If I had to pick just one dessert to be my all time favorite it would be a hard choice between apple pie and ice cream.  Give me both and I could die a very happy person.

Since fruit pies are far off my “can have” list, I do like to make a fruit crisp from time to time.

Normally I use berries but when I was doing my Christmas shopping at Wal-mart I came across a can of sugar free Apple Pie filling from Lucky Leaf.

So I crabbed a can and put this together for Christmas.  Next time I think I will mix half a can with a batch of my Chayote Fried apples, minus the cranberries.  I can always freeze the other half a can.  Or for that matter I could simply use the Apple Fried Chayote squash.

Whatever, fruit you chose to use, this is a very quick and simple dessert.

Fruit Crisp

• Fruit of choice- in this case, a can of Lucky Leaf sugar free apple pie filling
• 1 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon
• Sweeter if needed
• thickening agent if using berries or other fruit.

Mix all ingredients and pour into a baking dish or pie plate.  Make crumble top in food processor and crumble over the top. 

Bake at 450 until bubbling hot and top browns slightly

Crumble top

• ½ cup of pecans or nut of your choice
• 1 tbsp. almond meal
• 2 tbsp. butter cut into small cubes
• 1 tsp. black strap molasses  (only 4 carbs)

I made one of these for Thanksgiving and it was such a hit I'm making another for Christmas. Of course my plan was to top with Cranberry sauce instead of the strawberry, but I was out voted. New years I'm having cranberry sauce if I have to make individual little cheese cakes everyone can top they way they want…giggle

This uses an almond meal crust. If you don't have almond meal throw a cup or two in your food processor and pulse until the texture of cornmeal. I've never bout meal I buy almonds grind and store in my freezer for when I need. This time I ground slivered almond because I had a bag in my freezer, but I've use whole almonds, blanched or unblanched. Just don't use roasted or smoked almonds!

Don't leave out the salt. It's just a dash here and there but it really brings out the sweetness of the cheesecake and fruit.

Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 cup ground almonds
• ½ stick butter
• 2-3 tbsp. sweetening power
• Dash of salt

Cheesecake

• 4 8oz. blocks of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sweetening power
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• Dash of salt

Strawberry Sauce

• 1 ½ bags frozen strawberries
• ½ stick of butter
• Dash of salt
• Sweetener to taste
• Thickening agent of choice, I used xanthan gum

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Take cream cheese out to soften and eggs out to come to room temperature
3. Place butter in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pop in oven until butter melts
4. Remove and add almond meal, sweetener and salt; mix until you have a crumbly "dough"
5. Press into the bottom of the pan using plastic wrap to keep hands clean
6. Bake 5-10 minutes until lightly brown; let cool completely
7. Beat cream cheese, sweetener, salt and vanilla until combined and slightly fluffy
8. Add sour cream and eggs 1 at the time beating after each
9. Pour batter over cooled crust and bake 40 minutes. Please watch and don't get busy like I did. You do not want to brown it.
10. Remove and let cool without moving. More than likely it will have some cracks in it, but you will be covering them up with the fruit.
11. Pour frozen strawberries into a medium saucepan, over a medium low burner
12. Add butter, salt and 2 tbsp. sweetener, stir to coat.
13. Cover and let simmer until strawberries have thawed and creates a sauce.
14. Check sweetness and adjust if needed.
15. Sprinkle with thickening agent and let simmer until thickened
16. Let sauce cool
17. Pour over cheesecake, cover with plastic wrap or lid if you have one and refrigerate over night.
18. Cut into bars to serve.
19. Now pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to make in the first place! Giggle

This can easily be cut in half if your not feeding a crowd or else you can freeze half for another time. If your not partial to Strawberries you can easily use any berry or fruit you like.  I'm betting blueberry or blackberry would be fantastic!  I'm not personally a raspberry fan.

Making candy has always been a big part of our Christmas, but they are all off limits these days. All that sugar and carbs is just not worth the temptation and other family members make most of what we did anyway. But it's hard not to have a little chocolate during the Christmas season.

I found some good quality dark 85% cocoa chocolate on line and ordered a several bars and I had left over low carb chocolate chips from last year. So I made a few different kinds of chocolates for us to keep so that we had something to nosh on when the need for sweets hit.

