Carrot Cake

It's Easter. And if we're talking dessert, we have to be talking Carrot Cake... what other kind of dessert would the Easter Bunny eat!

Now when we are talking carrot cake, there is NO better one than my Great Aunt Ora Brunson's. If you are interested in that fully decadent version, I am going to link it here. However, I thought that I would give it a go and see if I could somehow get close in a guiltless version.

Start with:

• One yellow sugar-free cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. milk (2%)
• 1 small jar of carrot baby food
• 1 1/2 c. finely shredded carrots (5-6 medium)
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained 
• 1 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. vanilla

 *First you need to mix up the cake mix. Mine calls for 3 eggs, 1/3 c. oil, and 1 c. water. I substituted milk (I had 2% in my fridge) for the water.

*I really wanted to replicate, as much as possible, the flavors of my Great Aunt Ora's cake, so next come the add-ins: grated carrots, pineapple, raisins, pecans, cinnamon and vanilla. In order to intensify the carrot flavor and overcome the built-in flavor of the cake mix, I added the baby food... just some pure flavor and it helps to keep the cake moist.

*Spray two round cake pans, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Divide batter between the pans and tap on the counter to help remove any air bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Be sure to test the center, so that it is not jiggly and a toothpick comes out clean.

*While the cake is baking, mix up the frosting. Use:

• 2- 8 oz packages of reduced fat cream cheese
• 1/2 canister of sugar-free vanilla frosting

*You may want to lay the cream cheese out to soften while you mix up the cake batter. It will just make it easier to whip. But no worries if you forget, it may just take a few more minutes.

*With the whip attachment, add cream cheese and prepared frosting to your mixing bowl. Mix together on medium speed until cream cheese is completely incorporated into the frosting.

*Cover and place in refrigerator to stiffen.

*Use the remaining time that the cake is baking and chop some pecans. Now this is going to be your preference as far as decorating the cake goes. It just goes from my experience that the sides of a carrot cake are coated with pecans,... but if you aren't a pecan fan, maybe just a few sprinkles on top may be enough. To cover the sides and sprinkle the top, I used about 1 cup of chopped pecans.

 *When the cakes come out of the oven, allow them to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge and turn them out onto a cooling rack.

*Be sure to cool the cakes completely, as nothing will make cream cheese frosting thin and runny more quickly than trying to frost a warm cake.

 *About 10 minutes before frosting the cake, set the frosting out of the fridge. Add a dab of frosting to your serving/cake plate, just so that the cake won't slide around. Add a layer of frosting to the first layer. Sprinkle a few pecans here if you would like to.

*Add on the second layer, press lightly, and then frost the entire cake. I like to frost the top first, and then work the frosting over the sides. Note: the frosting recipe makes plenty, so you don't have to be skimpy.

*This part takes a little patience, but just go slowly. Take a small amount of chopped pecans between your fingers and press them into the side frosting of the cake. I think it pays off in the presentation, and hey... you are adding protein to your dessert.

*Sprinkle a few additional pecans on the top.

*And here you go!! One Easter carrot cake... frankly, an anytime carrot cake. Does it taste just like my Great Aunt Ora's?... No. But is it a guiltless and decadent, super yummy carrot cake?...YES! I love the moistness that the pineapple and raisins give the cake. Keep it in the fridge so that it will last several days... oh, that's only if you just made it for yourself. No need to tell anyone that this is a No Sugar Added recipe, and it will be gone in a snap.

Christmas Goodies

Well, we had to address this issue sooner or later.  Christmas goodies...or more specifically, Christmas chocolates.  Ever since I remember, my mom made two kinds of candy at the holiday time:  Marshmallow Cream Fudge and Martha Washington Fudge.  Honestly, it just wouldn't be the holidays with these two candies.  Sure, she made some other things as well...peanut brittle among them and so far as the reviews go, that was great too.  But I didn't ever like it much, so I have always focused on the chocolate.

I wish that I could tell you that I had amazingly found a way to make both of these candies sugar free...but alas, I just don't think it is possible.  If you caught my earlier post about the fudge disaster gone right, you know that I did give it a try, but Marshmallow Cream Fudge is so dependent upon the structure of the sugar to make the candy.  And then there is Martha Washington Fudge.. a strange name I know, and I have no idea why it is named that, only that my mom got the recipe in the early 70's from a friend and neighbor.  This fudge is made specifically with a large quantity of powdered sugar...and well, we have discussed the powdered sugar issue before.

So this year, just as every other year in the history of my life, I have made these two decadent desserts to give out to friends and family and have tried to limit my consumption.  It is hard, but since my surgery, I do have to be mindful, or my tummy will not be happy with me.

Surely, there is a way to make some decadent chocolate candies for the holidays and stay in the sugar-free zone...Why, "Yes" Virginia, There Is!

