Tag: THM

Flourless Chocolate Cake {THM:XO} -w/ S option

I’ve been working on creating some dairy free (as in not even any butter!) recipes for one of my older sisters who is not able to handle ANY dairy at this point in her life. She also is unable to handle any sweeteners except honey, coconut sugar, & pure stevia.

Nothing makes me happier than to have a challenge like that and come up with a recipe that brings joy to the person who has to deal with those challenges. I was able to take my regular recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake and transform it into a delicious dairy free dessert for her 18th wedding anniversary dinner. Even my brother in law said it was delicious, except for the coffee flavor. 🙂 You definitely don’t need to add the espresso/coffee, but I find it brings out SUCH a depth of flavor that I don’t like to leave it out

Now, as general rule coconut sugar & honey are not recommended sweeteners on THM, except for children and those who don’t feel the need (or don’t happen to have a sweet tooth the size of Texas like me!) to consume desserts, except on the rare occasion, like my sister.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy a piece when I made it. How could you resist a piece of beauty like this!

I haven’t tested it, but you may substitute an equivalent on plan sweetener for the coconut sugar, following the same directions as with the coconut sugar.

Print Recipe

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Course: Dessert
Keyword: birthday dessert, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, keto, THM
Servings: 8

Ingredients

CAKE

  • 4 large eggs, cold
  • ¾ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces 100% unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup butter flavored coconut oil (like this one.)
  • 2 Tablespoons espresso or strong coffee, optional

GLAZE

  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1-5.4 ounce can unsweetened coconut cream
  • 2 Tablespoons butter flavored coconut oil
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar

Instructions

CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 325°. Line a round 6 inch pan with parchment paper, grease pan and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Place in a 13×9 pan and set aside. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
  • Using a hand mixer on high speed, beat eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla, and salt until foamy, increased in volume, and lightened in color, about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt unsweetened chocolate, butter flavored coconut oil, and espresso (if using) until smooth and very warm, stirring once or twice.
  • Using a large rubber spatula, fold ⅓ of egg mixture into melted chocolate mixture until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in ½ of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam until mixture is completely mixed with no streaks of egg foam remaining.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
  • Set 13 x 9 pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water into pan to come about ½ way up side of pan. Bake until cake has risen just slightly, edges are just beginning to set, and instant read thermometer inserted in center of cake register 140°, about 18-20 minutes.
  • Remove cake from water and set on wire rack to cool to room temperature. (Run thin knife between edge of cake and cake pan to loosen.)
  • Remove from pan and place on desired serving tray. Glaze and garnish as desired.

GLAZE

  • Place unsweetened chocolate in a small bowl.
  • Combine remaining glaze ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil. Boil until coconut sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour coconut milk mixture over chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth.
  • Pour over cooled cake and garnish with fresh fruit, mint leaves and grated chocolate as desired.

Notes

You will have leftover glaze, as I wasn’t about to use 1/2 a can of coconut cream! 🙂 You may use it as glaze for another baked good, stir it into coffee for a mocha or just eat it!
Recipe may be doubled to make a 9 inch cake. However, the glaze recipe will not need to be.
If using a springform pan, tightly wrap in foil to create a waterproof wrap for the pan.
If doubling recipe, place the 9 inch pan in a large roasting pan. 
To make cake look super professional, place baked cake on cake pad of same size, set on cooling rack placed on sheet pan or over news/parchment paper and then glaze. Once glaze is set, place on desired serving dish, garnish and serve.

Puppy Chow {THM:XO}

This also happens to be another recipe that came about after a discussion with a coworker, which seems to be where 75% of my ideas for recipes come from!

 Now, I know there are THM approved, single fuel recipes for Puppy Chow made with pork rinds or nuts and/or coconut flakes, but when I was brainstorming this recipe I was wanting something lighter, as nuts sometimes are a bit heavy for me…..Rice Cakes were the answer!

I know this is an XO, and since I’m still in weight loss mode I try to limit my XO’s. I do make an exception for this since I only make it a few times a year. It is seriously dangerous to have around. I have to scoop out a serving size or else I could eat the whole batch. (I’m not joking. I seriously have to put my self control to work when I make this!)

So, go ahead and make at your own risk! I know you won’t be disappointed!

My sister, Abby would be happy to have a constant supply of this around. She one of those who can eat 90% XO’s and not gain an OUNCE. A bit  lot of envy/jealousy  there on my part! (Don’t worry, I’ve worked through it!) Love you sis!!

Print Recipe

Puppy Chow

Ingredients

  • 1- 8.5 oz. pkg. brown rice cakes, salted or unsalted (I use the Lundberg brown rice cakes) Find them here or at your local health food store.
  • ½ cup butter, or coconut oil if desiring dairy free
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar free chocolate chips (or 9 oz. 85% or darker chocolate, chopped)
  • 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (decrease to ⅛ teaspoon if using salted rice cakes)
  • 1 bag swerve confectioners style sugar (approximately)

Instructions

  • Break rice cakes into 1/2-1 in. pieces into a large bowl. Set aside.
  • Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, & salt. Mix until smooth.
  • Pour over broken up rice cakes & stir until evenly coated.
  • Scrape mixture into large paper bag & toss with desired amount of swerve confectioners style sugar (I use the whole bag.) until evenly coated.
  • Spread out on newspaper or paper bags until dry.
  • Try not to devour the whole thing in one sitting!

