Sunday, June 25, 2017

Best Low Carb Vanilla Cream Scones

Best Low Carb Vanilla Cream Scones
Low carb, gluten free scone recipes made from almond flour abound on the internet. I've found them to be too dense and heavy, almost too rich for my tastes. So, I set out to make a scone that's lighter in texture, with a subtle flavor that doesn't overpower...in other words, the perfect scone for a traditional English tea. A cream tea is a speciality of Devon and Cornwall counties and is a form of afternoon tea consisting of scones, clotted cream and jam. The true stars of this delightful past time are the clotted cream and jam, so the scone is actually just a vehicle to get these yummies from the plate to your mouth! The coconut flour imparts a softer, more delicate texture than you can get using almond flour alone and, for that reason, I think these are the best scones I've ever made. They are slightly sweet with a subtle vanilla flavor that is perfect for hosting your very own cream tea.

Best Low Carb Vanilla Cream Scones
Makes 8 scones

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons granular erythritol sweetener (I used LaKanto Monkfruit sweetener)
3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (I used Sweet Leaf brand)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (reduce to a pinch if using salted butter)
5 tablespoons very cold butter (unsalted preferred), cut into cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Plus coconut flour for dusting board

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until well mixed. Add cubed butter and, with a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into the dry ingredients until it is coarse, pea-size crumbs.

3. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, cream and vanilla extract until thick and well combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir quickly with a fork to combine thoroughly. Allow the batter sit for a few minutes until the coconut flour absorbs the liquid and a soft dough forms.

4. Dust a board or your countertop lightly with coconut flour. With a rubber spatula or your hands, gather the dough into a ball and put it onto the board.  Lightly dust the top of the dough with more coconut flour. Using your hand, pat and shape the dough into a 6-inch circle that is about 3/4-inch thick. Try not to overwork the dough. Cut evenly into 8 wedges (like you're cutting a pie) and place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, being sure to allow space between each wedge because the dough with puff a bit while baking. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the bottoms and outer edges are golden brown and the tops are just beginning to brown.

5. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature with clotted cream or butter and sugar free jam (here is a good recipe: https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-carb-sugar-free-strawberry-jelly/). Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Best Low Carb Vanilla Cream Scones 
Nutritional Information per serving (1 scone, no toppings): 206 calories, 8 g carbohydrate (3.3 g dietary fiber, 1 g sugars, 3 g sugar alcohols), 18.4 g total fat (9.6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 86 mg cholesterol, 238 mg sodium, 101.5 mg calcium, 83 mg potassium, 508 mg Vit A, 4.5 g protein. Net Carbs per serving: 4.7 grams.

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2017
All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author's permission. 

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Double Chocolate Donuts (Gluten Free and Low Carb)

Double Chocolate Donuts 
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a donut pan and am now having fun making and eating low carb, gluten free donuts! The best part is that they're so good, the whole family is enjoying my baking efforts. They are particularly delicious with a cup of coffee! For Father's Day, I made these chocolate donuts dipped in a rich and decadent chocolate ganache glaze for my chocoholic hubbie. We had some for breakfast, then topped them with homemade sugar free ice cream for dessert later. Donut sundaes are a delightful way to end a celebratory meal!

Double Chocolate Donuts
Makes 12 donuts (more or less, depending on your donut pan)

1-1/4 cups almond flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons granulated erythritol (I used LaKanto Monkfruit sweetener)
3/4 teaspoon stevia powder (I used SweetLeaf brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 drops stevia (I used SweetLeaf brand)
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons water

Chocolate Glaze:

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (70% cacao or higher)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
A pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a donut pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, erythritol, stevia, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir with a fork and break up any lumps. In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter or coconut oil, vanilla, stevia drops, 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and water. Add egg mixture to almond flour mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth.

3. Fill each cavity of the donut baking pan 2/3 full (do not overfill). Bake for 18 minutes or until set and the donuts spring back when touched. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.

4. While the donuts are cooling, make the glaze. Place 1/4 cup heavy cream and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and heat until just simmering (or microwave in 15 second intervals until it just begins to boil). Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before whisking until the mixture is smooth.

5. Dip the tops of the cooled donuts into the chocolate mixture. Place the glazed donuts on a wire rack to cool until the chocolate glaze is set. (You will most likely have some chocolate ganache glaze leftover. Save it in an airtight container. It makes excellent hot fudge sauce!)

Donut Sundae 
Nutritional Information per donut (based on recipe making 12 donuts): 165 calories, 7.6 g carbohydrate (2.7 g dietary fiber, 1.2 g sugars, 3 g sugar alcohols), 14.9 g total fat (6.3 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 41 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 93.2 mg calcium, 135 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 155 mg Vit A, 5 mg caffeine, 4.7 g protein. Net carbs per donut: 4.9 grams

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2017
All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without author's permission.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Triple Butter Caramel Pecan Fat Bombs

Triple Butter Caramel Pecan Fat Bomb
On my low carb/high healthy fat (LCHF) Keto diet, Fat Bombs offer me a quick energy boost or even can replace a meal without raising my insulin levels if I'm in a hurry to get out the door. Also, they're great on a day when I'm intermittent fasting, but I need a little something to keep going. If I experience that afternoon slump about 3:00 PM, just one fat bomb wakes me up and provides instant energy without caffeine! I always have a batch of Fat Bombs in my refrigerator. They are delicious, have so many uses and are my secret weapon to reduce cravings and keep me on track!

Triple Butter Caramel Pecan Fat Bombs
Makes 10 servings

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces unsweetened cocoa butter
3 tablespoons nut butter of choice (I used peanut butter)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon Caramel Sweet Drops, or 8-10 drops English Toffee liquid stevia to taste
10 pecan halves

1. Melt coconut oil, butter, cocoa butter and nut butter together in a small saucepan until melted or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave.

2. Add in the vanilla extract and liquid stevia and whisk until combined. Divide equally between ten mini-size silicone muffin liners and place in the freezer for a few minutes or the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until just beginning to set.

3. Remove and place one pecan half on the top of each fat bomb. Return to the freezer or refrigerator and chill until completely set. These fat bombs must be stored in the refrigerator until just prior to serving because they can melt quickly.

Nutritional Information per fat bomb: 109 calories, 1.1 g carbohydrate (0.4 g dietary fiber, 0.2 g sugars), 11.4 g total fat (5.9 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 6 mg cholesterol, 8 mg sodium, 1.7 mg calcium, 7 mg potassium, 72 mg Vit A, 1.2 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 0.7 g

Recipe by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2017
All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author's permission.