Chocolate Cups

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. Dark chocolate bars, chocolate chips or unsweetened chocolate
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• 2 tbsps-1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• Filling, peanut butter, caramel, jam, fruit or whatever you like
• 1 oz Paraffin, grated (will keep from having to be refrigerated)
• Erythritol amount depends on taste and what kind of chocolate you use

Method:    

1. Place a metal bowl over a small pan of simmering water.
2. Chop chocolate into small pieces and add to bowl
3. Add a little paraffin and let melt with the chocolate
4. Stir in erythritol, cream and vanilla
5. Stir in nuts
6. Fill small candy cups half full add filling and then more chocolate

    

   I made mine with peanut butter and Walden Farms caramel sauce in the center

    

   Nut clusters

Ingredients:

• 5 oz low carb chocolate chips, dark chocolate, or unsweetened chocolate
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. cream
• 2 -2 ½ cup chopped nuts
• Erythritol to taste

Method:

1. Spread out wax paper and coat with a thin layer of butter
2. Melt chocolate (I use metal bowl over simmering water) with cream and vanilla
3. Once melted stir in nuts
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper
5. Once set up store in the fridge or you could add a little paraffin to the chocolate so they could sit out.

I've been promising this pie recipe like forever and I'm sorry it took so long, but my computer just hasn't been cooperating very well up until the last few days. Guess it took my threat to chunk it out the back door seriously! Anyway, this is a low carb version of an old family recipe. My mom got it from my Aunt who I believe got it from my Nanny or maybe she got it from Aunt Marie too. Who got it first doesn't really matter, it's a wonderful pie recipe and one of my mom's all time favorites. I made it for her birthday and I made another today, just to make sure the recipe worked.

Whether you use my sweetener blend or simply use your favorite sweetener is completely up to you. I highly recommend you add slightly less sweetener and taste then add more as you like. This can get very sweet very fast. The original recipe had both the cup of sugar and sweetened coconut in it. So I used sweetener and DaVinci's. Since half of the liquid was going to be syrup I used heavy cream, but I think I'll try 2 cups hood milk and coconut flavoring next time and see how that works out.

If you try this, please send me an email, leave a comment or contact me at lowcarbvikki@gmail.com and let me know what you think. I'm dying for feedback on this one.

Vikki's Coconut Cream Pie

Formerly my Aunt Marie's Coconut Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. Carbalose Flour
• A dash of salt
• 1 cup sweetener blend or your choice of sweetener
• 2 tbsp. Thicken Thin/Not Sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream and
  • 1 cup S/F DaVinci's coconut syrup
  • or 2 cups hood and coconut extract or flavoring
• 2 egg yokes
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 almond meal piecrust* recipe follows

Method:

1. Put flour, salt, sweetener and Thicken Thin into a large heavy saucepan and whisk together until well blended and no lumps.
2. Add all eggs and whisk until smooth and creamy.
3. Whisk in milk mixture a little at the time whisking constantly
4. Add coconut and cook over med low heat until thick.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and butter.
6. Pour into pie shell and let set.
7. *Optional: cover with meringue or what I unaffectionately call cow slobber and brown in oven a few minutes.

Almond meal piecrust

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup almond flour or ground almonds
• 2 tbsp. sweetening blend or favorite sweetener
• 1 tbsp. coconut flour

Pre heat oven to 350.

Place butter in a pie plate sitting on a burner set to low. Once butter has just melted mix in the rest of the ingredients until a crumbly dough forms. Use a small piece of plastic wrap press into the bottom and sides to forum a piecrust. Bake about 5 minutes or until brown. Let cool.

I'm not a 100% sure how this will work in everything, but it does a fabulous job in cream pies. It's the sweetening blend I use in my coconut cream pie.

Sweetener blend

2 cups erythritol

1 cup Splenda

1 tsp. Stevia

¼ cup poly D fiber

2 tbsp. Thickenthin/not sugar

Run all through food process to blend and break up any lumps in erythritol. Store in airtight container.

There are dozens of recipes for this simple low carb candy, some more complicated than others.  This just happens to be my version.

