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Cooking with almond flour

Av: Katy Wheeler

Dessert can be quite a challenge for low-carbers! Firstly, there's the sugar issue, but happily a choice of artificial sweeteners is available, which means it is possible to solve that problem fairly easily. However, once you have decided on the sweetener you want to use, the next most difficult ingredient to substitute is flour -- and this is not such an easy choice.

Which flour to choose?
Like sugar, there are several options for replacing flour, including combinations of soy or whey protein powders, ground flaxseeds and also soy flour. I prefer to use as many natural and whole ingredients in my recipes as possible. I like to use nut flours -- and almond flour (or "ground almonds," as they are known here in England) works excellently in many recipes. Not only is it high in protein and low in carbs, it's a good source of omega 3 essential fatty acids, shown to be essential for brain and heart health.

Cooking with almond four
Almond flour works very well for practically all cake and muffin recipes, pancakes and some cookie recipes, too. It can also be used to make "pastry" tart shells for sweet or savory dishes. The only types of dessert which do not lend themselves well to the use of almond flour are yeasted or bread-based recipes.

Almond flour can either be bought direct from the store ready-ground or it is possible to grind your own at home from natural almonds in a coffee grinder or similar. It doesn't even matter if you don't like almonds because, strangely enough, baked goods made with almond flour do not taste of almonds unless you deliberately add almond flavoring!

To convert any regular baked recipes to low-carb using almond flour, experiment by simply replacing the volume of flour in the recipe with the same volume of almond flour. Use slightly more raising agent than the recipe suggests, allowing for the heavier weight of the almond flour.

Also be sure to butter and line your pans with baking paper to help prevent sticking. After baking, recipes made with almond flour do well to be left a few minutes and loosened carefully with a knife before turning out because the texture is generally more fragile than regular recipes made with flour. Here are a few of my favorite dessert recipes involving almond flour.

Blueberry Muffins
This recipe can be made with any fresh or frozen berries, and you can add as much as 1 1/2 to 2 cups of berries, if you prefer, though it will change the nutritional counts.

My particular favorite is raspberries, although they are also delicious with the more traditional blueberries. If you are using frozen berries, there is no need to defrost them -- in fact, they hold their shape better during cooking if you add them to the mixture whilst still frozen. You can also add a teaspoon of cinnamon, for variation.

Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
3 rounded tablespoons Splenda
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:
Butter and line 12 large muffin pans with muffin tin liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. In a larger bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (but not the berries). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not beat). Finally, add the berries and briefly mix again.

Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin pans and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen, golden brown and set in the middle. Leave in the pans on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, and then loosen carefully with a knife before turning out to cool completely. Makes 12.

Per serving (one muffin): 8g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 7.25g protein; 24.8g fat; 273 calories

Apricot and Almond Cream Cake
This recipe is based on a traditional British cake called a Victoria Sandwich Cake. Victoria Sandwich Cake is a plain, or yellow, cake which is baked in two pans and then sandwiched together with whipped cream and strawberry jam. This is my version for low-carbers, which is made with canned apricots instead of jam and ground almonds instead of flour. I challenge any non low-carber to realize that it isn't a regular cake!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
2 rounded tablespoons Splenda
5 eggs (at room temperature)
2 cups ground almonds (almond flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 apricot halves from a can of apricots in water

Directions:
Butter and line two 8-inch round baking pans with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the first seven ingredients (plus almond extract, if using) together in a food processor until smooth. Divide the mixture between the two baking pans, level the tops and bake for about 30 minutes until firm in the center. Remove from the oven and leave on a cooling rack for five minutes before loosening with a knife and turning out onto the racks. Peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely.

When cooled, whip the cream until fairly thick and "spreadable." Drain the apricots and chop into small chunks, then mix them into the whipped cream. Turn one of the cakes upside down and spread the cream mixture over it (like buttering a piece of bread!) Place the other cake on top of the cream and press lightly to sandwich the cakes together. Serve cut into wedges. Serves 10. Per serving (one slice): 6.2g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 7.3g protein; 34.7g fat; 355 calories

Almond Pancakes
If you're a low-carber, it is always a challenge to find a good recipe for pancakes, and there are many of them. This is my favorite recipe, using, of course, ground almonds (almond flour). They turn out very much like the American pancakes that I remember enjoying so much during my time living in the US, and can be served with any toppings you wish, just like regular pancakes. Blueberries, cream, lemon juice and a sprinkling of Splenda as a sweet topping is delicious, but they are also lovely when buttered and served with crispy bacon! This recipe makes approximately four pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup ground almonds (almond flour)
1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Butter for frying

Directions:
Whisk the egg in a measuring jug then mix in the almond flour and salt. Add enough cream to get a good pancake batter consistency and mix well. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan on medium high. When the butter begins to foam, spoon about one quarter of the mixture into the center of the pan and spread out to about 4 inches diameter. Continue to cook for a minute or so until the edges look dry, then carefully flip over and cook for another minute until set. Serve with your favorite toppings, or as the mood takes you! Serves four.

Per serving (one pancake) using 1 cup of cream: 8.75g carbohydrates; 4.25g fiber; 10.25g protein; 41g fat; 426.75 calories You can also see a savory recipe of mine Pepperoni Pizza Pie -- which uses almond flour! I hope you enjoy these recipes and also that you will find experimentation with almond flour helpful as part of your low-carb lifestyle.