Low Carb Sugar Free Carrot Cake with my Coffee (and cream cheese frosting on it)

 

 

 

 

We have been enjoying a keto carrot cake this weekend with our coffee as I had to use up some leftover baby carrots from when we had houseguests... I snapped a couple quick pictures with my cell phone to show it as I don't know that I care enough to try to make it look 'pretty' - I literally take a photo just before I'm going to eat it!

I have a version of it I posted back in 2016... Some of those ingredients are not made any longer and others, I don't use anymore or use newer versions.

Here is the carrot cake (sugar free, low carb) I posted back in 2016.  Very similar to the one I typically make now - just a couple changes.  About 10 years ago I started to add heavy cream to my frostings as well - so similar base - but add a huge dollop of heavy cream and you get more volume, a smooth silky frosting, and even better flavor. 

https://www.housewifebarbie.com/2016/05/ 

 

The current cake I've been making for the past almost 10 years though is this one (based on Carolyn Ketchums recipe!).

  
Low Carb Carrot Cake

 
2 c almond flour
1/3 c coconut flour
1/3 vanilla whey protein powder (I use Isopure and have for 20 years)
1 T baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
dash of ground cloves
4 eggs
1/2 c avocado oil
1/2 c brown sugar style sweetener
1/2 c granular style natural sweetener
1 1/2 c shredded baby carrots
2 t baking vanilla
optional - a few tablespoons chopped pecans

Grease and line the pans (I use 2, 8" or 9" pans).  Blend together the dry ingredients (flours, powders, seasoning).  

Mix the eggs, oil and sweeteners, add carrots and vanilla.  Beat in the dry ingredient mixture and add chopped nuts if using.  

Divide batter between the 2 pans and bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes, until done in the center.  Let cool.  Remove from pans.  

Spread frosting between layers, top and frost all.

For the Frosting I used:

1 stick butter
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 c powdered natural sweetener (depending on the brand you use some are sweeter than others so adjust to taste.  1 cup of my allulose/splenda/stevia blend is TOO sweet so must cut back to 2/3-ish.)
1-2 t vanilla

dash of salt
Enough heavy whipping cream to taste and amount you need (I use about 3/4 cup)

In a mixing bowl whip the butter and cream cheese and sweeteners with the vanilla.  Slowly pour in the heavy cream while on low speed and increase to medium high.  Beat until it's whippy and spreadable.   Use on your cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An American Housewife: Thanksgiving Pies for 2025! A different pie crust this year, and 3 pies; pumpkin, pecan and caramel apple (PIE CRUST RECIPE with sour cream)

I LOVE my regular pie crust and have been making it since my children were itty bitty babies, but this year, I was flipping through an old catalog of King Arthur I found tucked into one of my 1000 recipe binders, and saw a random pie crust recipe that used an addition of sour cream and baking powder.  Two items I don't typically use in my pie crusts.  But I had sour cream on hand that wasn't earmarked for any meal in particular and I was in a grumpy mood in which I did not feel like taking on any of the tasks at hand and making a pie would keep me busy and give me a reason for not doing 'all the things' I should have been doing.  I also had been given a can of caramel apple pie filling by someone who couldn't/wouldn't use it, a year or so ago (which we never use either), and have never used, and will never use... so it's just been sitting in the back of the pantry.  I decided to make a pie, and then gift the pie to someone.  

So that is the back story to why I tried a different pastry recipe this year and why I actually made a caramel apple pie using a store bought can of pie filling - which I've never done before.  I got rid of the odd-can of filling AND tried a new recipe.  

The pie crust made with sour cream and baking powder was... interesting.  Different, but good enough that I made it two more times and made all three (3) pies with it this year.  There is a bit of tang to it from the sour cream, but it's good, flaky, yet durable and easy to work with.

Here is the apple pie I gifted after it was baked... and was well received, and I asked for feedback on the pie crust from.   

 

Going into the oven to bake....

 

 

 

 

 

Pie Crusts 2025

2 c flour (Used a mixture of AP and flour I ground myself from soft white wheatberries)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
2 sticks butter, cold
1/2 c sour cream

Put the dry ingredients in a food processor bowl (or a plain mixing bowl if you wish to mix by hand).  Give a couple whirls to mix the dry.  Cut the butter into dices, pats or pieces.  For a food processor, add and pulse until it is a crumb mixture.  If by hand, smoosh and blend with your fingers (or use a pastry cutter) until it it is a crumb mixture and bits of butter are throughout the flour.  Add the sour cream last, mixing in by hand or give a couple pulse whirls in the food processor just until the dough comes together.  