• 3 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp. Powdered Erythritol
• 1 tbsp. Splenda
• 1/3 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder
• a dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Fit a small baking pan with wax paper
2. sprinkle walnuts over the wax paper
3. Melt coconut oil and butter in a small sauce pan over low heat
4. Add cocoa, erythritol, Splenda and protein powder.
5. whish well, add salt and vanilla
6. Mix well
7. Gently pour over walnuts.
8. Pop in the fridge or freezer to cool
9. Peel off wax paper, break into pieces and store in the refrigerator.

Hints: For a little kick add in a couple of good shakes of cayenne pepper

You could use all coconut oil if you like, I just like the butter flavor. 

If you would rather use chocolate protein powder, go for it.  I didn’t want to mix the chocolate flavors. 

Use whatever nut or seed you like.  I found I really liked this made with pumpkin seeds… whodathunkit!

Play with the recipe, make it something you enjoy, add or omit anything you like.  The point is to have a little something chocolaty on hand to help with your sweet tooth and well to enjoy chocolate.

On top of that you get the antioxidants from the cocoa and the benefits of the MCT from the coconut oil… and vitamin E from the walnuts. Not too bad for a sweet treat.

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 pkg. True Lemon
• 1/2 pkg spoonable stevia
• 3 drops sweetz free
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Whisk it all together with a small whisk or fork.

With the lemon and sour cream it made me think of yogurt, but richer

So the next night I made it again, but I added a tbsp. of no sugar natural peanut butter and sweetened with 1/2 pkg. cherry stevia and 4 drops sweetzfree... this was the best thing I have eaten in a long time.  I will have to be careful with this or I will eat too much.

I also decided it would have been just as good with regular stevia and not the cherry, but I was going for a pbj flavor.

Vikki's Home Churned "Niller" Ice Cream

So, the Strawberry Cheese Cake recipe was such a hit, I decided to make plain old "Niller" which is by far my favorite. Without the fruit, it's even lower in carbs. Now this recipe calls for a raw egg. If you're worried about it, you could heat the custard before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. However, I feel that if handled correctly the egg is safe. These are fresh eggs; it came out of the refrigerator, mixed with the other cold ingredients and then went directly to the freezer to chill. After an hour and a half in the freezer it went into the ice cream freezer for it's 20 minute run and then directly back in the freezer. Since the egg is never allowed to warm up I feel it's safe.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup hood milk (1.5)
• ½ cup heavy cream ( 1.5)
• 1 egg (1)
• 2 tsp. vanilla (1)
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (4)
• 1-5 additional tbsp. of hood milk to make a full 2 cups ice cream mix (<1)
• 2 Tbsp. fiberfit (0)
• 2 Tbsp. Erythitol (0)

Method:

1. Beat egg, milk and cream together. If heating do so at this point
2. Beat in vanilla and sweeteners. I used a whisk but you could easily use a mixer.
3. Beat in protein powder, and taste for balance of sweetness and vanilla creaminess.
4. Put in freezer for a hour or two to chill well
5. Give a good stir and pour into your ice cream freezer following manufactures directions
6. Place in clean, odor free plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid.
7. Place in freezer and let firm up.

Carb count depends on number of servings you get but the whole recipe is around 8 net carbs.

Magic shell topping

• ¼ cup low carb chocolate chips ( I get mine at Carb Smart)
• 1 ½ tbsp. coconut oil
• 1-2 tsp. erythitol depending on your chocolate chips sweetness

Strawberry Cheese Cake Protein Ice Cream

Yep that's a mouth full. My new friend Jeri Kay from Jeri Kay's World had the link for this Ice cream on her blog. She found the recipe on Shelly from The world according to eggface. So I would like to thank both of these wonderful ladies, Shelly for creating the recipe and Jeri Kay for posting it on her site.

