GUILT-FREE GOODIES
Whip up holiday cakes, cookies and candies with fewer carbs
Holiday gatherings can seem like an insurmountable obstacle to people with diabetes. All these highcarbohydrate foods spread out on holiday tables is a challenge. Eating in advance of the gathering is an option; but you run the risk of insulting your hosts, or worse, getting pitiful looks from the other guests.
Watching what you eat is best. There are usually cheeses, meats, fruits and vegetables available.
But what to do when you are invited to a party and are expected to BRING something?
Does having diabetes mean that you are one to bring the veggie platter and a dip? No way!
With very little effort you can be the one to knock their socks off with a decadent treat that has a manageable amount of carbohydrates and tastes like it came from a fancy bakery.
It is simply a matter of replacing higher carbohydrate items like sugar and flour with foods and products that contain fewer grams of carbohydrates, like nuts and sugar alternatives.
You can even shock them by bringing a
Christmas candy flavored with mint and chocolate chips or a creamy white cream cheese frosted almond cake. How about some pecan shortbread cookies for Santa? I make these from my shortbread crust recipe.
These are all treats you can enjoy while dazzling the other guests at the party.
BUTTER PECAN COOKIES
Makes 24 cookies Net carbohydrates: 2.5 grams per cookie ¾ cup toasted pecans ⅔ cup all-purpose flour ⅓ cup granulated sugar replacement of choice 1 pinch salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cardamom (you can substitute ground ginger)
½ teaspoon baking powder 4 tablespoons butter 1 large egg
In a food processor with a steel blade, pulse ½ cup of the pecans with all of the other dry ingredients until very well combined and the nuts disappear into the mixture. Add cold butter and pulse until butter is well distributed in the flour mixture. Add the egg and pulse until mixture forms a ball on the blade. Remove the dough and pat into a disc about 5-6 inches. Wrap disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least
½ hour but overnight will also work.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut cookies out with a 2-2½-inch cookie cutter (I use a small juice glass). Place the cookies on the cookie sheet. Gather up remaining dough and roll out to the ¼-inch thickness. Cut out more cookies. Continue until you have used up all the dough. This recipe should yield 23-25 cookies.
Chop the remaining pecans and sprinkle over each cookie. Lightly press the chopped pecans into the cookies, using the bottom of a glass.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when they slide easily on the parchment paper.
ALMOND CRÈME CAKE
Serves 8 Net carbohydrates: 11 grams
per slice
⅔ cup flour (you can replace up to ¼ the amount with whole wheat flour)
½ cup toasted almonds OR ⅓ cup almond flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda pinch of salt
4 ounces butter at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil 1 cup or equivalent sugar alternative of choice
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract 2 tablespoon sour cream 1 teaspoon cider vinegar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dry Mixture: In a food processor, combine nuts, salt and 1/3 cup flour. Pulse until the nuts are totally pulverized. Add the remaining 1/3 cup flour, and spices. Pulse until combined. Add baking powder and pulse until combined. (I often do this a day ahead.) Wet Mixture: In a stand mixer, cream butter and cup or equivalent sugar replacement of choice until light and fluffy. Add the oil and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add vanilla and almond extracts.
Combine the sour cream and vinegar. Add baking soda to sour cream and stir.
Alternately add the dry ingredients and the eggs and sour cream mixture. Start with the dry. Mix only until just incorporated, otherwise you wind up with bread.
Spoon the batter into an 8- to 9-inch buttered or sprayed baking pan and bake for 26-28 minutes or until tester comes out dry from the center.
Allow to cool and remove from baking pan before frosting.
ALMOND CRÈME FROSTING
Covers one 8-9 inch cake generously
Net carbohydrate: 16 grams per cake or 2.5 grams per slice 8 ounces cream cheese 2 tablespoons softened butter
½ cup sugar replacement of choice ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract 1 tablespoon Amaretto liquor (optional)
Bring the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Beat all ingredients until smooth and frost cake when it is still slightly warm.