Welcome to my contribution for this month’s Kos Diabetes Group! For those who may not know me, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes almost exactly seven years ago, with an initial A1c of 7.6. After six months of following general recommendations from my primary care doctor (who is also my diabetes counselor) and the American Diabetes Association, I realized that while 15-50g carbs per meal was FAR less than the standard American diet, it was going to be a quick trip to poor health because my pancreas couldn’t read the bajillion articles saying complex carbs were gonna be Just Fine For Me. With my doctor’s approval I embarked on the pathway of drastically limited carb intake known as a ketogenic diet. Yes, I absolutely understand this is not for everyone because all of our diabetic metabolisms, care strategies and outcomes are different, but this is MY way of taking care of myself (and the food I eat is ok for everyone to eat!).
I’ve maintained an A1c of under 6.1 for the past 6.5 years by eating keto and taking metformin. However, at my annual checkup a few weeks ago my A1c was 6.5, likely a combination of stress eating the past six months AND the reality that diabetes is a progressive disease. My doctor doubled my metformin dose from 500mg to 1000mg, and asked me to come back for a recheck in 3 months. I’m watching more closely what I eat (too much low-carb food is still bad :)) and I’m seeing a steady reduction in my morning fasting numbers!
With the holidays over, I know many of you have joined me in trying to get back into a healthy way of eating to support our diabetic metabolism. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have special treats! With Valentine’s Day just a few short weeks away, I wanted to make something special that can be shared with that special someone OR just for yourself without many extra servings. Should I make cookies? Ooh, maybe something with caramel sauce? But I always like chocolate? What to make…
I KNOW!!! SOMETHING WITH ALL THREE! And the internet deities agreed and served up a salted caramel, chocolate ganache-topped cookie tart that made two small tarts/four servings total. The recipe is found at All Day I Dream About Food and as I do every month, I encourage you to go to the original site and read it because the author adds so much useful information and tips to make your recipe turn out great. I’m going to share here how I made it and what I’d do different next time.
As the only keto eater in my household, a single batch of anything lasts me forever so I’ve wanted to explore recipes designed for 2-4 servings. This was my first time trying small tarts so I needed to purchase 4-inch tart shells. I couldn’t find them in local stores but ordered a set of six from Amazon for only $12.
This is a three-part recipe and I’ll list ingredients step by step. The only items you’ll need that may not be part of your regular pantry are a diabetic-friendly brown sugar substitute and either allulose or Bocha Sweet, so your caramel is soft.
Part I: The Cookie Tart Shells
Ingredients:
6Tbs almond flour
3Tbs brown ‘sugar’ (I use Swerve Brown)
¼ tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1.5 Tbs melted butter
1 egg yolk (save those whites for meringues!)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1.5 Tbs keto mini chocolate chips (I didn’t have mini, so chopped up some regular sized ones)
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease two 4” tart pans.
- Combine almond flour, sweetener, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
- Add the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla, stir until well mixed. Add the chocolate chips.
- Divide dough in half, press into the tart pans. Bake 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let cool completely before filling.
The next time I make these, after taking the tarts out of the oven I’ll let them cool a few minutes then gently press down to reform a bigger flatter ‘well’ more like the pre-baked shape. I would have liked the filling to sit deeper in the tart and not spill all over (see next photos)
Part II: The Salted Caramel
Ingredients:
3Tbs allulose or Bocha Sweet (keeps your caramel gooey!)
3Tbs brown ‘sugar’
1Tbs butter
2Tbs heavy cream
¼ tsp vanilla extract
pinch kosher or sea salt (basically, large flake rather than table salt)
Note: I’ve shared this author’s recipe for a full batch of keto caramel sauce before. In the future I’ll make the big batch & use just a bit instead. Small batch took the same amount of time, but burns easier and gave me no leftovers to top ice cream or put into coffee ::cries::
Steps:
- Combine the two sweeteners and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk continuously until dissolved.
- Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes, remove from heat.
- Add heavy cream (it will bubble a LOT, this is normal!). Bring back to a boil and cook until a deep amber. (NOTE: Do NOT let it overcook or you have Burnt Caramel, which is sometimes edible and what I used here :-))
- Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and salt, and pour into the cooled cookie tarts. Refrigerate at least one hour until caramel is firm.
Part III: The Chocolate Topping
Ingredients:
3Tbs heavy cream
1 oz unsweetened (NOT Bittersweet) chocolate, chopped fine for easy melting
1Tbs powdered sweetener of your choice
Sea/Kosher (big flake) salt for sprinkling
Steps:
Note: Recipe calls for doing this stovetop. I opted for microwave and it worked for me so I’m giving those instructions here. If you want stovetop, please see the original recipe link above.
- Place cream in microwave-safe bowl, heat carefully until just bubbling (30 seconds for me).
- Add chocolate, sit a minute to soften, add powdered sweetener and whisk until smooth
- Spread over the chilled caramel filling and sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Let sit at least 30 minutes before eating. Can be stored room-temp for several days or cold up to a week.
Serving size is one-half tart, and I added a few raspberries because I had them and they’re pretty! It would have been softer caramel filling if I’d let them come to room temp prior to eating, but I was impatient. This probably surprises no one who knows me :-)
Nutritional info is from the original recipe, without the raspberries. Your numbers will vary based on exactly what ingredients you use and what program you calculate from.
275 Calories; 6.9g total carbs; 3.8g fiber; 24.6g fat; 4.8g protein
I hope you try this out, and let me know what you think! Also, if there’s a food you’d like me to try for a future Kos Diabetes Group diary, I’d love to know!!