Welcome to today’s edition of the Kos Diabetes Group! I come bearing three gifts today, all sweet treats great for holiday (and regular) tables! Let’s dive right in with a keto version of my favorite homemade candy, Marzipan Fudge Squares!
When I first began eating keto to control my Type II diabetes, my health improved dramatically… but I was sure I’d never have something sweet again, or have baked goods. However, as I’ve learned (and as you may see in stores near you) there are a growing number of resources available for lowcarb eaters. Also, with only a very few exceptions I can prepare ridiculously good keto versions of just about anything. I even have a variety of commercially available chocolate bars, sweetened with safe sweeteners. I’m really enjoying bringing these findings to you here in the Kos Diabetes Group, and hope you’ll ask if you need assistance finding a recipe for something you’re craving!
Alas, my beloved marzipan fudge squares, of which I waxed poetic in a 2011 Top Comments Seasonal diary were still off limits because one of the prime ingredients is sweetened condensed milk. Between that and almond paste, I was stumped. And then… my favorite keto food blogger and cookbook author Carolyn Ketchum posted links to keto substitutes for BOTH of those ingredients!! She also has, as I mention regularly, the best writeup of keto/diabetic-friendly sweeteners I’ve found- if you’re interested in learning more about why I used what I do below, you cannot do better than this post.
First up was a keto substitute for sweetened condensed milk. I don’t drink cow’s milk and some nondairy milks because of the sugar present, but I do use heavy cream for lots of things. I followed her recipe, using both the erythritol-based sweetener and the mail-order only Bocha Sweet because I’ve found the latter helps keep everything smooth and syrupy. If you don’t have Bocha Sweet you can substitute allulose, which is readily available now in many grocery/target/walmart stores. It was super easy to make, has the right consistency/mouthfeel, and tasted exactly right to my keto-adapted palate. I don’t have a photo of it because… it’s kinda boring, unless you consider mine has 3g net carbohydrates per 2Tbs serving, whereas regular sweetened condensed milk has 22g for the same size serving. Side note: you can use this wherever you see sweetened condensed milk used in traditional, high-carb recipes. I often keep a jar in the fridge to make Thai Iced Coffee, to mix with melted Lily’s brand chocolate to make fudge, etc. It’s truly a gamechanger recipe.
Next step was to make the keto almond paste. I followed the recipe at that link except where noted below. Here’s the ingredients I pulled out to use, although it requires only four… almonds, sweetener, egg white, and almond extract. It came together really easily, and I was surprised how much it really did taste and feel like store-bought almond paste, and Mr. Brillig said he’d happily use it instead of store-bought! I’d decided to use the blanched almonds rather than almond flour because they were older and I wanted to use them up, but I think next time I’ll use all almond flour rather than grind my own because the texture would be smoother.
Couple of minutes and a food processer later, I had this delicious keto almond paste! I can neither confirm nor deny that I drizzle some melted chocolate bar over it and eat it sometimes. Recipe has a total of 16g net carbs.
NOW, I was ready to make Ketoified Marzipan Squares. My eldest made a batch of the traditional recipe at the same time, so we could compare along the way.
Detailed instructions are in the 2011 diary I mentioned above (and you should read them if you make these!) but here’s the simplified version (because the directions work for both keto and regular recipe, I’m using the ‘regular’ ingredient list):
Line bottom and sides of an 8x8 or 9x5 pan with foil. Larger and you need to double the recipe, as the layers will be too thin. This step is important unless you want to pry out your treat from the pan with a spoon. I do not recommend this approach but have used it once because the printed original recipe from the Nestle Toll-House Cookbook does not mention the foil lining until the SECOND paragraph.
In a small bowl, use a fork (or silicone spatula) to mash together 8oz almond paste with 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk until well-combined. Spread this into the foil-lined pan. I scrape it all in, then let it chill for fifteen minutes to make the sticky mixture easier to pat into the pan without pulling up the foil.
Melt together 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk with 7oz (about 1¼ cup) semisweet chocolate chips. I used Lily’s brand but I think any stevia/erythritol-sweetened brand will do. I microwave carefully but a double boiler works too. Pour this over the almond paste layer and spread evenly.
