Bakery-beautiful from your own oven..

RASPBERRY CRUMB BARS

I adore these bars!

Sweet jam baked until bubbly on an almond-pecan shortbread crust and topped with spicy crumbs…what’s not to love?!

Raspberry is wonderful, but you could make several different flavors and present them on a gorgeous platter for parties or tea…or gorgeously boxed for a friend.

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Vegetable cooking spray

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup Whey Low Granular or maltitol crystals

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon almond flour, divided

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup no-sugar-added raspberry jam (or any flavor)

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a round or square 8 inch pan with vegetable cooking spray and set aside. (If you have it, an 8-inch springform pan is perfect and makes the bars easy to remove.)

In a medium bowl cream the butter with the Whey Low until light. Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk. Gradually stir in the 1/2 cup flour and the 1/2 cup almond flour. Mix in the chopped pecans. Dough will be stiff but moist. Reserve 1/3 cup of this mixture and set aside. With buttered fingers press the remaining dough into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until it is golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl heat raspberry jam in the microwave until soft, but not runny. Stir in almond extract and carefully spread on baked crust to within 1/2 inch of edge.

To reserved crumbs mix in the 1 tablespoon flour, the 1 tablespoon almond flour and the cinnamon.  Sprinkle reserved crumb-cinnamon mixture onto the jam. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown and jam is bubbly. Allow to cool before cutting. Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 118; Protein 2 g; Fat 10 g; Carbs 4 g; Sugar 0 g; Sodium 38 mg

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In case your day’s not lovely enough…!

RASPBERRY CREAM CHEESECAKE PIE

Love, love, love this pie.  It’s rich enough that a sliver will do just fine as a wonderful ending to your special dinner.

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1 1/2 cups sugar-free chocolate cookie or chocolate graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Two 8-ounce pkgs. reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 cup DaVinci sugar-free Raspberry syrup (or Torani, or any other brand)
2 cups Splenda-sweetened whipped cream (1 1/4 cups unwhipped)  OR  one 8-ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
1/2 cup sugar-free raspberry jam, warmed
Sugar-free dark chocolate shavings for garnish

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine cookie or graham crumbs with melted butter. Press into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

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In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, Splenda, and syrup until smooth. Beat in 1/2 the whipped cream OR 1/2 of the container of Cool Whip. Pour filling into cooled crust. Spread warmed jam over the cream cheese mixture. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (try not to let the wrap stick to the jam – use 3 or 4 toothpicks if necessary) and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with remaining Cool Whip and chocolate shavings.

Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving: 155 Cal; 4 g Protein; 11 g Fat; 11 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 3 g Sugar; 150 mg Sodium

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Mi Amore!

CASSATA CAKE

What a lovely way to end a meal!

An Italian dessert full of sweet ricotta cream between layers of light sponge cake soaked, in this case, in sugar free raspberry syrup.  So glorious!

I’ve seen them un-iced, or completely covered with cream – either way it’s a wonderful thing.  Don’t be discouraged with looking at the length of the recipe – it’s not hard, just a lot of steps.  And it’s so worth it!

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Genoise:

Vegetable cooking spray

3/4 cup Softaskilk brand cake flour,  plus additional for dusting pans

1/4 rounded teaspoon table salt (not Kosher)

6 large eggs

3/4 cup Whey Low Granular

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously grease three 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray.  Dust with flour on bottom and sides, tapping out extra.

Sift together the flour and salt into a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs, sugar sub, and vanilla for 10 minutes or until pale, tripled in volume and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.

Very carefully, with a spatula, fold in the flour/salt just until moistened.  Divide evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 10-13 minutes, or until golden and they don’t indent when you touch them in the middle.  Allow to cool on wire rack for 10-15 minutes.  Run a sharp knife around the edge and invert onto rack.  (May need to run a cake/pie server under the cake if it wants to stick to the pan.)  Cool completely.

Raspberry Sauce:

2 cups fresh raspberries

1/2 cup Splenda

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan place raspberries, Splenda, salt, and lemon juice.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.  (May be made 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge.)

Ricotta Filling:

One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon Fiori de Scilia (if you don’t have that use 1 whole teaspoon vanilla extract plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest)

2/3 cup Splenda

In a food processor combine ricotta, vanilla, Fiori, and Splenda until smooth and silky.  Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill, if not using right away.  (May be made 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge.  Remove from fridge to set at room temp for 30 minutes before assembling the cake.)

To assemble cake:

Additional ingredients needed:

1/2-3/4 cup sugar free Raspberry syrup (DaVinci or Torani)

2-(5) cups Splenda-sweetened whipped cream – if completely frosting the cake you will need the (5) cups…1 (2 2/3) cup heavy whipping cream, 2 (5) tablespoon Splenda, 1/2 (2) teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh raspberries

Mint leaves, if desired, for garnish, lemon zest

Remove Ricotta Filling from the refrigerator and allow to set at room temperature for 30 minutes for easier assembly.

Place one layer of the cake on a plate or cake stand.  Brush or drizzle enough syrup (about 3  tablespoons) over the cake to become moist, but not soggy, allowing it to soak in for a couple minutes.

Carefully spread half of the Ricotta Filling over the cake layer.  Carefully spread half of the Raspberry Sauce over the ricotta layer.

Repeat with second cake layer, syrup, remaining Ricotta Filling, and Raspberry Sauce.  Place final cake layer on the top and brush with remaining syrup.

Spread whipped cream over the top layer of cake (or frost entire cake with whipped cream) and scatter whole berries.  Garnish with fresh mint leaves and fresh lemon zest, if desired.

Chill for at least two hours.

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