Pecan Pralines

The Ingredients:

• 28 g (or 2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter 
• stevia equivalent of 16 g (or 4 teaspoons) of sugar
• 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract
• 70 g (or 2½ oz) of pecan nuts
• salt

The Method:

1. Turn on the oven to heat to 135°C (or 275°F).
2. Melt the butter to softness, and add the stevia and vanilla.
3. In a shallow baking tray, toss the pecans gently with the butter mixture.
   
4. Add a sparse sprinkling of salt and toss again to distribute it evenly.
5. Bake the pecans for 20 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes.
6. Pour off the excess butter (I do this by pouring the pecans and butter into a paper towel, then returning the nuts to the baking tray).
   
7. Boost the oven temperature to 150°C (or 300°F).
8. Bake the pecans for a final 10 minutes, then allow them to cool down with the oven.

Pecan Pralines sprinkled on a chicken salad made with Frango, on this blog

Pizzus

The Ingredients (for 35 to 40 pieces):

• 2 or 3 zucchini
• 2 cooked sausages (I prefer Silva Zesty Chicken Italian)
• 225 ml (or 1 cup) of pizza sauce
• 115 g (or ¼ lb) of mozzarella cheese
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Wash the zucchini and cut them crosswise into rounds approximately 8 mm (or ¼ in) thick.
2. Peel the outer membrane off the cooked sausages and cut them crosswise into rounds approximately 4 mm (or ⅛ in) thick.
   
3. Grate the mozzarella cheese.
4. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high heat and spray or lightly brush it with olive oil.
5. Place the zucchini rounds on the griddle and toast them lightly for about 2 minutes; turn them, and toast them on the other side for the same amount of time. 
6. When the zucchini rounds are still firm but show small browned spots from the griddle, transfer them to a baking dish or foil-covered grill pan.
   
7. Heat a broiler on highest heat.
8. Place one sausage round on top of each zucchini round.
9. Spoon approximately 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of pizza sauce onto each sausage round.
10. Spoon approximately 3 g (or 1 teaspoon) of grated mozzarella cheese on top of the pizza sauce.
    
    

Midnite Special

The Ingredients (for 30 to 35 pieces):

• 170 g (or 6 oz) of stevia-sweetened, dark chocolate (I prefer CocoPolo 70% cocoa dark chocolate)
• 2 medium bananas or equivalent, weighing approximately 320 g (or 11 oz)
• 60 g (or 1 cup) of peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract
• stevia equivalent of 50 g (or 4 tablespoons) of sugar
• 1.5 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of salt
• 3 g (or ½ teaspoon) of baking soda

The Method:

1. Set the oven to heat up to 200°C (or 400°F).
   
   
2. If necessary, chop the chocolate into small pieces.
3. Place the chocolate chips into a mixing bowl.
4. Place the bananas into a blender or food processor and grind them into a smooth paste.
5. Add the peanut butter, eggs, vanilla, stevia, and salt, and grind until they are thoroughly and evenly blended.
6. Pour the banana mixture into the bowl on top of the chocolate chips
7. Sprinkle the baking soda on the banana mixture and fold all the ingredients together until the chocolate is evenly distributed.
8. Place spoonfuls of approximately 25 g (or 1½ tablespoons) into mini muffin cups.
9. Bake the muffins for 8 minutes then test for doneness with a toothpick or small skewer. Allow a minute or two more in the oven if necessary.

Acknowledgement:

This is my sugar-free version of Maryea's recipe for muffins on her blog, Happy Healthy Mama.

Chocoberries

The Ingredients (for 20 servings):

• 20 medium size strawberries, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb)
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of stevia-sweetened dark (preferably 70% cacao) chocolate
• 20 g (or 1 tablespoon) of unsalted butter

Equipment

• floral foam or similar material, at least 4 cm (or 1½ in) thick
• wax paper
• 20 toothpicks, pointed at both ends
• small tweezers

The Method:

1. Wash and hull the strawberries, then drain and pat them dry.
2. Place the strawberries on a paper towel in a colander and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes.
3. Cover a piece of stiff foam such as floral foam with a sheet of wax paper and secure it. I do this by taping it together on the underside. This will hold the strawberries in place after they are dipped in chocolate.
4. Place the foam on a flat tray to give it some rigidity.
5. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place it into a small saucepan.
6. Add the butter.
   
7. Place the saucepan over very low heat, e.g. either a larger pan containing hot water or a warming area of the stove top.
8. Stir as the chocolate and butter melt. On the warming element of my stove, the chocolate takes about 20 minutes to melt completely and I like to stir it every 2 to 3 minutes.
9. When the chocolate mixture is smooth and shiny, and its viscosity is similar to that of honey, remove it from the heat source.
10. Bring the chilled strawberries out of the refrigerator. 
11. Pick up a strawberry and insert a toothpick into it through the stem area, leaving at least 3 cm (or 1¼ in) sticking out.
    
12. Holding it by the toothpick, dip the strawberry in the melted chocolate or use a spoon to ladle the chocolate over the strawberry, leaving a small area free.
13. Allow excess chocolate to drain back into the pan.
14. Use tweezers to grasp the toothpick just below the base of the strawberry.
15. Press the toothpick through the wax paper and down into the foam base, using the index finger of your free hand to keep it vertical.
    

Sweet Truth Truffles

 

Menu Note:

• The ingredients and method below are very little different from George Duran's recipe on the Food Network. In particular, this version contains absolutely no sugar.

