Sugar-Free Almond Cookies

Sugar-Free Almond Cookies

by | May 10, 2020 | food, Vegetarian (eggs & dairy)

These delicate beauties, made with just almond flour, butter, eggs and sugar or stevia are deliciously sweet, light and crisp and contribute a good bit of protein to round off a vegetarian / vegan meal

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The only requirement is that your “flour” must be very finely ground, Ground almonds, for example, are too coarse and you’ll end up with rough looking cookies which haven’t risen properly

The good new is that you can simply grind whole or partially ground nuts and seeds in a coffee grinder for silky smooth results. I’ve used sun-flour seeds, melon seeds (egusi), hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and hazelnuts in any combination. When using whole almonds I leave the skins on. What is this obsession with cakes having to be white?

Some are very precise with measurements when baking. In Spain we accept that things like eggs come in all shapes and sizes, and tend to start with the liquid ingredients, adding dry ingredients in the necessary quantities for the right consistency. For you, dear reader, I’ve given the “correct” weights and measures

The recipe uses eggs and butter. For a vegan version substitute coconut or other oil for butter and add a splash of nut or soy milk in place of egg

almod cookies recipe
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Sugar-Free Almond Cookies

Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Resting Time30 mins
Total Time55 mins

Ingredients

  • 100 g butter at room temperature (vegan = coconut oil, vegan butter, etc)
  • 1 egg (vegan = non-dailry mild eg oat)
  • 70 g non-sugar sugar (eg (xylitol) or honey, agave nectar, stevia or other sweetener to taste
  • 220 g almond flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • a few drops of vanilla essence (optional)

Instructions

Method 1

  • melt the butter
  • put the dry ingredients into a bowl
  • add in the melted butter, egg and vanilla essence, if using
  • mix with a soft spatula making and folding movements until well amalgamated into a soft paste
  • put into a sandwich bag or wrap in parchment and rest in the refrigerator for at 30 minutes or longer

Method 2

  • cream the butter and sugar in a bowl
  • mix in th egg and vanilla essence (if using)
  • add in all the dry ingredients
  • mix to a paste
  • You can proceed right away but the mixture will benefit from resting in the refrigerator r for 20-30 minutes

Make the cookies

  • shape the cookie dough into a rough circle with your hands and cut into 16 segments
  • roll each segment into a ball and flatten slightly between your palms. Place on a baking sheet lined with grreased parchment paper
  • optionally brush your cookies with "milk" or beaten egg
  • bake at 180 C for 12-15 minutes
  • let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack or a servid dish
  • enjoy with some really good tea

Notes

If you're making the vegan version be extremely cautious with the amount of liquid replacing the egg - start with just a couple of tablespoons
Flour-Free Chocolate Lava Cake

Flour-Free Chocolate Lava Cake

by | Apr 25, 2020 | food, Vegetarian (eggs & dairy)

Why is it that no matter how moderate I’ve been by day, come the evening I get the munchies, often for something sweet. Well that’s no problem these days with stevia and alcohol based non-sugar-sugars like Xylitol and Erythritol

They have effectively no calories and far from upsetting your gut flora the evidence suggests they feed our good bacteria. So pre-biotic as well as calorie free: brilliant

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Chocolate lava cake is made by melting chocolate with butter and sugar in a bain-Marie, then incorporating eggs and a surprisingly small amount of plain flour. They are baked briefly to create an outer shell holding a gooey runny centre

For sugar-free you’ll need to use either 0.0 sugar-added or 100% dark chocolate

If you’re not worried about a bit sugar and a spoonful of plain wheat flour, go for it. Either way, it’ll be divine

chocolate lava cake: a gluten, flour and sugar free version compatible with the keto diet
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Sugar Free & Flour Free Chocolate Lava Cake

This sugar and flour free cake is compatible with the blood-sugar and keto diets
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Resting Time5 mins
Total Time27 mins
Course: Dessert, Snack, supper, tea-time
Keyword: blood-sugar diet, dessert, flour-free, gluten-free, keto diet, sugar-free
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 oz butter or coconut oil
  • 3 oz 100% chocolate or any sugar-free dark chocolate
  • 1/2 cup sugar-free sugar (xylitol, steviol, etc)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp almond flour (finely ground almonds)
  • pinch of salt
  • vanilla bean paste or essence (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