Now you know me, I had to fiddle with it. So here is my version, the links above with take you to the original so you can see it as well.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup frozen, thawed, unsweetened strawberries (7.5)
• 3 oz. cream cheese (3)
• 2 scoops protein powder ( I used vanilla Praline)(4)
• 2 tbsp. s/f DaVinci's Vanilla syrup (0)
• ½ Hood milk (1 ½)
• ½ heavy cream (1 ½)
• 2 Tbsp. Erythitol* (0)
• 2 tbsp. Fiberfit (0)

Method:

1. Using mixer or blender mash strawberries. Mix in the rest of the ingredients one at a time in the order listed.
2. Pour the ice cream mix into a bowl, cover and chill for several hours
3. Follow instructions for your machine. Mine says to pour chilled mix into the freezer while it already running.
4. Remove ice cream immediately and freeze to firm up.

*Considered a sugar alcohol, but this one doesn't cause me any blood sugar spikes so I count it as 0

Sorry, no pictures for this one. I was in a hurry; dinner was nearly ready when I decided I wanted candied pecans on my salad. So here, you go my quick and easy recipe to liven up any salad.

Quick and Easy Candied Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of chopped nuts of your choice (Pecans and walnuts both are wonderful this way).
• 1 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup of Splenda or erythitol

Method:

• Melt butter in small skillet, add nuts and coat with butter
• Sprinkle over the sweetener and stir to make sure they are all well coated
• Cook over med heat until just browned.

Notes* If you like you can sprinkle a little cinnamon and cayenne pepper on them for a little kick. These make a wedge salad come alive, but they do wonders for most any salad or just to sprinkle a few over yogurt or hot flax cereal.

Of course, if you're not a low carber you could easily substitute honey or raw unrefined sugar.

You know we all get the need for something sweet and chocolaty every now and again. It's not just a craving, it's a deep down NEED especially if you're a woman.

I'm not really sure where I picked up the original recipe. It's been floating around the internet for years so I'm sorry to say, I can't give credit to the original creator. But if you know who that is, please let me know. I would love not only to credit them with a wonderful recipe but to thank them as well. I wasn't particularly happy with the end results so I changed it, actually quite a bit. Here's my version of the

3 Minute Brownie

Ingredients:

• 2 T + 1 tsp. melted coconut oil
• Drop or two of Vanilla
• 1 egg
• 12-15 drops sweetzfree (or other sweetener equiv. to 1/2 cup sugar for a semi sweet brownie)
• 1 T. heavy cream
• 2 T Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• Dash of salt
• Handful of chopped nuts of choice * Optional
• 1 T. + 1 tsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp. low carb chocolate chips such as Carbsmart *Optional

Method:

1. Whisk together the oil, vanilla, egg, sweetener, and cream.
2. Whisk in each of the following one at a time; cocoa powder, baking powder and salt
3. Add nuts and chocolate chips if using
4. Lastly whisk in coconut flour and pour into a well sprayed ramekin
5. Nuke for 1 min. 30 seconds. Check for doneness if still to moist nuke an addition 30 seconds. Times may vary depending on your microwave.

Note: This isn't as dense as a normal flour brownie, but it's not as cake like as the original recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

This time of year, we all think about fruit. It's everywhere. Low carbing can sometimes make eating fruit a challenge. Some people will not touch it. But I think fruit has too many great nutrients to pass up completely. While I may not set down to dinner with a big bowl of fruit salad any more, I'm avoiding it fruit either. So here is a yummy fruit recipe that could be used with any fruit you feel comfortable with. I'm already thinking strawberry and rhubarb would be yummy and cut the carbs of the berries a bit.

Mixed Berry Fruit Crisp

Ingredients:

Fruit:

• 2 cups berries, mix match or pick just one
• ½ cup complimentary DaVinci s/f syrup
• 1 tbsp. flax meal ( to help thicken)
• 1 tsp. gaur gum ( to thicken)
• 1 tbsp. PolyD Fiber
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• Optional *2-3 drops of orange oil, or use whatever flavoring or extract you like

1. Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan and gently heat for a few minutes. Just long enough to thicken a little.
2. Spoon into 4 well greased ramekins

Crumble top

• ½ cup of pecans or nut of your choice
• 1 tbsp. almond meal
• 2 tbsp. butter cut into small cubes
• 5-6 large pork skins
• 1 tsp. black strap molasses ( don't freak it's only 5 carbs)

1. Place all crumble ingredients in food processor or mini chopper and give it a pulse or two. What you end up with is a moist crumple topping. If butter melted much pop in the freezer for 4—5 minutes to chill.
2. Divide evenly between the 4 ramekins. Place in a 350* oven and bake until the top is browned and crispy.
3. Let cool then top with fresh whipped cream

This isn't something I would eat everyday. But for a special treat from time to time it's not to bad carb wise. Each serving is ½ cup of berries with a crumble top and whipped cream.