A few years ago, Oreo Balls appeared on the scene.  Our family was introduced to these amazing tidbits of decadence one Christmas Eve by one of my nephew's girlfriends.  I didn't have words... and then when I found out how easy they are to make... well that is one winning combination.  Then you can use your imagination and the combination of different cookies and chocolates...Oreos and white chocolate chips...Nutter Butter cookies and milk chocolate chips... mint Oreos and white almond bark with peppermint extract... you get the idea.  Now, earlier this year, when I discovered the sugar-free Oreos, these Oreo Balls were the first thing that popped into my mind... I just can't tell you how excited I was; my family would probably tell you that I kind of lost it.

So without further ado:

•  2 packages of sugar-free Oreos  (you need two packages to equal the number of cookies in a regular package)
• 1  8oz package of reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 8oz package of sugar-free chocolate chips
• 1/4 stick of paraffin, shaved

 Start by putting all of your cookies into the food processor.  (Well, maybe you can eat 1 or 2)  Pulse until the cookies become fine crumbs.
Of course, if you don't have a food processor, you can always put them into a large zip bag and pulverize them with your rolling pin... you may want to actually do this if you need to relieve a little stress.

 Let your cream cheese sit out for a bit and soften.  Add it in chunks to the food processor.  Use the pulse at first to start to incorporate the cream cheese into the cookie crumbs.  You will know that it is ready when it all comes together in a large ball of dough.

 Empty the dough out onto a large piece of plastic and wrap it up tightly.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

 Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.  Use a small spoon or melon baller and make small balls.  You will want to roll them in your hands to make them smooth.  Do it fairly quickly, as you don't want the dough to warm up too much.  These will be pretty rich, so I think you will want to keep the size fairly small.

Put the sheet of balls into the freezer to allow them to harden slightly, so that they won't melt in the warm chocolate.
In a double boiler, or a glass dish over a pan of simmering water, add the chocolate chips and the shaved paraffin. (I use a vegetable peeler to shave it.)  Allow the chocolate to melt and then stir well until smooth.
Remove the pan of Oreo balls from the freezer.  I like to use a toothpick to dip the chocolates.  I also like to tilt my bowl forward to make the chocolate deeper in the bowl.  Once you have dipped them, set them back on the paper to set.  Work quickly so that the dough does not start to soften.
Return them to the freezer to set; this will happen quickly.  You can store these in the freezer or in the refrigerator, although I don't think they will last too long!




So as I was trying to think of some other fun goodies I could make and keep in the sugar free zone, I started thinking about turtles.  If you have read some of my other posts, you will remember that I do really love caramel.  Why couldn't I use some of the sugar-free caramel ice cream topping with some pecans and then dip them in the sugar-free chocolate chips.

Using a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet, I put a small spoonful of the caramel and then added 3 or 4 pecan halves.  I then placed them in freezer to harden.  Well, that's what I thought would happen.  Sometimes these items don't react exactly like we think they should.  While the caramel did get thick and a little stiff, it didn't "harden" like regular caramel does.

So, after melting some of the chocolate chips with some shaved paraffin, I just used a spoon to add some chocolate to the tops of the turtles.  I did leave the pecans peeking out of the side.  Another few minutes in the freezer and I used a small icing spatula to flip them over.  Again, the caramel wasn't completely hardened so this took a little finesse.  I then added some more of the melted chocolate on the other side and returned to the freezer for one last time.
It was necessary to store these in the fridge or freezer to keep the caramel as thick as possible until ready to eat.  Now these taste really good, but I think if I make them again, I will start with the chocolate on the wax paper first, and build them up from the bottom;  chocolate, caramel and pecans, chocolate.  This will be a way to keep the caramel encapsulated.  I still think they will need to be stored in the fridge.



The last treat I tried was a peanut butter cup.  Flipping through my cookbook, I found where I had written in a copycat recipe for Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  I have had this recipe for more than 20 years, so I am not sure where I got it, or who passed it along to me before the internet was a reality.

•  8 oz Hershey's chocolate (this original recipe called for a Hershey's chocolate candy bar--I substituted the sugar-free chocolate chips; this makes the peanut butter cups a little less sweet than what you might be used to)
• 1 1/2 c. peanut butter  (I use Peter Pan; this has a little sugar in it, but I am sure that you could use a natural one and add a little Splenda to get some sweetness)
• Cupcake-full-size or mini -- cut the larger cupcake papers down a bit  (I decided to make them using the small mini cupcake papers in a mini muffin tin and didn't worry about cutting down the papers)

So the trick to making these treats is to melt some of the peanut butter into the chocolate.  Melt your chocolate with 1/2 c. of the peanut butter.  You can use a double boiler or you can melt in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring until melted and smooth.

