Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars

withberries A light lemony cheesecake dessert on a buttery shortbread-like crust with a sweet-tart lemon layer covered by creamy cheesecake layer. You can enjoy this guilt free because #ItsKeto!

Keto Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly butter a 13 x 9 Pyrex baking pan.

Using a pastry blender, forks, or your blender/Vitamix, combine the ingredients for your crust until coarse crumbs form. TIP: I like to use my Vitamix 750 Pro on the 2 setting, after pulsing to start, so that, instead of coarse crumbs, a light, fluffy dough forms.

1+1/2 Cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1/2 Cup Swerve Confectioners Sugar Substitute
3/4 Cup Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes

Press the crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake until golden brown, 18-21 minutes. Don’t under cook the crust! Remove from the oven and set aside.

Prepare the lemon layer by combining, in your blender:

4 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Xylitol or Erithritol (Sugar Substitutes)
1+1/2 TBLS Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
2 TBLS Lemon Zest
1 Cup Lemon Juice

Pour lemon mixture onto the baked crust. Skim off any large bubbles from the surface of the lemon layer.

Prepare the cheesecake layer by combining, in your stand mixer or cleaned blender container:

2 – 8 oz Packages Cream Cheese
1 Cup Granulated Xylitol or Erithritol
2 Large Eggs

BEWARE: If you use Xylitol in this recipe, which I prefer because there’s no aftertaste or cool sensation, Xylitol IS NOT PET SAFE! So, no sharing with your furry babies.

When well combined, pour and spread over the lemon mixture. It’s ok if the lemon layer peeks through, the cheesecake layer rises to the top during baking. Bake until the filling is set about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool pan on a wire rack before putting into the refrigerator to chill. Cut into 24 Bars and top with a couple of fresh berries if desired. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information (24 Servings):

131 Calories (Savings of 125 Calories without real sugars & all purpose flour)
1 g Fat (Savings of 13 g Fat from traditional recipe)
4 g Carbs (Savings of 27 g Carbs from traditional recipe)
3 g Protein

Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice

A new spin on a Keto staple.

This recipe is so versatile that it could be:

A side dish for chicken, seafood, beef, pork, or grilled vegetables
A base layer for a sweet flavored (like Keto Sweet & Sour Chicken) Asian inspired main dish bowl
A bed for kebabs
A layer in a cold chicken salad
A taco or burrito ingredient, or even
Chilled and served as a “rice pudding” type dessert.

Tip: This dish is better a day (or at least a few hours) after it’s been made and refrigerated, then reheated.

Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice

1 TBLS Butter
1 Clove Garlic, Crushed into a Paste (I use jarred, crushed garlic)
1 Medium-Large Head Cauliflower, Riced (About 6 Cups)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Lite Coconut Milk
1 TBLS Lime Juice
Zest from 1 Lime

Heat the butter and garlic in a skillet over medium heat.

Steam the riced cauliflower in a microwave steamer for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower rice to the skillet, sprinkle with salt and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the coconut milk and lime juice. Cook the rice for 8 minutes stirring frequently until the rice has completely softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Sprinkle the rice with lime zest before serving. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Nutrition Information per serving – 6 Servings

68 Calories
2.5 g Fat
6 g Carbohydrates
2 g Protein

Banana Muffin Tops

muffintops2 I’m in the maintenance phase of Keto, where I have more leeway with the number of carbs I’m eating, which makes me a lot happier. I’ve missed bread & pizza the most, but don’t want to completely erase my positive health gains by going back to high carbohydrate baked goods. That leaves me few choices because, frankly, I have been very unimpressed with #KetoApproved recipes for breads. It’s been really frustrating.

I’m stubborn though, so I keep trying. I am still working to modify my recipes to create #KetoFriendly baked goods that don’t taste like cardboard, have a too-dense, unenjoyable texture, and that I’d want to eat more than once. This one was a win!

Banana Muffin Tops

1 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Rolled Oats (they’re Gluten Free)
1/2 Cup Ground Flax Seed
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Liquid Stevia
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Medium Ripe Bananas (6″-7″), mashed
Chopped Macadamia Nuts, Walnuts, Sugar Free Dark Chocolate Chips, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly spray a baking sheet or muffin top pan with cooking spray (TIP: Don’t use an Olive Oil based spray – it will change the flavor of your muffin tops).