Notes

You may use any other on plan powdered sweetener to toss this in, just don’t use Super Sweet. It’d be WAY to potent for this recipe!

Caramel Cashew Swiss Meringue Buttercream {THM:S}

This Swiss Buttercream Frosting is the perfect combo of sweet, salty, caramely-ness!

By this point you all are probably wondering if I even cook, and probably imagine I spend all day every day baking and eating said baked goods. No, I promise I do love to cook just as much (or even more) as I love baking, but baking is definitely my first love. After all, I got started in the kitchen when I was about 4, baking biscuits!

I do intend to post savory recipes at some point, but I have more baking/sweets recipes than savory ready to go, so you’ll have to suffer through sweets recipes for a bit yet.

Savory recipes are much harder for me to write down, since I’m a add-a-pinch of-this, add-a-dash-of that, add-a-doonk-of-this, add-a-splash-of-the-other-thing type of cook, so it takes me a bit longer to get a savory recipe written out.

I’m very much looking forward to sharing those savory meals with you…but for now….here’s another frosting recipe, which is my personal favorite! I do have a few more flavor variations on the way, so stay tuned!

I first created this recipe a little over a year ago for one of my sisters birthday, whose taste buds run along same lines as mine, so it was a TREAT to create this one. (Pardon the picture size…when I made this a year ago, I didn’t have my camera with, so these are phone pictures. I hope to update them soon, but I haven’t had a chance to yet!)

It also the cake I chose for my first Trimmiversary, December 2018.

I created a layer cake with it by doing this:

I made the batter for the Magic Salted Caramel Cupcakes (Trim Healthy Table, page 379), but instead of turning it into cupcakes, I poured it into 3 greased, parchment lined, and floured (I used Oat Fiber) 6 inch cake pans. I then baked them for about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly and then run thin knife around edge of pan to make sure cake is completely separated from pan, and turn out onto a parchment covered cooling rack. Let cool completely. (I made this late in the evening so I didn’t have time to finish it, so once it cooled to room temperature, I stuck the layers in zip-lock bags and put them in the freezer until I was ready for them.

The drizzle and topping is the caramel sauce for the cupcakes.

Print Recipe

Caramel Cashew Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup swerve brown sugar (or other on plan brown sugar like this one from Gwen's-Nest.) See notes for measuring Swerve brown sugar.
  • 3 large egg whites
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ t. caramel extract (Feel free to swap out for another flavoring!)
  • 1 cup cashew butter (You may use any nut butter in this. Peanut butter is DELICIOUS!)

Instructions

  • Combine sweetener, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. (Frosting may look curdled after half of butter has been added; it will smooth with additional butter.) Once all butter is added, add vanilla and cashew butter; mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as necessary.
  • If final frosting seems too thick, warm mixer bowl briefly over pan of simmering water. Place bowl back on mixer and beat on medium-high speed until creamy.

Notes

If you don’t have Swerve brown sugar, just use the equivalent of sweetener of your choice, and add a small amount (1/4-1/2 t. of blackstrap molasses).
When measuring the brown sugar, crumble it into your measuring cup and then lightly level it off. If you pack it in it will be VERY sweet!
This frosting can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. When ready to frost, place frosting in a microwave-safe container and warm briefly on high power until just slightly softened, 5 to 10 seconds. Once warmed, stir until creamy.

Making THM my own.

I believe one of the best things about THM is the ability to MAKE IT YOUR OWN! Don’t like sweet peppers in your soup? Just swap it out for another FP veggie. Don’t like quinoa in your soup? Just substitute another approved E grain! Versatility, mamas!

I’m going to share a few things I’ve made my own, and I’d love to see yours! These are all recipe that I’ve tweaked to become my all time favorite flavor (and MAJOR weakness!), Salted Caramel.

Seriously, if I ever come across something that’s Salted Caramel I HAVE to try it. There’s just something about that perfectly sweet/salty/creamy combo!

#1 Sweet Dreams Cookie Bowl Oatmeal (FP), THM cookbook, page 249. I don’t have any pictures for this one.

Now, I LOVE the combo of PB and Chocolate, but sometimes…I just need a change of pace.

I follow the recipe directions but do these tweaks to make it my own:

1. Omit the cocoa powder & pressed peanut flour, replacing with an equal amount of powdered almond butter. (I use this one.)

2. Double the salt.

3. Add butter & caramel flavoring & vanilla extract to taste. (I haven’t measured, but I’m guessing 1/8 tsp. each, with a little more caramel than butter & vanilla.)

4. Use the lesser amount of sweetener, I do sometimes use even less, since without the cocoa powder you don’t have that extra bitterness.