Turn out on parchment paper sprinkled with a bit of flour.  Divide dough into 2 disks.  If it's still cold, you can roll out immediately, or just form a disk, wrap in plastic and chill in fridge until you are ready to roll.  Make a circle just a bit larger than your pie dish, and lift in.  Finish the edges however you wish.  Can be pre-baked for cold or custard pies, or freeze them until needed for filling pies - or fill immediately and bake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the pies for Thanksgiving... a traditional pumpkin pie this year except made with part raw, organic honey to cut back on the dreaded corn syrup it traditionally uses.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

And pecan... 

 

 

Which  you can leave like this after adding the pecans....  or you can quickly decorate the top with a design of whole pecans as well.

 

 

 

 

It's that time... the 2024 Christmas Cookie List

 

Briefly popping in to the mostly-neglected recipe blog to update my 2024 Christmas Cookie List.
I really should say 'idea' list though as I brainstormed a list a couple weeks ago, but more than likely will change and adapt it as I go along.  There are currently 17 recipes on the list but I usually end up making between 22-26 so I know I'll have more when I make up the trays and boxes.  

2024 Current Christmas Cookie Idea List

1. Russian Tea Cakes (or sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cakes)
2. Angel Bars
3. Cream Wafers
4. English Toffee (maybe)
5. Harris Fruitcake
6. Gateau Bonbons
7. Pretzel Bites with Rolos, Kisses and M&M's
8. Peppermint Meltaways
9. No Bake Cookies
10. Peanut Blossoms
11. Peanut Butter Fudge
12. Salted Nut Chews
13. Sugar Cookies - Trees for sure, maybe Mittens and Hats too.
14. A second style Tree shaped sugar cookie
15. Molasses Cookies
16. Macarons
17. Chocolate Chip Cookies with Red and Green M&M's

Reposting an older blog post page because I already have links included on that year's list and I don't feel like taking all the time/work to link anything right now.  PAGE:  https://www.housewifebarbie.com/p/blog-page_2.html

  Almond Macrons
  Mexican Wedding Cakes (or Russian Tea Cakes)
  Fruitcake Bars (no bake)
  Molasses Ginger Cookies
  Homemade Chocolate Truffles
  Cream Horns (easy with Puff Pastry!)
  Cut out Sugar Cookies with an easy Glaze
  Peppermint Meltaway Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes
  Homemade Girl Scout Style Thin Mints
  M&M Kiss Pretzels
  Cream Wafers
  Peppermint Pretzels
  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
  Melted Snowman Cookies
  Stenciled Icing Sugar Cookies
  Peanut Blossoms
  Peanut Butter Fudge
  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
  Red Velvet Cake Balls
  Gateau Bon Bons
  Swedish Rosettes
  Peppermint Teacakes
  Salted Nut Chews
Sugar Free, Low Carb Cinnamon Spice Cookies
Sugar Free Mexican Wedding Cakes
Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Tin Cookies
Mittens and Winter Hat Sugar Cookies

 

 

Raspberry Macadamia Cheesecake Cookies

 

I made two sizes - these are the larger 3-4 inch size, warm with a fresh raspberry glaze

 

Valentines Day is coming up this week, so it seemed like a good time to make the family some cookies.  These are cheater cheater cookies - (cheater cheater, cookie eater) because they use a cake mix instead of having to come up with the flour, sugar, etc.

Raspberry Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Cookies

1 white cake mix
1 egg or equivalent egg powder/water to equal one egg

1-2 t vanilla
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese or powdered cream cheese with water to equal 8 oz.

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) (canned, or butter powder/liquid to equal)
1/3 c freeze dried raspberries
1/2 c macadamia nuts (you could use white chocolate chips if you wish)
optional:  sugar to roll the dough balls in

3/4 c powdered sugar

1 T corn syrup
1 t raspberry extract or emulsion (or use more freeze dried raspberries if you don't have this)
vanilla - dash
milk, cream, coffee creamer or anything similar, even water in order to thin the glaze


Mix the cake mix, egg, vanilla, soft cream cheese and butter.  It will be thick and sticky.  Stir in the nuts and raspberries.  Form balls or scoop to size, roll the dough into granulated sugar before placing it on a greased or parchment paper lined pan.

Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes.  Let the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, remove to a wire rack to cool.

Mix the glaze and spoon or drizzle over the cookies, either letting it drip, or smooth it out with the back of a spoon or butter knife, etc.  Let cool completely and let the glaze harden.

Just barely stir in the raspberry pieces - too much and they'll break down and turn your cookie pink.

 

Warm from the oven, with fresh glaze... I made 2 sizes.  These are the small 1 1/2 inch size.

 

A couple of the ingredients from the pantry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Cookie A Day Until Christmas: Graham Cracker Marshmallow Fruitcake Bars (No Bake)

I was 'gifted' these fruitcake bars on a plate with various other cookies and candies by a co-worker at my job, years and year (and years) ago.  I would have been about 21 years old at the time and although my husband and I enjoyed tasting the other goodies, neither of us wanted to taste the 'fruitcake' bars because neither of us liked fruitcake.  Finally, I relented and picked it up to smell it and then taste it.  Whoa!  This isn't fruitcake!  This isn't even remotely similar to fruitcake at all.  It was so good that I later had to ask my co-worker, (who became a dear, dear friend) for the recipe.

That was back around 1991 and I've been making this recipe ever since.  That dear friend passed away from breast cancer a few years ago and although I think of her a few times during the year for random reasons, it's without a doubt that she comes to mind every single year when I make these bars.

Not at ALL like fruitcake except they use candied fruit and nuts; it's a graham cracker and marshmallow base and once people get over the 'fruitcake' connotation, these bars fly off the serving plate.
 

No Bake Fruitcake Bars

1 lb. butter*
1 lb. mini marshmallows
3/4 c evaporated milk
1 lb. pecans
1/2 lb. walnuts
1/2 lb. whole green candied cherries
1/2 lb. whole red candied cherries
1 lb. raisins
1 lb. graham cracker crumbs

Melt the butter, marshmallows and evaporated milk in a pan on the stove over low to medium heat.  In a very large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients.  Add the melted marshmallow mixture.  Stir and mix well.  Press into a greased or foil lined 9X13" pan.  Press flat and freeze or refrigerate overnight.  Thaw a bit before slicing to make it easier.  Slice into 3 long sections or rows and slice each row into thin slices to serve.

**I've been using a little less butter over the past few years (perhaps 3 1/4 sticks instead of 4) and it's been perfectly fine.  Feel free to cut back a bit on the butter if you want to try it that way.  You can also change the amounts of the nuts, raisins and cherries, etc. I've used craisins some years, and doubled the red cherries and halved the green cherries, etc.  You can play with this recipe a bit.  

An easy way to press into the pan is to use a piece of plastic wrap on the top and then press or roll it flat.

Hundreds of Christmas Cookie Recipes - lists and photos and links... oh my!

Older post, re-posting for 2022!

For the past 12 years or so I think the average number of different recipes I make is somewhere around 24-26.  

 

 

I've been doing this for SO LONG that I don't really care to re-invent the lists and posts yet AGAIN. Seriously... I think this particular version of my site goes back to 2006.  Instead... I'll just cut and paste of the many lists I've made at some point in the past, as well a few random photos of goodies and links - no particular order or reason.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE JUST USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION ON THE PAGE OR CLICK ON THE CHRISTMAS OR COOKIE OR CAKE OR DESSERT LABELS.

December 1st:  Molasses Cookies
December 2nd:  Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
December 3rd:  Peppermint Pinwheels
December 4th:  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
December 5th:  Peppermint Teacakes
December 6th:  Peanut Butter Patties
December 7th:  Peanut Butter Fudge
December 8th:  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
December 9th:  Swedish Rosettes
December 10th:  Cream Wafer Cookies
December 11th:  Cherry Poppy Seed Winks
December 12th:  Peppermint Pretzels
December 13th:  Candy Pretzels
December 14th:  Homemade Truffles
December 15th:  Cream Horns
December 16th:  The Best Brownies
December 17th:  Red Velvet Cake Balls
December 18th:  Glazed Sugar Cookies
December 19th:  Gateau Bon Bons
December 20th:  No Bake Chocolate Bars
December 21st:  Peppermint Meltaways
December 22nd:  Melted Snowman Cookies
December 23rd: No Bake Fruitcake Bars
December 24th:  Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Cookies