Chill until firm. Remove from the pan onto a cutting board, chocolate layer on the bottom. Carefully remove the foil. Cut into squares — I ended up with 40, which is what my calculations are based on. YMMV. If you want all pretty squares, trim the edges and eat the scraps. I’m told they’re zero calorie no matter what recipe you use. Store covered in a cool place… I don’t know how long they keep for because we never have them around for very many days.
As you can see from my rough nutritional analysis to the right, whereas the candy of my pre-diabetic days has 15g net carbs per square, my keto version has a mere 1g. ONE. GRAM. And a blind taste test by Mr. Brillig said he couldn’t tell the difference.
OK, you’re thinking, but candy doesn’t work for a healthy breakfast, brillig. I’m tired of eggs! Help!
What if I told you you can have cinnamon rolls with icing? Yup! Here’s how, and as a bonus you learn to make a keto dough useful for pizza, calzones, and more!
The dough recipe is found here at All Day I Dream About Food. There’s even a how-to video. Just remember we’re using the Sweet Dough variation because garlic cinnamon rolls doesn’t sound so appealing, but I’d love to hear if you use the basic version to make pizza! The actual cinnamon roll recipe is from the cookbook Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen which I recommend to everyone looking to learn low-carb cooking, but you can find close relative of it here. Here’s how to make it:
Melt together 6oz part-skim, pre-shredded mozzarella (you DO want the preshredded stuff because the small amount of anti-caking agent actually helps the dough hold together) and 5Tbs unsalted butter either in on the stove over low heat, or (like me) in the microwave. It never fully mixes together for me, but as long as it’s really melted, you’re OK.
Now add 1/2C (100g) almond flour, 1/4C (27g) coconut flour, 2tsp baking powder, 1/4c powdered sweetener, 1/4tsp salt and 1tsp vanilla extract and mix it all together. I find a silicone spatula best so it doesn’t stick too bad. After it’s all mixed, add 1 beaten egg until the dough comes together.
Now that you’ve got a dough, turn it out onto parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and pat it into an approximately 12” x 12” square.
Melt 1Tbs butter and brush it all over the square.
Mix together 2Tbs granulated sweetener and 2tsp (or more if you love cinnamon like I do) and sprinkle it all over the dough. I make this in bulk and sprinkle it over my yogurt, into my coffee, and on keto bread toast! Yes, I use a ruler to measure, I also use it to push my edges to get nice squares. I’m picky that way :)
Next is the hardest part of the entire thing (and none of it is very hard!): rolling it up. You want it to be pretty tight, but don’t stress about it. I use the silicone mat to help me roll it easily.
Once rolled up, pinch the edges together so that it stays together, then using a sharp serrated knife, cut it into 12 rolls and put them in a well-greased 8” round cake pan. I’ve heard people say they cook them in muffin tins but I haven’t tried that yet.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until they’re golden brown and juuuust firm to the touch.
Cool in the pan while you mix together 2oz softened cream cheese, 2Tbs powdered sweetener & 1/2tsp vanilla, then add 1/4C heavy cream to get icing consistency. The recipe called for a mixer but I used a spoon instead.
Spread icing over rolls and enjoy! Serving size is two rolls, and I store extras in the fridge un-iced until serving.
A rough calculation shows per serving, these morsels of goodness have 350 calories, 29g fat, 11g protein, 8.4g carbs (minus the sweetener, of course) and 3.2g fiber. I’m not even going to guess at what Pillsbury’s cinnamon rolls are.
I promised you one more sweet treat, and it will be a light and airy one. Meringue, to be exact. One of the best things about meringue is that you have to do basically NOTHING to change it, except use erythritol instead of sugar.
I used this recipe as a base, but used vanilla extract not peppermint and didn’t drizzle with chocolate. I don’t know how other sweeteners besides the granular & powdered erythritol work; the author says elsewhere that she’s never been able to get any other sweetener to work. If you have a recipe that you love, I suggest trying it out!
I had planned on making star shapes, but my piping bag broke and I was running out of time to get these in the oven, so dollops it was! I baked for an hour at 200F then left them in the oven for another hour.
I hope I’ve encouraged you to make something special soon, whether it’s one of these or something else. What are some of your favorite treats that work with your body’s blood sugar needs? I’d love to hear about them!