Category Archives: Desserts

Keto Blueberry Muffins

Breads, Desserts,

If there is something I love with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, it is watching the news and a couple of blueberry muffins. I have a killer recipe for blueberry muffins in my blog but it is not low carb and hence does not fit in my Keto diet. Last Saturday, I and my husband went to Costco and as usual the bakery aisle had samples. One of which was those gigantic blueberry muffins. They looked so darn delicious with abundant blueberries peeking through their golden top. I immediately decided to bake myself some muffins and without a second thought I grabbed myself a big box of blueberries.

Later that evening I started with my “Operation Keto Blueberry Muffins” and after a failed attempt, I got it right! I am delighted to share the recipe with fellow keto diet followers. Although the taste was heavenly in the first attempt, the texture was too crumbly and they were falling apart as I was trying to take them out of the muffin pan. I made a few adjustments during the second attempt and I got the same heavenly taste and a great texture.

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup Erythritol

2 tablespoons of oats fiber

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4th teaspoon salt

1/4th cinnamon

1/4th teaspoon ginger powder

5 tablespoons melted butter

2 whole eggs

1/4th cup plain yogurt

1/4th cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon molasses

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Instructions:

Combine all the dry ingredients except for the erythritol in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and erythritol and whisk until creamy.

Add the rest of the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Slowly fold in the dry ingredients and the blueberries in the wet mixture.

Pour the mixture in muffin molds and bake for 20 minutes.

Let cool before digging in.

Refrigerate to store and it will be good for 5 to 6 days.

Enjoy!

Keto Chocolate Creme Brûlée

Desserts

I have a really bad sweet tooth so if I cannot have a desert once in a while on a keto diet, I would surely fail to adhere to the strict guidelines. I am a chocoholic and a big fan of this chocolate desert, the mighty Chocolate Crème Brûlée which is nothing but a baked chocolate pudding with a burnt crispy sugar crust on top.

It is very difficult to get a sugar burnt top when there is no sugar involved you say?

I found that Swerve actually browns and burns like sugar and fortunately I had some at home. So, without much delay let us start with this awesome and super easy desert recipe.

 

To make 4 servings of Chocolate Crème Brûlée you will need:

1 ½ cup of heavy whipping cream

¼ cup of sugar substitute

1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate

½ teaspoon of instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

4 egg yolks

4 teaspoons of Swerve

Preheat the oven to 300° F.

In a saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream on a medium heat stirring occasionally till tiny bubbles start appearing on the periphery.

Take the saucepan off the heat and add all the ingredients except the egg yolks, vanilla extract and the Swerve. Giver it a stir and let it stand for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, add the vanilla extract to the mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks until pale yellow.

Add the cream and chocolate mixture in a thin stream to the egg yolks whisking the egg yolks continuously to avoid curdling ( in fancy terms this method is called tempering).

Once all the cream mixture and egg yolks are incorporated together, it is time to dish up and bake.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish which can accommodate all 4 bowls with a kitchen towel ( this will ensure that the bowls will not move while transporting them from the kitchen counter to the oven).

Distribute the mixture in 4 oven proof custard bowls or ramekins and place them in the baking dish. Pour hot water from the side of the pan to avoid any splashing until 1/3 of the ramekins/bowls are covered. (This process is called Bain Marie and ensures that the food cooks evenly at a lower temperature setting slowly).

Bake the Crème Brûlée for 30 mins until the mixture sets and becomes jiggly in the middle.

Take them out of the hot water bath and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

At this point, you can either put them in the refrigerator to serve later or if you are like me, eat it right away.

To serve, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of swerve on the top of the custard and brown the top either under the broiler ( keep a close watch since it can go pretty quickly) or you can be fancy and torch the top with a Crème Brûlée Torch; and if you just can wait anymore, take a spoon and just dig in. The custard is delicious even without the top crust.

Hope you enjoy.

Blueberry Muffins

Breads, Desserts

I love blueberry muffins and this recipe makes the moistest muffins I have ever had. The act_Blueberry muffinsbest part is they stay moist for a whole week. Once you make them at home you will never be happy with the store bought ones and you do not need to be an expert baker to make these lovelies, all you need to master is stirring with a wooden spoon.

You will need:

1 ½   + 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour separated

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg at room temperature

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of buttermilk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

What you need to do:

  • Combine the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the all-purpose flour so that each of them is well coated with the flour. This will prevent them from sinking at the bottom of the muffin while baking.
  • Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and keep it aside.
  • In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl combine the butter, sugar, egg and buttermilk and mix it well.
  • Now pour in the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and combine well with a spatula or wooden spoon till there are no dry lumps left. Avoid over mixing the batter for a better texture of the muffins.
  • Fold in the flour coated blueberries and leave a few to add over the muffins.
  • Line a muffin pan with muffin or cupcake cups and spoon in the batter equally. Tap the pan gently to get rid of air bubbles and top the muffins with the rest of the blueberries and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar.
  • Bake in a preheated oven at 400 °F or 210° C.
  • Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before indulging.

 

 

Sticky Date and walnut cookie

Appetizers-Snacks, Desserts

act_sticky date and walnut cookiesDates and walnuts have been an integral part of Middle Eastern desserts for many years. Now that dates and walnuts are available nearly everywhere, it is time to put together an easy to do dessert and for me it will be sticky gooey cookies. Yum!! Just writing about it makes my mouth water. I have made it healthier by adding oats. The measurements for this recipe yields about 18-20 medium sized cookies and can easily be multiplied for a bigger batch.

 

Ingredients for the cookies:

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and ½ cup of oats (crushed)

1 cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped walnut

 

Ingredients for the Toffee sauce:

1 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoon heavy cream

 

What you need to do:

  • To make the sauce, heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan until bubbly and then add the cream and stir.
  • To make the cookies, beat the butter and sugar till it is an even paste.
  • Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat till it is properly incorporated.
  • Mix all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add the dry mixture gradually to the wet mixture until fully combined.
  • Make small balls from the dough and refrigerate for an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C.
  • Place the cookie balls 2 inch part on a baking sheet and bake the cookie balls for 18 mins or until golden brown.
  • Cool on a wire rack and pipe over some of that delicious toffee sauce.

Chocolate Tart

Desserts

 

Chocolate TartWho does not like a decadent chocolate cake? Well, this Chocolate Tart takes it up a notch and is extremely addictive as it is extremely easy to be put together and you really have to try hard to mess it up. It sure tastes and looks like a star dessert.

You will need:

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

3 egg yolks

2 cups of crushed chocolate cookies

1/2 cup melted butter

And do this:

  • To make the Tart base, combine the cookie mixture and the melted butter to make a loose dough.
  • Press it down evenly on a greased 9 inches tart pan to make the base and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring the cream to a simmer and remove from heat and add the chocolate, coffee, vanilla extract and the salt to it and stir till everything is well combined.
  • Add the milk to the mixture and stir to combine. This will bring down the temperature of the mixture and will prevent curdling of the egg yolks.
  • In a bowl, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks till the mixture is pale in color.
  • Slowly pour in the chocolate mixture in the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine well.
  • Take out the refrigerated base and pour the chocolate mixture evenly onto the base and tap gently to get rid of any air bubbles.
  • Bake it at 300°F (140°C) for 35 minutes.
  • Allow the tart to cool completely and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Tips and tricks:

  • Always place the tart pan on a cookie sheet for easier transfer from working surface to oven and vice versa.
  • Use cold milk to bring down the temperature of the chocolate mixture.
  • Do not use instant coffee which contains chicory.