taller than it is!)

Same red velvet flavor as always; same beautifully white cream cheese frosting…just lower sugar.

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1 1/4 cups cake flour (such as Softasilk)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup Whey Low granular or Nature Sweet sugar sub

1 egg

1 ounce red food coloring

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9 inch round or square cake pan with vegetable cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon cake flour, tapping upside down to remove the excess, and set aside.

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In a medium bowl sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder.  Set aside.  In a large bowl cream the butter and WL until light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Carefully beat in red food coloring, scraping bowl frequently.

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Beat in 1/2 of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk; then the remaining flour mixture.  In a small bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda and quickly stir into the batter.  Immediately pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out still moist, with large crumbs – or almost clean, but not wet/raw.  Do not over-bake!  Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove cake from pan by placing the wire rack on top of the cake and invert; allow to cool completely.  (To ensure that your cake stays nice and moist, when the cake is out of the pan and on the rack, lay plastic wrap loosely over the top as it cools.)  Split cake in half with a serrated knife or a long piece of thread and frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.  (This needs to be kept in the fridge and actually gets better a day later. I put toothpicks on the top to keep the plastic wrap from ruining the frosting.)

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Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

One 8-ounce pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups Splenda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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In a medium bowl beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in Splenda and vanilla.  Gently fold in whipped cream.  (This makes a lot of frosting, but it’s worth it!  You may not use it all on the cake, but it’s great on other things, too.)

. Makes 12 servings.  Per Serving: Calories 160; Protein 4 g; Fat 11 g; Carbs 12 g; Sugar 0 g; Sodium144 mg

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Holiday Cookies! My favorite Molasses-Spice one…ever.

GINGER-MOLASSES COOKIES

If you want crispy, crinkly, snappy ginger cookies, these aren’t them.  But soft, chewy-cakey, velvety?  Gotcha covered.

This is my favorite spice cookie and it gets BETTER as it ‘ages’.  Make these a couple days ahead of when you want to serve them, wrap tightly, and put away for a sweet nap.  So comforting.

Pour yourself a cup of Chai tea and slip one of these beauties onto your saucer – sit back, soothe your soul, and overdose on spices. The perfect way to spend a Holiday afternoon.

Lots of photos…just cause they are so gorgeous!

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Whey Low granular

1/2 cup packed Whey Low Gold

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup mild molasses

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger (yes…a Tablespoon)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

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In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, WL granular, and WL Gold until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water, and molasses.

In a small bowl combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, soda, and salt. Add all at once to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours – I do it overnight so it’s very cold.

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Preheat oven to 325 degrees. If you can, use parchment paper to line a sheet with. Drop dough by a very rounded tablespoon (or 1/3 cup – seriously.  I love BIG cookies!)  onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with WL granular. Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on the size, or until just set.   (I sprinkle with granular again while they are still warm.)  If using paper, simply slide off entire thing onto a rack and cool completely.  If not, let them sit on the baking sheet for a moment to set and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

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Makes 30 cookies.

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Per Cookie: Calories 81, Fat 4 gr, Protein 1 gr, Sugars 5 gr, NET Carbs 10 gr, Sodium 11 mg

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Summer Berries Star Again

LEMON RASPBERRY PARFAITS

It’s time to take advantage of nature’s gorgeous jewels and this is the perfect light ending to a hot summer day.  Strawberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, cherries…anything fresh is wonderful in this.

This is another recipe where adding in a scoop or so of unflavored, or vanilla, protein powder would be wonderful…and unnoticable, too.  

(I got these adorable individual Trifle bowls at Walmart. Can’t tell by my photo, but they have the pedestal and everything!!)

This photo is from Crate & Barrel…but same thing.

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One 8-ounce pkg. fat free cream cheese, softened
2 cups skim milk
One 4-serving size sugar-free instant Lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup Splenda-sweetened whipped cream  (1/4 cup heavy cream with 1 teaspoon Splenda)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Splenda
Zest of half a lemon
2 cups fresh raspberries ( or straw, black, blue…whatever is available)
3 kiwi, diced (peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries…)

In a large bowl whip the cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add the milk until blended. Beat in pudding mix, vanilla, Splenda, and lemon zest. Allow to thicken and fold in whipped cream.

In 8 small dessert cups or glass, layer fruit and cream cheese mixture, dividing ingredients evenly among them. Garnish with additional fruit and lemon zest, if desired. Chill for 1-2 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 112; Protein 6 g; Fat 2 g; NET Carbs 12 g; (Fiber 3 g); Sugar 3 g; Sodium 319 mg

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