Combine oats, flax seed, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, lightly beat the eggs, then mix in vanilla, stevia, milk, and mashed bananas. (TIP: If you are adding unsweetened coconut to your muffin tops, add it into the wet mixture) Leave mixer on low and slowly add dry ingredients until well combined. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

If you are using a muffin top pan: Divide the batter equally between 12 top-cups. Make sure you mound the batter – don’t smooth the batter flat. (TIP: If you are adding nuts or chocolate chips, etc., to your muffin tops, gently press those items on top of your mounded batter) Bake for 20 minutes and allow to sit in the pan to cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

If you are using a cookie sheet: Divide the batter into 6 equal mounds per sheet remembering not to smooth the batter flat. Tops will spread a little bit, so space them out on the baking sheet. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes and allow to sit on the pan to cool for 5 minutes before removing to cooling racks.

Store the muffin tops in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. These are great plain, but you can also spread peanut butter or cream cheese on them for an extra decadent treat. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Dessert Wine Pairings

dessertwines

It’s no secret that I love food and wine, but even I have to admit that sometimes the wine you drink with dinner may not be the same wine that you want to keep drinking when it comes time for dessert. #GirlsGoneWine

Generally, it’s not a bad idea to follow the rule: the darker the dessert the darker the wine. If you don’t feel secure with a rule that is so non-specific, there are a few other taste guidelines according to the different dessert types:

Custard and Vanilla
Fruit and Spice
Caramels and Chocolate

Custard and Vanilla

When your dessert is based around the light, mild, buttery flavors found in most custard based desserts you want your wines to have the same basic flavor profiles. So, if you are serving a vanilla custard, pudding, flan, crème brûlée, tart or pie, you’ll want to serve a white wine like a late-harvest Riesling, or a sparkling wine like an Asti Spumanti or demi-sec Champagne. This Vanilla Crème Brûlée from The New York Times is #FastAndEasy and needs only 5 ingredients!

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

2 cups heavy or light cream, or half-and-half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
½ cup sugar, more for topping

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a saucepan, combine cream, vanilla bean and salt and cook over low heat just until hot. Let sit for a few minutes, then discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, add it now.)

In a bowl, beat yolks and sugar together until light. Stir about a quarter of the cream into this mixture, then pour sugar-egg mixture into cream and stir. Pour into four 6-ounce ramekins and place ramekins in a baking dish; fill dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until centers are barely set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for several hours and up to a couple of days.

When ready to serve, top each custard with about a teaspoon of sugar in a thin layer. Place ramekins in a broiler 2 to 3 inches from heat source. Turn on broiler. Cook until sugar melts and browns or even blackens a bit, about 5 minutes. Serve within two hours.

Most crème brûlée recipes need a torch, but this one is simpler & safer: it uses your oven’s broiler to get the crackly top.

**TIP: Make sure the custard sets for several hours in the refrigerator before brûléeing the top so you don’t end up with soupy custard.

Fruit and Spice

When your dessert is fruit based with a spicy profile, like those with apple, pear, pumpkin or cinnamon in them, you’ll want to lean toward white wines that have more character to them. In this case you’ll want to consider Pink or Rosé Champagne, Sauternes, or late-harvest Gewirtztraminer.

Caramels and Chocolates

When your dessert is rich and full of any of the flavors across the chocolate spectrum turtlebrownies1 (except white chocolate) or has the gooey richness of caramel’s toffee goodness, then the wines you’re looking for will be Red. Late-harvest Pinot Noir, Banyuls, Grenache, Australian Shiraz, Port (the classic chocolate pairing), and Grappa all are excellent pairings for these rich dessert choices. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Highland Springs Ranch Lavender Cheesecake

lavenderbanner Every year, for about 5 weeks, at the Highland Springs Ranch in Cherry Valley, California, one of the best smelling, and best tasting, festivals takes place on the largest organic lavender farm in Southern California.