Prepare the moulds

  • lightly butter 2 small ramekins or small pudding moulds
  • put in some of the "flour" to cover the whole inner surface of the mould

Set up a bain-marie

  • If you don;t have a dedicated double boiler setting up a bain-Marie is a doddle: Put a trivet, inverted saucer or small bowl into a pan large enough to fit a medium glass or ceramic bowl
  • Add enough water to cover at least the lower 1/3 of the bowl
  • Place the bowl into the hot water. Bring to a boil and turn the heat to medium

Make the cakes

  • Melt the chocolate and butter over the bain-marie, stirring occasionally. It's important that the bowl doesn;t touch the bottom of the pan or the chocolate will burn and spoil
  • Add the sugar and and salt and stir until this has partially dissolved. Taste and add mure sugar to your taste
  • Take the bowl out of the hot water and add the egg, stirring quickly, and finally the vanilla and almond flour
  • Pour the batter into the moulds. Bake at 180 C for 12 mins. Start checking after 10 minutes. The top of the cakes should look perfectly baked and slightly risen
  • Let them sit for 3-4 minutes. Then turn them onto small serving plates. Wait 10 seconds then lift off the mould. If the pudding stays in the mould you'll need to ease the sides with a round bladed dinner knife. Try again. Either way, they'll be delicious
  • I like them with soya cream. They're also delicious with dairy cream. Or with vanilla ice-cream
Courgette And Feta Flan

Courgette And Feta Flan

by | Apr 23, 2020 | food, Vegan (plant-based), Vegetarian (eggs & dairy)

There was a great looking recipe for a courgette and cheese loaf knocking about on Facebook. After some of my friends tried it I thought I’d have a go

Now, I get annoyed when some upstart chef takes a classic recipe, usually from culture they don’t understand, and gives us their take.  Jamie Oliver did this with Paella. However, the Spanish loved it. Good on you Jamie

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However, since – as far as I’m aware – this is not a classic recipe from a village in a hidden mountain valley in the Italian Dolomites, here goes

I’ve used millet flour because it has a wonderfully low glycaemic index. And Feta because I just love it. And mustard and chilli just to liven things up

Courgette and Greek feta cheese flan
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Courgette And Feta Flan

A light, fluffy protein dish for any season
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time35 mins
rest time15 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Modern
Keyword: eggs, flan, ova-lacto, pie

Ingredients

  • 1 large courgette (zucchini) coarsely grated
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 eggs
  • feta cheese to your taste crumbled
  • 2-3 tbsp yoghurt (or milk)
  • 1 tbsp light vinegar (optional) commended when using milk rather than yoghurt
  • 1-2 tbsp oilive oil
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 clove garlic chopped or crushed
  • 3-4 tbsp flour (I used milled millet for its low glycaemic index)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp mustard (I used fermented mustard and green mango Kasundi)
  • chilli flakes to taste

Crunchy Breadcrumb Base (optional)

  • 1 handful brreadcrumbs (I used dark rye)
  • olive oil for frying (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the courgettes

  • Coarsely grate the courgette(s) by hand or using a mandolin or food processo
  • Add salt and massage with your hands for a few seconds
  • leave to rest for 15-20 minutes

Make the base (optional)

  • Dry toast or fry breadcrumbs in a frying pan with or without garlic until crisp. Set aside
  • Lightly oil or butter the bottom and sides of your flan tin and spread the bread-crumbs evenly over the base. Let some stick to the sides if they want to

Make the flan

  • soften the onions and garlic without browning in a little oil
  • using your hands or a sieve and a wooden spoon squeeze as much of the liquid out of the courgettes as you can
  • spearate the egg yolks and whites, making sure there is no yolk or fat of any kind in the egg whites (or they won't whip)
  • mix the drained courgettes with all the ingredients except the egg whites
  • Add a pinch of salt to the egg-whites and whisk the to soft peaks. Fold into the flan mixture with a large metal spoon or spatula
  • Spread over the breadcrumb base (if you;re using them) and bake at 180 degrees C for 30-35mins
  • Serve with a couple of nice crisp salads