The Ingredients (for 24 truffles):

• 170 g (or 6 oz) of stevia-sweetened dark chocolate, preferably Coco Polo 70% cacao chocolate
• 7 g (or 1 tablespoon) of unsalted butter
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of chèvre, a creamy goat cheese
• stevia equivalent of 2 tablespoons of sugar
• a dash (or ⅛ teaspoon) of baking soda
• 2.5 ml (or ½ teaspoon) of vanilla extract
• zest of half a lemon
• cacao powder

The Method:

1. Place the chocolate and butter in a small sauce pan and melt them together, stirring constantly, over very low heat such as a warming coil or a larger pan of hot water.
2. When the melted chocolate is smooth with no lumps, remove it at once from the heat source and place it aside to cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, whisk the goat cheese with the stevia, baking soda, vanilla, and lemon zest until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the cooled but still melted chocolate and whisk again until the mixture is completely homogeneous.
   
5. Place the chocolate mixture into the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, testing it occasionally for consistency, and remove it when it has become firm but not hardened. If the following step is difficult to execute, keep the bowl at room temperature until the mixture is again pliable. Do not try to melt it in any way.
6. Sift a thin layer of cacao powder onto a small plate.
7. Take about 1 tablespoon of chocolate mixture at a time, and roll it gently between your palms to form a ball.
8. Roll the ball in the cacao powder and tap it on the side of the plate to remove excess.
9. Place the truffles into a mini muffin pan or similar receptacle to keep them apart.
10. Refrigerate the truffles for at least 30 minutes before serving.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Zucch it Up

Menu Notes:

• I got this idea from a recipe on Laura Powell's web site, and added a little more flavor and variety.
• The motivation for making a large batch was to take something to a potluck, to make sure that my husband could have something tasty and nourishing to eat.

 The Ingredients (for 50 rolls):

• 6 zucchini, each about 20 cm (or 8 in) long
• lemon pepper seasoning
• cooking grade olive oil
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of chèvre (preferably) or any other creamy cheese
• suggested fillings: thinly sliced smoked salmon, thinly sliced smoked turkey, tapenade (described in this blog)
  

 The Method:

1. Wash the zucchini, trim off the tops and bottoms, and slice them as thinly as possible lengthwise (I use a mandoline slicer).
2. Discard the outside slices that are all skin.
3. Heat a grill  until it radiates medium heat, and maintain it at that temperature.
4. While the grill is warming, lay the zucchini slices flat on a board and sprinkle them with lemon pepper on one side only.
5. When the grill is ready, spray or brush olive oil on it, then lay the zucchini, seasoned side down, across the ridges.
6. When the slices begin to show faint brown lines over the grill ridges, turn them over with a long spatula and cook the other side for approximately the same amount of time.
7. Remove cooked slices onto paper towels to cool. The seasoned side of each slice will be uppermost.

  
8. When all the zucchini slices are cooked and cooled, divide them into three approximately equal groups to make the three differently filled rolls.
9. On one third of the slices, place a strip of smoked turkey meat flush with one end of the slice. Then place a small spoonful of chèvre on top of it.
10. On one third of the slices, place a small spoonful of chèvre at one end. Then place a sliver of smoked salmon on top of it.
11. On one third of the slices, place a small spoonful of chèvre at one end. Then place an equal or smaller amount of tapenade on top of it.
12. Roll up each zucchini slice, starting at the end where the chèvre is, and secure the roll with a cocktail toothpick.
13. Stand the rolls on end and refrigerate them for at least half an hour before serving them. 

Brownie Points

Menu Notes:

• This was originally a recipe for gluten-free brownies on a blog called "Elfie's Edibles". I substituted stevia for sugar, tweaked a bit, and came up with the following recipe, which is low in both carbs and sugar but loaded with chocolate.
• I have identified a delicious dark chocolate sweetened with stevia, which I ordered online from Coco Polo. I made the brownies with this chocolate and they were the best and tastiest batch so far.

The Ingredients (for about 35 bite-size servings):

• 170 g (or 6 oz) of unsalted butter
• 2 bars of 70% dark chocolate, or approximately 200 g (7 oz)
• 3 eggs
• 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of pure vanilla extract
• Stevia equivalent to 50 g (or ¼ cup) of sugar
• 90 g (or ¾ cup) of finely ground almond flour
• A pinch (or ⅛ teaspoon) of baking soda
• 1.5 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of salt

The Method:

1. First clarify the butter by heating over the lowest heat for about half and hour, or until the milk solids have separated out from the fat.
2. Skim the floating solids off the top and, while it is still warm, filter the remaining butter into a bowl to remove solids that are on the bottom of the pan. I use unscented, ultra-soft toilet paper for the filter; it has just the right pore size.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Heat the oven to 160°C (or 325°F).
4. If necessary, butter or oil two mini muffin pans, or set out about 40 mini muffin paper baking cups.
5. Break one of the chocolate bars into small pieces for melting.
6. Cut the other chocolate bar into very small pieces to make chocolate chips.
   
7. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them lightly with the vanilla and the stevia.
8. Place the almond flour into a bowl, and mix it well with the salt and baking soda.
9. Melt the larger pieces of chocolate in the still-warm clarified butter, stirring until all have dissolved.
10. Mix together the egg mixture and the chocolate-butter mixture and stir vigorously until it becomes viscous.
11. Add the almond flour mixture and stir until it is thoroughly incorporated.
12. Fold in the prepared chocolate chips.
    
13. Fill each mini muffin cup almost to the top with brownie mixture.
14. Bake the muffins for 15 to 20 minutes, testing for doneness with a fine bamboo skewer or a toothpick.
15. Allow the brownies to cool before removing them from muffin pans.

The Story:

Gluten-free bakers often make use of high glycemic index flours such as rice flour, tapioca flour, potato flour. I was so happy to find a recipe that worked using almond flour instead. It does not have the bitterness of chick pea flour, which completely ruined my attempt to make anicini a few months ago. I am ready to find out how many other ways I can work with this almond flour.