During the Annual Lavender Celebration, guests can tour 20 acres of the grounds in hay filled, horse drawn wagons sipping on lavender lemonade or licking creamy lavender ice cream cones. There’s an organic marketplace to buy lavender infused honey, balsamic vinegar, essential oils, fresh lavender bouquets, plants and even lavender-stuffed toys. There’s an oil distilling demonstration and plenty of fun activities for the kids, but, more than anything, it’s the food people come to sample.

Although The Ranch Restaurant closed in 2018, my favorite festival treat is still their Lavender Cheesecake with a crust made from homemade graham crackers. It’s #ToDieFor but it takes some time to prepare (much of which is chilling time), so don’t plan to make this as a last minute treat. Thanks to Betsy Andrews at Eating Well Magazine, I can make this treat at home anytime I want to!

Highland Springs Ranch Lavender Cheesecake

6 TBLS Unsalted Butter, softened
2 TBLS Light Brown Sugar
2 TBLS Granulated Sugar
2 TBLS Honey
1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1+1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1+1/2 TBLS Light Olive Oil or Canola Oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine butter, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add honey and ¼ teaspoon vanilla; mix until combined. Add flour and ¼ teaspoon salt; mix until combined. Form the dough into quarter-size chunks, about ½-inch thick, on the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and firm around the edges, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the crust pieces on the parchment to a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. Pulse in a food processor until finely ground
Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Mix the crust crumbs with oil in a medium bowl; press into the bottom and about 1½ inches up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

For the filling:

3 – 8 ounce packages reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 TBLS Ground Lavender
1/8 tsp Salt
4 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 TBLS Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

To prepare filling: Put a tea kettle of water on to boil for the water bath. Combine cream cheese, sugar, lavender and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Beat with the paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add lemon juice and vanilla; mix until combined.
Tightly wrap the outside of the pan, bottom and sides, with heavy-duty foil. Pour the filling into the crust. Place the springform pan in a roasting pan and pour in enough boiling water to come 1 inch up the side of the springform pan to create a hot water bath. Carefully transfer the roasting pan to the center of the oven. Bake until the cheesecake is set around the edges but the center still jiggles slightly, 1 to 1¼ hours.
Let the cheesecake cool in the water bath on a wire rack until the water is room temperature, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the water and remove the foil. Refrigerate, uncovered, until very cold, at least 4 hours.

This cheesecake can be made ahead and kept very cold for 3 days. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

I’m a total carb girl, which is why I need to go Keto occasionally to make my jeans less tight, but my carbs of choice trend toward the savory: breads, chips, and salty snacks. But, even a #SaltyGirl needs something sweet & #KetoFriendly once in a while. 😉 #ThisGirlLovesToEat

coconutmacaroons

Chocolate Drizzled Low-Carb Coconut Macaroons

2 Large Egg Whites (Cold)
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Granulated Stevia Sweetener (like Swerve)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
2 Cups (loosely packed) Baker’s Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1/4 Cup Sugar Free Chocolate Chips (I use Hershey’s)
1/2 tsp Crisco Solid Shortening

**Note – Because the coconut is sweetened, you can cut the amount of the sweetener down to 1 or 2 TBLS.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add your egg whites and lemon juice to your stand mixer bowl (with the wire whip attached). Beat the egg whites until medium-stiff peaks form. Make sure you beat the whites until they barely move in the bowl if you shake it – it makes a difference in the end result of your cookies. Gradually add the sweetener, sea salt, and vanilla while continuing to beat at medium-high speed.

Gently fold in the coconut a little bit at a time. Be careful not to break down the whites, you want a fluffy batter. Caution: Your cookies will spread out if you break down your egg whites too much. They’ll taste the same but be flatter and take less time to cook.

Use a medium (About 1 TBLS) cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the lined pan. I got 15 cookies from my mixture.

Baker for 20 minutes, or until a nice golden brown around the edges and tops of the cookies. Remove from the oven and leave sitting on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes then move to wire rack to cool.

Melt chocolate chips (with the shortening) in a small bowl or mug in the microwave, in increments of 30 seconds on high until smooth enough to drizzle. I use a fork to drizzle lightly across the cookies then move them to a plate to finish cooling in the refrigerator so the chocolate is completely set before serving.