If it still seems too high in carbs for you. Mix some Jicama or rhubarb in with it. Omit the PolyD though it's only 1 ½ net carbs and about 11 ½ grams of fiber! Omit the cinnamon for a 1 net carb saving. Play with it. Make it your own, but let yourself enjoy a little fruit from time to time.

Well you know me, I will give anything a try.  Since my friend Dar has made so many variations of this goo stuff I figured it was time for me to give it a try. 

Well of course I had to make it my own, first I don't have creme de Menthe syrup so I used chocolate, second I like to find as many ways as possible to add in more coconut oil.  Since this had no fat and since I really missed it in her pudding I went a head and added 2 tbsp. coconut oil to it.  I like to mix my dry powders with the glucomannan powder since someone on the forum mentioned it mixed so much easier.  So here's my version of Dar's recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. s/f chocolate DaVinci Syrup
• 1-2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp powdered Erythritol
• two good dashes of salt unless nuts are salted then omit
• *2 tbsp. cocoa powder but will
• 2 tsp. glucomannan powder
• 1/4 small chopped pecans

Preparations:

1. mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl.  Making sure all glucomannan powder is coated with cocoa.
2. Measure syrup and oil into a bowl whisk to combine. 
3. Quickly whisk dry ingredients into the liquid.  It will quickly become thick and gooey. 
4. Stir in nuts.
5. Can eat right away or chill in fridge first. 

I ate half and I'm chillin' half  but my verdict is, Dar came up with another terrific recipe and a great source of fiber.

According to Dar this is about 4 net carbs for the whole thing.  Check you nut carbs.  I used pecans whereas she used walnuts 1/4 cup walnuts has 2 net carbs and the pecans is 1.25

I only used 1 tbsp. of cocoa because I thought it would be plenty.  But it wasn't.  Next time I will follows Dar's recommendation of 2 tbsp.

now I wonder if these would freeze as little candy goops?

This is my version of a friend's recipe.  Dar, came up with this recipe after "playing" in the kitchen with her new bag of glucomman powder.  Thanks Dar!

 

German Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups Hood Calorie Down Milk*
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup dried no sugar added coconut
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. glucomannan powder
• sweetener equal to 1 1/2 cup
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

1. Mix coconut into coconut oil to soak
2. Mix cocoa powder, salt and glucomannan powder
3. mix sweetener into milk
4. Using a mixer beat glucomannan powder mixture into cold milk
5. Stir in coconut, oil and walnuts
6. Refrigerate until cold.

* 2 cups of milk  can be a mix of DaVinci Syrup, Coconut milk or heavy cream.

My Buckeyes are my variation of an old family recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of softened butter
• 1 16 oz jar of natural peanut butter, no sugar added
• 1/2 cup powdered Erythritol
• 3 scoops of Natural Designer whey protein powder, could use vanilla or favorite flavor
• 1 tbsp. fiberfit or 1/2 cup sweetening power if using a sweetened protein powder use less sweetener
• 8 oz bag of Carbsmart chocolate chips
• vanilla, Erythritol and sweetzfree to taste
• 1/3 cup grated paraffin ( sets the chocolate)

Preparations:

1. Mix first 5 ingredients into a stiff dough
2. Roll into walnut sized balls or smaller
3. Freeze for a couple of hours, makes dipping easier.
4. Melt an 8 oz bag of Carbsmart chocolate chips
5. Add a little vanilla, Erythritol and sweetzfree to taste
6. melt in the paraffin
7. using a tooth pick dip each frozen peanut butter ball into the chocolate leaving an "eye" at the top.

It gives you more peanut butter than chocolate, but you could use less paraffin to have a thicker chocolate and make the peanut butter balls smaller to get more chocolate if you like.