I did not eat a brownie today. I didn't eat a cupcake, either. And I didn't eat any of that cream cheese frosting.

Yesterday, however, was an entirely different story.

You probably already have a very good idea of what has been going on in my house lately. We've been hosting out-of-state guests, celebrating life events, and taking family trips. Of course, guests and parties both mean food.

A lot of that food was great and perfectly low carb: the cheese plate, for example, or the meatballs my sister adapted from my mother's terrific low carb meatloaf recipe. My chicken wings are so simple and delicious, too. I even reprised my husband's favorite vanilla cheesecake, so we'd have a "legal" dessert.

Somehow or other, though, all that legal, low carb food disappeared a lot more quickly than the higher carb goodies. And when the low carb stuff ran out, I just moved directly to eating the sugar-laden stuff, regardless of the consequences. When I was running around Disney Land with my three kids, a scoop of ice cream or a slice of pizza didn't seem too consequential — the activity easily burned off those calories, and I didn't feel any metabolic effects.

Back home and parked in front of the computer, though, things are very different. I can't eat that stuff and not feel hungry all the time. So then I either eat it and get upset because I gain weight, or I don't eat but I'm grumpy because I'm hungry.

Fortunately I realized there is a third choice: make something yummy and low carb. It seems ironic to bake something else in a house that's already full of baked goods, but there are baked goods, and then there are baked goods.

The following recipe was adapted from one my mother often made on Sunday mornings when I was little. If you can afford the extra carbs, add another half-cup or so of blueberries. It's lovely to get them in every bite, and that extra half-cup is like insurance that you will. They'll add just over a gram of carbs per serving; I believe they're worth it.

Makes 12 servings Batter base: 3/4 cup Splenda granular 3/4 cup erythritol 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten flour (Bob's Red Mill brand recommended) 1 cup almond flour 1 cup vanilla whey protein powder (Designer Whey brand recommended) 2/3 cup non-hydrogenated shortening (Spectrum Organic brand recommended) 1 Tablespoon baking powder 2/3 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup water 2 eggs 1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan by lining it with foil and spraying it with a non-stick spray. Combine the ingredients for the batter base in a large mixing bowl, using a pastry blender or cross-cutting with two knives until the mixture resembles crumbs. Set aside 3/4 cup of this mixture for the crumb topping. Sift the baking powder over the remaining batter mixture, and stir to distribute it. Add the cream, water, and eggs. Stir until combined, but don't over-mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly distribute the 1 cup of blueberries over the batter. They will sink while they're cooking. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the blueberries and batter. Bake in the preheated 325 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. (It may take longer; I am beginning to suspect my oven is misbehaving.) Test for doneness with a toothpick in the center. Serve straight from the pan while still warm, and refrigerate any leftovers. Approximate nutrition information for a one-twelfth serving: 146 calories; 10 g fat; 6 g carbs; 1 g fiber; 9 g protein; 20 g sugar alcohols.

As always I love to get mail, so if you have comments or questions, or if there is a recipe you'd like to see converted to low carb, please drop me a line.

                                                

Copyright © May 2005  Joan O'Connell Hedman and Low Carb Luxury