Cookies can be stored in a sealed container on a cool counter for a few days, the refrigerator (if they last) for about 10 days, and can be frozen for longer term storage.

Nutrition Information Per Cookie:

Calories – 65
Fat – 3.75 g
Sat Fat – 2.93 g
Sodium – 31.33 mg
Carbs – 2.66 g
Protein – .53 g

Chocolate Cheesecake Fat Bombs

chocolatecreamcheese I am a Keto believer, but I have paid little attention to the addition of the fat bombs, touted by Keto experts as a necessity, thinking of them instead as desserts I didn’t need. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Scientists say that, no matter what diet plan you follow, at least 20% of our calories should be from #GoodFats.

We need fats to absorb fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E & K
Research suggests that monounsaturated fats (from avocados, peanuts & olives) can lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol
Fats take longer to digest, keep blood sugar levels stable, and help us to feel fuller for longer.

While I have lost all of the weight I wanted to initially, and quicker than I thought I would, as I came up on my goal weight I realized that I was starting to lose some of my hard earned muscle tone. If I was burning so much fat with Keto, how was this possible? Turns out I was wrong about that as well. Without adding the required amount of fat to my diet, when my body ran out of fat to burn it was turning to sugars/carbs, of which there are few in a Keto diet, and once those are depleted what’s left to burn? Muscle! The same applies to those on any other type of carbohydrate restricted diet, like Atkins. So, this is me jumping on the #FatBombBandWagon!

Chocolate Cheesecake Fat Bombs

8 oz softened cream cheese
2 oz Confectioners (Powdered) Stevia (Erythritol / Swerve)
1 tsp Vanilla
7 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
5 oz Sugar Free Chocolate

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth when stirred. Set aside. Place the softened cream cheese in a bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth. Add powdered Stevia and Vanilla. Mix on low speed until combined. Add the heavy cream. Mix on medium speed until smooth and beginning to thicken. Add the melted chocolate and continue mixing on medium speed, until all ingredients are completely combined and the mixture is firm enough to spoon or pipe into small/mini paper lined mini muffin pans or prepared silicone candy molds. Once all of the liners are filled, cover and chill for at least 3 hours. The longer they chill the better. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and freeze for up to 3 months. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Keto Chocolate Fudge Mug Cake

Because woman cannot live on “healthy” food alone and must have the occasional chocolate evening treat with her #KetoAllowed glass of red wine:

Keto Chocolate Fudge Mug Cake

1 TBLS butter
1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 TBLS hot water
Pinch of salt
1 TBLS cocoa powder
1 TBLS coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 large egg

Add one tablespooon of butter into mug, microwave for 10 seconds until melted. Add one teaspoon of instant coffee/water mix, stir well. Add one tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon coconut flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 beaten egg. Mix very well. Add sweetener of choice. I use 1 to 2 drops liquid Stevia. Adjust sweetener +/- before you cook.

Cook in the Microwave for about 60 seconds, do not overcook.

Remove cake from microwave to cool.

To make fudge sauce, combine 1-2 tsp unsweetened cocoa and 1 TBLS water in a ramekin. Mix in 1-2 drops Stevia if desired to sweeten. Warm in microwave 15-30 seconds.

Loosen cake from mug and invert into plate. Pour chocolate sauce over the top. Serve with a few blueberries or raspberries if desired.

#ThisGirlLovesToEat

Treat Week: Toasted Pecan Turtles

pecanturtles

We’re in the home stretch of #TreatWeek. Under a week to go and houses in #EveryTownUSA smell of sweet things destined for sharing with friends and family alike.

Except for the old standbys of fudge and truffles, I usually shy away from making candy, but this year I got coaxed into making turtles, after seeing how ridiculously expensive they were to buy so few in the stores. Admittedly, I cheated by not making my caramel from scratch, but if it all tastes good in the end, does it matter? Considering the amount of time it saved me, I’m thinking nope!