 Put a spoonful of the melted chocolate into the bottom of each cup.  Be sure to only use half of your chocolate mixture.  I then put the pan in the fridge and allowed the chocolate to get hard again.

 In the meantime, put the last cup of peanut butter in a glass bowl.  You can set the peanut butter on a double boiler or just another bowl of warm water, or you can microwave for a few seconds until you can stir it and it has a "pourable" consistency.
Put one spoonful of peanut butter in each cup.  Return to fridge and let the peanut butter set up.

Reheat/Remelt your remaining chocolate mixture.  Add an additional spoonful as the top layer.  Return to fridge one last time to allow chocolate to set up.

I declare these a complete success!  As I mentioned earlier, they aren't quite as sweet, but they are very good!  With the peanut butter in the chocolate, they will soften a little more quickly so store in the fridge.  When you have them out to serve, I don't think they will last long enough to have to worry about them getting messy...but if they do melt a little, I don't think anyone will have trouble just licking the paper!

Who said you can't enjoy some indulgent goodies at Christmas time!

Chocolate with Caramel

Last weekend, I spent the day with a group of my quilting friends, exchanging fabric, sewing, eating and generally just having a great time!  Everyone brought a potluck and we met at our local library's community room.  For some reason I was in a Chocolate/Caramel mood and so I made a couple of desserts to take along.  Both are considered  No Sugar Added.  There is a small trace of natural sugars in pecans.

First, I made German Chocolate Cupcake Surprise.  I chose this because it is one of my husband's favorites, so I knew I would have to have a few cupcakes set aside for him...if they are his favorite kind...the better I come out in the deal.  These cupcakes are called surprise because from the outside they just look like chocolate cupcakes.  The part that makes them German Chocolate is all tucked in nice and neat on the inside.

 This recipe is going to start out by enhancing a box cake, and end up with a yummy gooey center.

• 1 chocolate sugar-free cake mix
• 1 c. milk (I used 2%)
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. non-fat, plain yogurt
• 1-2 oz. Torani, sugar-free caramel syrup, (optional)
• 1/2 jar sugar-free caramel ice cream topping
• 1/2-3/4 c. chopped pecans
• 1/2-3/4 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 can chocolate sugar-free frosting

Mix up your cake mix, with the eggs and oil, but substituting the milk for the water.  Additionally, mix in 1/2 c. yogurt.  The milk and the yogurt will help keep your cupcakes extra moist.  I also happened to have some sugar-free caramel syrup in my cabinet (you know, the kind you add to your coffee...) and so I decided to add about an ounce.  If you don't have any of this, I wouldn't buy a whole bottle just for the little bit you need for this.   Bake according to package directions:  325 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

Using a scoop, add the batter to the cupcake liners and fill them about 3/4 full.  You can fill them a little fuller, but you will need to cook them an extra minute or two and you won't get a full 2 dozen cupcakes.

 Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and after a few minutes, remove them from the muffin tin and allow them to cool completely on a cooling rack.  Once cooled, you will need to remove a small amount of cake from the center.  I use the center to my donut cutter, but you can use any tool you might have around your kitchen that would be a small circle.  The centers make great little snacks or you can save and combine them with leftover icing and make some cake balls.

In a separate bowl, mix the caramel ice cream topping, coconut and pecans.  You may have to adjust your amounts slightly.  Just remember that you are going for something that has the consistency of German Chocolate frosting.
Spoon the filling into the cupcake centers.  No need to overfill, but do fill the holes completely.

Lastly, frost the cupcakes, covering the centers as you go.  You can either use a piping bag or you can just frost with a knife or small spatula.  Again, here I took the opportunity to add an ounce or so of the caramel syrup to the frosting.







Somehow I just couldn't stop here.  I felt the need to make some Turtle Brownies.  Although I have seen several recipes out on the internet for this type of dessert, I didn't find them and just kind of winged it myself.

• 1 box sugar-free brownie mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 3 T. water
• 1/2 jar of caramel ice cream topping
• 1/4 - 1/3 c. sugar-free chocolate chips
• 1/4 - 1/3 c. chopped pecans

First I mixed up a brownie recipe, using the mix, the egg, the oil and the water and followed the directions for baking.  Spray an 8 x 8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Once the brownies come out of the oven, go ahead and start adding the "turtle" ingredients on top while the brownies are warm.  Drizzle the caramel ice cream topping over the top.  A half jar should allow you to cover the entire top of the pan.  A couple of handfuls of chocolate chips and a couple of handfuls of chopped pecans will top it all off.
After the brownies cooled, I put a lid on, or you could cover with plastic wrap and I stored them in the fridge.  This just allows them to set up really well and they will last longer, well, if your family doesn't eat them all up!