Thread: Baking Chemistry?

Does anyone know of a link or website or book that would explain baking chemistry and starting points to convert conventional baking recipes to lower carb? I saw the fudge recipe, and will try that. Many ingredients in cookies are OK -- butter, eggs, nuts, etc. I guess I am looking for a suitable cup per cup substitute for flour, powdered sugar and brown sugar. Is this totally impossible?

I am new to this woe and have not experimented yet. I am planning ahead to Christmas!

Many thanks,

Alida,
I don't know of any one source that will give you all that information. I have tried recipes from different sites, and usually they are from a number of sources and the results vary widely. I try to use recipes that others here recommend (check the recipe database); I may tweak them a bit, but usually they get recommended 'cause they work, so I have a good base to start from.
I DO know that if you want recipes for baked treats that work, are delicious and are easy to make, check out Sharron's cookbooks. She has lots of things (lc caramels, lemon bars, sweet breads, and the closest thing to "real" cookies I have ever come across) that would be great for the holidays. Her latest book is available on Amazon.com, and I think she has some copies of her first book, too.
Oh, Sharron...

Good advice from Trina

As for finding a good sub for four, brown sugar, etc., yes, it's basically impossible. That doesn't mean you won't find some good recipes that taste wonderful and fill that "baking void" around the holidays but, flour and sugar provide a NECESSARY component in the structure and texture of the final baked product so when you remove them, you will end up with something different than the original.

In general, lc baked goods often end up heavier and denser than normal stuff because the flours we often use (such as almond flour, pecan flour, etc.) are quite heavy and don't rise quite like normal flour does.

I have a couple of recipes that I think turn out quite well if you'd like to try them.

The instructions look long on this one but it's just me being wordy! It's really pretty quick and simple.

MARCIE'S CLASSIC TIRAMISU

Cake Portion:

1/4 C sweet butter
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 1/2 C pecan flour
1/3 C Splenda
2 Eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Mix completely. Add pecan flour and Splenda. Mix thoroughly.

Spread batter as evenly as possible on a well-greased baking sheet (a silicon Silpat pad is even better) in a thin layer a little more than an 1/8" thick.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until completely baked through. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling:

2 oz. strong, strong coffee (espresso is best)
6-8 oz. mascarpone (or cream cheese)
Sweetener of your choice (I use sf french vanilla syrup)
Whipped cream
Cocoa powder

To assemble tiramisu:

Cut cake into squares about 3" x 3" - you'll need 3 for each tiramisu. Mix mascarpone with sweetener until it is at the desired sweetness. I usually make mine pretty sweet because it compliments the less sweet cake squares.

Place one square on serving dish. Pour espresso over entire surface but don't soak it too much. Use an eye dropper or pastry brush. Make sure it has enough for flavor but not enough to cause it to go soggy. Spread some of the mascarpone mixture over the cake square and repeat. You should have 3 layers of cake and two layers of mascarpone. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cocoa powder. This should yield 2 servings with possibly a little cake leftover.

Many traditional recipes include some type of liqueur often mixed with the espresso or the filling. I choose to leave it out but feel free to get creative. You could also flavor the mascarpone with various sf syrups and use fresh fruit instead of the espresso. Generally, the cake should be soften by some liquid. That's part of the texture of the dessert. If you omit the espresso, you can use a sf syrup or (if you're really splurging) a favorite liqueur.


Triple "C" Torte (Chewy Chocolate Coconut Torte)

1 lb softened cream cheese
1 C coconut flour (fine grain used for macaroons)
1 C Splenda (pourable)
3 oz. sweet butter
2 eggs
1/2 C pecan flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted through a fine mesh strainer)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add Splenda, vanilla, and salt - mix thoroughly. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add coconut and pecan flour and mix until well incorporated. Lastly, add cocoa powder and mix well.

Butter a 9" cake pan, pour, and bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. Check after 45 minutes. You don't want to overbake this cake. Insert a toothpick until it comes out MOSTLY clean. It's o.k. to take it out a little short. It will finish baking in it's own heat.

Let it cool for 30 minutes and then turn out onto a plate and chill. 1/8 of cake is approx. 8.75 g ECC. Not counting toppings.

It can be frosted with a flavored cream cheese frosting, served warm like a flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream, or made into a brownie sundae and topped with ice cream, various sauces and nuts.

This comes out moist/chewy and dense. Kind of like a brownie.

Good luck!

I had a hunch my quest to LC my existing recipes would not work. :( I'll buy Sharon's book!

Thank you for your recipes. Greatly appreciated!

I read somewhere that a basic flour substitute could be 4 parts whey protein powder, 1 part oat flour, and 2 T gluten. Does this sound reasonable?

This is one of the best flour subs I've tried so far, Ultimate Oat Bake Mix, Splendid Low-carbing for Life, Vol. 1, by Jennifer Eloff

But you have to remember that these are not going to taste just like the ones you make with flour and sugar, but over time you will get where you prefer the taste of low carb baked goods because it will be what your used to.

Ultimate Oat Bake Mix, Splendid Low-carbing for Life, Vol. 1, by Jennifer Eloff
Bake mix:
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oat flour
2/3 cup whey protein powder (I had vanilla)
6 tbsp vital wheat gluten
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blueberry Muffins

1 3/4 cups bake mix = 41.3 carbs
1 cup blueberries = 20
1/2 cup splenda = 12 carbs
2 1/2 tsp baking powder = 0
3/4 tsp salt = 0
1 egg = .6
1/3 cup oil = 0
3/4 cup buttermilk = 3 carbs(according to Dana Carpender's book- 500 Low Carb Recipes)

This makes 12 muffins at 6.4 carbs each.

http://lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showth...eberry+Muffins

Betty,

Thanks for the recipe. The bake mix was what I was looking for -- some formula that approximates flour. Once I get Sharron's book, I'll make all this wonderful stuff and get a feel for the textures. I do know it won't be the same, but if it tastes somewhat similar to what I usually bake, I will still feel like it's Christmas. Plus all the relatives will get a bonus this year . . . no sugar!

Betty is 100% right, don't expect the texture you're used to. But, as long as you know that GOING IN then you shouldn't be disappointed. There are plenty of good-tasting lc baked items, they just don't taste EXACTLY like the sugar cookie or chocolate cake we grew up with.

Another great cookie for lc is macaroons. Since they are mostly coconut flour and egg whites they're texture and flavor holds up VERY well to lc-ing.

Jen111-
I'm really sorry, I got this recipe off the internet and had no idea that it was copyrighted.

I'll find the site where I found it and post a link to it.

Here it is

http://lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/showth...eberry+Muffins

Ultimate Oat Bake Mix, page 67, Splendid Low-carbing for Life, Vol. 1, by Jennifer Eloff Publisher : We are the publishers (Eureka Publishing)
(c) October 2003 (A cup-for-cup substitution for white flour)
1 cup almond flour
1 cup oat flour
2/3 cup natural or vanilla whey protein powder
6 tbsp vital wheat gluten

This is the formula for my Oat Ultimate Bake Mix. Use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup less liquid in the recipe, where you're using this bake mix instead of white flour.

www.low-carb.us


Sharron, I'll write to you for sure. It's so nice to meet you! I love your cookbook and your writing style and really like that you mention God in your cookbook. I have not seen the other cookbook yet. I live in Canada by the way. I think us authors should be supportive of each other though. There is room for everyone and truly we need even more good low-carb cookbooks out there.