 

 RANDOM LINKS FROM OVER THE YEARS......... 2006 - 2020

  

 

 

 

 

Baking Spirits Bright for 2022 - Christmas Cookies and Candies

 

Cookie Ideas and recipe links:   Baking Spirits Bright in 2022 

 

 

Christmas Goodies for 2022 - PLUS my almond chocolate truffle recipe

 

ALMOND TRUFFLES - so, my almond truffles have a creamy almond flavored center (no hard nut) and are a staple around our house for years and years.  It's funny that each time I post about them on my site I mention I should take some new photos, as I just usually use the ones I already have - like I did on the post about the truffles from 2018. (Truffle post link here)

But this year I DID take new photos!  OK - so I quickly snapped a couple on my cell phone.. and they suck but this site isn't about pretty photos - it's about the food.  :)

Creamy Almond Truffles

Almond Truffles

1/2 c evaporated milk
1/4 c sugar
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 t almond extract
1 c finely chopped toasted almonds
OR 1 cup melted chocolate almond bark for dipping (or extra chocolate chips)
and melted white almond bark for drizzling

Combine evaporated milk and sugar in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Boil 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in chips and almond extract, stirring gently until smooth. Chill mixture about 45 minutes until it can easily be shaped into balls. Roll into the crushed nuts or dip in melted chocolate. Drizzle or sprinkle with nuts if desired. Chill to harden quickly.

NOTES:  Normally I just do the typical truffle 'ball' shape. It's quick.  It's easy.  It's easy recognizable as a truffle.  But this year I mixed it up a little by making shapes.  Then, I realized I had some leftover royal icing in a decorator bag sitting right there on the counter from another cookie, so I grabbed it and topped them all with a dollop. 

They turned out really pretty and it's nice to do something different with them after all these years.  Same recipe - just played with the shapes. 

 

 You can see the truffles sitting behind this box of goodies...

Pinecone Cookies (Wooden Mold Pinecone Cookies)

Not a great photo - but I was taking it quickly on my phone while also playing 'superheroes' with a busy 2 year old toddler!  Ha ha.  I don't think it shows how detailed and realistic they really are!

 

It took some trial and error, some thinking, some patience.  In the end, I figured out what worked for me, and although these photos are from my 'first' trial run, this is a cookie that will now be made in triple batch so it can be an addition to our cookie trays and boxes this year.

NOTES:  Use your favorite gingerbread or chocolate cookie recipe.  I opted for a chocolate sugar cookie dough because no one in our family likes gingerbread.  (I make our 'gingerbread men' out of chocolate sugar cookie dough as well!)  A dry, non-sticky dough works best and using one with little or no baking powder or baking soda will help keep the details and edges on these cookies sharp.  You can also keep them nice and detailed by placing the baking sheet and cut-out cookies into the freezer for 10+ minutes before baking.  I did not do that for the cookies in these photos as this was my trial and error afternoon - first run.

Pinecone Cookies

1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 1/2 t vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
2/3 c cocoa
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
powdered sugar optional

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well.  Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Mix a nice dough similar to playdoh, not too sticky.  If it's too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour.  If it's too dry and crumbles, add a teaspoon or two of milk or water until it comes together.  Form 2 disks, place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Prepare your pinecone mold with cooking spray oil like Pam.  Dusting the mold with cocoa, flour, etc. does not help it come out easier and the best thing I found was to re-spray the mold every 2 or 3 cookies.  Press a piece of dough into your mold.  You can keep it thick or use a knife to cut/scrape the excess dough off the back.  Thunk it on a counter top a few times to get it to start to come loose from the mold, help it a bit with your finger or tip of a butter knife, but the best way to get it out is to thunk it a few more times on the counter as it makes its way out on its own.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Repeat to fill the sheet.  Place in the freezer 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350.  Bake about 12 minutes until done.  Remove to wire to cool completely.

To decorate with 'snow' hold the cookie up, vertically and use a sieve with powdered sugar in it to lightly shake back and forth over the cookie so it falls on it as if it were snow.  The edges of the pinecone sticking out is where the powdered sugar will gather - giving it a snow dusted look.

Serve or freeze until needed.  You can freeze them without the powdered sugar, and add that just before serving at a future date.

This is the pinecone mold