Toasted Pecan Turtles

12 oz Pecan Halves
1 – 11 oz Bag Individually Wrapped Caramels (I used Kraft)
2 TBLS Water
1+1/2 – 12 oz Bags Milk Chocolate Chips (I prefer Ghirardelli, but had Nestle’ on hand and the candies tasted just as good)
3 tsp Crisco Solid Shortening

In preheated 350°F oven, on an ungreased baking sheet, toast a pecans in a single layer for 8+1/2 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately move nuts to a bowl so they stay warm while you’re working with them.

In the microwave, melt the chocolate chips together with the shortening in 30 second intervals until you have a nice, not too thick consistency.

Line 3 baking sheets with waxed paper. Using a fork, dip into the chocolate and make a 1 – 1+1/2″ thin circle on the waxed paper. Fan out 3 or 4 pecans in a Y or X pattern. You want the chocolate to hold the pecans in place and act as a landing spot for any caramel that may spill over in the next step. Continue until your pans are full or you run out of big enough pieces of pecan to work with.

While the chocolate and pecans start to set up, unwrap all of the caramels and put them into a 1 qt saucepan with the water. Heat over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted.

Using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, quickly spoon the caramel over the pecan clusters, making sure caramel is touching each of the pecans.

Rewarm chocolate to thin it again, then spoon a small amount on top of each layer of caramel. Put sheets into the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until hardened. If space is an issue, use a cooling rack between sheets so you can stack them. #ThisGirlLovesToEat

Treat Week: Truffle Tuesday

redwinetruffles

Due to the death of a close friend, this week’s postings got delayed, so, as you can see, Truffle Tuesday turned into Truffle Sunday…

Day 2 of #TreatWeek is one of my favorites: #TruffleTuesday. Or, as my family (& hairdresser) calls it, the day I start making make #BoozeBalls!

The first, and quickest to prepare are my soft centered Red Wine Truffles. These truffles are only as good as the wine you use to make them, so I always use the last glass of whatever great blend I have open. This year that meant that the truffles were made with #2013MountVeederReserve. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. This blend worked beautifully with the dark chocolate and made for a decadent treat! A few important words of advice about these truffles:

Make sure you chill your truffle filling for AT LEAST 3 hours so it’s easy to scoop.
Freeze your scooped portions for at least 30 minutes & try to make them as close to balls as possible. These can’t really be rolled. Mine never look #CandyShopPretty, but they taste good. 😉
If your truffle filling is not holding it’s shape; i.e. it’s too thin, don’t worry, HERE IS THE FIX: Return your truffle filling to your pan. Warm it over low heat so that it is easy to stir but not completely liquified. Turn off burner and stir in unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 TBLS at a time, until your filling reaches desired consistency. You don’t want it too thick, remember it will thicken when it chills in the refrigerator.
Melt your coating chocolate while your scoops are in the freezer so your coating has time to cool a bit.
If you intend to use the candy melts to decorate the outer/hard layer get it prepared in advance.
If you are sprinkling any type of decoration that will stick to the outer coating do it as soon as you coat the individual truffle. The coating hardens very quickly on the cold truffles.
Because of their soft centers, these truffles must be kept refrigerated for best presentation and taste.

Red Wine Truffles

2 – 12 oz bag dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
3/4 Cup heavy cream
5 TBLS Good Red Wine – Anything with Malbec, Cab Franc, or that’s BIG and BOLD
2 tsp solid Crisco shortening

Heat heavy cream in a saucepan to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from stove and add 1 bag of the chocolate chips and red wine. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Stir until everything is fully incorporated and smooth. Remove to a smaller bowl, cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

Once the truffle filling has chilled, using a cookie scoop or small spoon, scoop out chocolate and form into truffle balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes

While truffles are in the freezer, in a medium saucepan, combine chocolate and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted.

Take 6 truffles out of the freezer at a time and pinch them slightly to make sure they form a “truffle like dome” for the top side. If, when you start working with the chilled truffles, they aren’t holding their shape, or seem to be getting runny really fast, STOP! and see the note in RED above. If all is well, continue to the next step.

Working quickly, coat bottom of truffles first and place on a plate lined with waxed paper, then, using a spoon, coat the top of each truffle and decorate with red & gold sprinkles if desired.

They dry/harden on top quickly. Move on to the next 6 and then move the plate to the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. #ThisGirlLovesToEat