Low Carb Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

I created this recipe from a 'regular' one. My husband calls it 'low carbing' them. These don't always work out very well but this one turned out fantastic! I figure there are about 4 carbs per muffin when all is said and done. I ate one warm from the oven and they are really good but if you wait until the next day, they are even better! I think it gives the almond flour time to meld with the cream cheese.

Batter:

2 C Almond flour

12 packets of Stevia or the equivalent of 1/2 C sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix these together in a bowl then add:

2 eggs, beaten - less 2 Tbl beaten egg to be used in the cream filling

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 C cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream cheese filling:

6 oz. cream cheese 

8 packets stevia or 1/3 C sugar equivalent

2 Tbl beaten egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

Cinnamon streusel:

1/4 C almond flour - next time I might just used regular flour since I didn't really like the way this part turned out.

6 packets of stevia or 1/4 C sugar equivalent

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbl cold butter

Strawberries cut into small chunks.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Layer the ingredients into the muffins cups. This will make about 12 muffins. First add about a tablespoon dollop of batter. Next put about a teaspoon of cream cheese filling. Then top with a few strawberry chunks and a bit of streusel. Repeat one more time and pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes.

I think there are about 5 grams of carbohydrates per muffin.

Pizza Crust with Almond Flour AKA Low Carb Pizza Crust you Can Eat WithYour Hands!

My son was having a DiGiorno pizza for lunch and I knew I would snitch a piece if I didn't come up with something for myself. So I got out my bag of almond flour and got busy. My pizza crust worked out so well that I just had to share. This made a pizza round of 6 inches in circumference. I ate half for lunch and the other half for an afternoon snack. I am going to try this recipe and see if it will work for an English muffin.

Low-carb pizza crust

1/2 C almond flour

1/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg

2 T heavy whipping cream

1 pinch of salt

I mixed this up well and formed it into a pizza crust shape in a greased pie pan and baked it for 10 minutes in a 450 degree oven.

After this I put the toppings on that I wanted and put it back in the oven for twelve minutes or until the cheese was done to my liking.

This crust stayed together and tasted way better than the cauliflower crust I have made before.

Waffles 4 large eggs 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons water 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 packets Stevia 2 or 3 ounces of crushed pork rinds (I am going to try Almond Flour) 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 Tablespoons melted butter Beat the eggs then add the cream, water, and vanilla extract and beat some more. Mix the Stevia with the cinnamon and then add that to the eggs. (Mixing the cinnamon with the Stevia before adding helps to keep the cinnamon from clumping up). When well blended mix in the ground pork rinds or Almond Flour. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes until it thickens. Then stir and check the consistency. It should be quite thick, but not to thick to spoon easily. If too thick, add a little water. If too thin, add a little bit more pork rinds. Just before you're ready to put into waffle iron, stir in about 2/3 of the melted butter. Brush the waffle baker with about half of the remaining melted butter, then spoon in about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of batter on each side of the bottom half waffle maker and used a spoon to spread the batter out a little. Close the top of the waffle maker. Takes bout 5 or 6 minutes to bake the waffle. These waffles firm up and brown just like "real" waffles. Serve with butter. I enjoy using the 50/50 Grape Jelly. These waffles are surprisingly good.  I went ahead and made them with Almond Flour.  I think I will try to make these as a substitute for bread when I need a sandwich or something for on the go.  Just omit cinnamon and some of the sweetener.

Applesauce Cake

 I opened a huge number 10 can of applesauce for my boys as a part of last nights dinner.  So then I needed to use it up.  I found a recipe for applesauce cake and made one for them and altered a few things to make one for me. So I started with a bunch of almonds and put them in my bosch with the blades.  Then I ground it into a finer flour with my handy dandy mill.  The recipe called for 2 Cups of flour so I substituted 2 Cups of almond flour which has about 6 carbs per cup instead of 40 carbs per cup in the white flour.  The only other substitution I made was using Splenda instead of the Brown Sugar. The square pan is the Low Carb cake and the round one is for everyone else.  I am thinking I can freeze the cake and eat it a bit at a time.

 

For cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Substitute Almond Flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (Substitute Splenda)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (Add one more egg)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted (see Tips), cooled, and chopped

For frosting

• 5 oz cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar (Substitute Splenda)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Make cake:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using).
• Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Make frosting:

• Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
• Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.