Sugar-Free Ginger Cheesecake
Denver baker extraordinaire Norm Names created this diabetic-friendly cheesecake. While it’s not strictly sugar-free because of the Nilla wafers, it has much less sugar than conventional cheesecake. Serves 12.
Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/2 cups ground Nilla wafers
1/4 cup sugar substitute such as Equal Sugar Lite
2 tablespoons melted margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Filling:
16 ounces (2 bricks) neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
8 ounces (1 brick) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar substitute
Egg substitute to equal 3 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup ginger marmalade or preserves
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
Boiling water
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine Nilla wafers, sugar substitute, melted margarine and ground ginger.
Cover bottom of 10-inch springform pan with aluminum foil and spray inside of pan with cooking spray.
Press crust into pan and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on rack.
Reduce oven to 310 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix softened cream cheese until well-blended. Add sugar substitute, mix well. Slowly add egg substitute to cheese mixture and blend well. Add lemon juice, marmalade and ginger.
Add filling to prepared crust. Place springform pan in roasting pan, add boiling water halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake 40 minutes.
Filling will not be firm, but should be somewhat soft. Remove from oven and water bath. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tarte Tatin
“Eat Well, Feel Well” author Kendall Conrad adapted this classic French upside-down tart for people who are sensitive to carbohydrates. Look for Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur almond flour at Whole Foods or Wild Oats stores. Or make your own by processing blanched almonds until finely ground. Two cups whole almonds makes slightly less that 2 cups meal. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months. From “Eat Well, Feel Well,” serves 8-10.
Ingredients
Crust:
1 1/4 cups almond flour (more if needed)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons ice water
Apple mixture:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, quartered and cored
1/2 cup honey
Directions
Crust: Place almond flour, butter and salt in a food processor and process 10 seconds, until coarse and crumblike. Add ice water slowly and pulse about 8 times or until mixture just comes together. DO NOT let it form into a ball. Transfer to parchment paper and flatten to form a disc. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with extra almond flour and mix in well. Wrap in parchment and freeze at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Transfer to refrigerator 1 hour before rolling.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Apples: Melt butter in a deep 12-inch skillet over high heat. Stir in apples and honey, and cook until apples are a deep golden brown, about 18 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally to make sure apples do not burn. Pour apples into a 10-inch round baking dish. Allow apples to cool 15 minutes.
Roll or press crust between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a round slightly larger than the baking dish. Lay the crust on top of apples and tuck in excess dough into the dish around the sides. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until dough is golden brown.
Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Set a large round serving platter op top of the tart and carefully but quickly invert tart onto platter. Slowly lift dish so apples fall centered on platter. Serve immediately or at room temperature with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream. This is best made the same day it will be served.
Cream Cheese, Coconut and Lemon Mounds
From “The Low-Carb Gourmet,” by Karen Barnaby, makes 20.
Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut
2 tablespoons Splenda
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix coconut, sweetener, cream and vanilla. Let sit 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir cream cheese into coconut mixture until blended. Add egg and mix well. Stir in lemon rind.
Drop by level tablespoons (making macaroon-shaped mounds) 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes until tops are lightly speckled with brown.
Date and Orange Buckwheat Pancakes
From “The Big GL-Plus Diet Planner,” by Fiona Hunter, this recipe makes about 16 pancakes.
Ingredients
2/3 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fructose
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
3 1/2 ounces (generous 1/2 cup) dates, pitted and finely chopped
Canola oil
4 tablespoons plain non-fat yogurt
3 1/2 ounces ( 2/3 cup) blueberries
Directions
Combine flours, baking powder and fructose in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Whisk milk, eggs, orange zest and juice. Pour into flour and whisk to make a smooth batter. Fold in dates and let stand 15 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet until very hot, then reduce heat and lightly oil, spreading with a paper towel. Drop spoonfuls of batter into pan and cook slowly 1-2 minutes, until just set and golden underneath. Flip over and cook 30 seconds more. Keep warm while you make the rest.
Serve immediately with yogurt and blueberries.