I do enjoy my oatmeal better warm, so I make it ahead of time in glass storage containers, and just pop it into the oven to heat it up. By the time I’m ready for the day it’s at a perfect eating temperature.

#2 Mouthwatering Meringues (Ultra FP). THM cookbook, page 317 (follow mixing and baking instructions in recipe.)

1. Replace the banana flavoring with 1 1/2 teaspoon caramel flavor & 1/2 teaspoon butter flavor.

2. Add 1/4 t. salt along with the sweetener.

3. Increased the sweetener slightly since I have a sweet(er) tooth!

One recipe yielded 1 1/2 gallon jar. I used a large open star piping tip & a pastry bag top pipe these onto the parchment paper.

I love these because they’re an Ultra-FP, so they can be paired with ANYTHING!

#3 Ultimate E Bars, Trim Healthy Table, page 432 (follow recipe directions.)

1. Omit cocoa powder, replacing with an equal amount of powdered almond butter.

2. Replace pecan extract with an equal amount of butter flavoring

3. Decrease vanilla to 1/2 teaspoon.

4. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons caramel extract in place of the remaining vanilla.

5. Increase salt to 3/4 teaspoon, or to taste.

That concludes my first post of tweaks for making Trim Healthy Mama my own! I hope to do a few more posts like this in the coming months.

For the caramel & butter flavorings, the best I’ve come across are THM’s Natural Burst brand.

I buy the powdered almond butter & vanilla at my local health food store, but they can be found online.

My very first recipe….(Vanilla Buttercream Frosting-{THM:S}

I’ve been half hearted in my attempts over the last 1 1/2 years to get this blog going, but a few weeks ago, I shared a photo on the 2 main THM Facebook groups of a cake with this frosting and got myself inundated with recipe requests…and so that was the final push to get this blog going.

SO, this recipe came about when my over-the-top-food-fanatic boss was telling me about something he’d read from a classic/well known person in the food world. (Don’t ask me who…I can’t remember!) This person would make a classic buttercream by whipping butter into Creme Anglaise sauce. The idea never left my head and stayed there until I had time to play with it.

I ended up having to omit the salt & increase the sweetener in my Creme Anglaise recipe to get it to taste right. I ended up with a frosting that is extremely similar to a true buttercream…perfectly rich, buttery, & creamy frosting that’s a dream to work with and holds up to piping VERY well.

I decided to use it to decorate a cake for my older sister, Nikki’s birthday. I used the chocolate cake recipe from the Peppermint Trimtastic cake recipe in Trim Healthy Table cookbook, page 390. I baked it on a half sheet pan & and cut 4 small squares out of it for this cake.

She loves mint, so I added several drops of peppermint essential oil to taste. (It was about 5 drops total.) If you want to experiment with flavors, feel free to do so. I’d leave the vanilla in and just add other flavors, tasting as you go.

Print Recipe

Vanilla Buttercream (Creme Anglaise Based)

A creme anglaise based type of true buttercream. Very buttery and rich.
Course: Dessert
Keyword: buttercream, frosting, Low carb, sugar free, THM

Ingredients

  • 6 egg yolks
  • ½ cup gentle sweet
  • ¾ cup cashew milk
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 doonks glucomannan
  • ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ⅛ teaspoon molasses
  • 1⅓ cups butter softened & cut into 9 pieces

Instructions

  • Whisk egg yolks and gentle sweet together in small saucepan until thoroughly combined & lightened in color, about 2 minutes.
  • Add cashew milk and whisk well again.
  • Cook over low/medium heat stirring with wooden spoon constantly until mixture reaches temperature of 170°, about 5 minutes. It will coat back of spoon and it may appear to be curdled, but don't worry..it'll smooth out in the next step.
  • Remove from heat and place in blender.
  • Add vanilla, glucomannan, cream of tartar, & molasses. Blend on low for 1 minute, venting blender as needed.
  • Scrape into mixing bowl (or back into pan if using a hand mixer).
  • Let cool until mixture reaches about 100°. You may place in a sink of cold water to cool faster, if desired.
  • Add butter 1 piece at time, waiting until each piece of butter is COMPLETELY mixed in before adding another. Mix on high speed using whisk attachment until smooth. This may take several minutes. If mixture won't come together or appears curdled after mixing for several minutes, it probable means your mixture and/or your butter was too cold. If this happens, warm mixture very gently over low heat or microwave for several seconds and whip for a few more minutes.

Notes

Any type of milk may be used, including 1/2 & 1/2. THM offers food freedom and no calorie counting, but also we need to be wise…..so I tried all variations and straight up cashew milk works just as well as 1/2 & 1/2, so I went with the lighter option.
6 doonks of gluccomannan is equivalent to 3/16 tsp.
 
 

Disclaimer: I’ve done my research and am ok with use of essential oils for flavoring. If you are not okay with it, please use the flavoring or extracts of your choice to substitute, starting with 1/4 teaspoon and tasting as you go to get the flavor desired.