Low Carb Christmas Pudding
The English Christmas pudding is kind of like fruitcake, but much more popular in its native island than fruitcake is here. I decided to make a low carb version, since the full sugar store bought variety did not appeal this year.
The ingredients are:
1/3 cup raisins chopped
1/2 cup crushed walnuts (mixed with pecans if desired)
1/3 cup unsweetened frozen cherries chopped and dried in the oven
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/8 cup ground hazelnuts
1 apple chopped fine
up to 1 cup unbleached rye flour
1/2 cup Xylitol (an alcohol sugar found in health food stores)
Sweet and Low packets to taste
Dash of port wine or sherry
Dash of brandy
2 eggs
1/8 cup beef fat or lard
Lots of powdered cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to taste
Dash of pepper, dash of salt
Combine all the ingredients except the eggs, beef fat and rye flour in a bowl. Beat the eggs and the beef fat or lard until smooth, add to the mixture and then add rye flour to the mixture until the batter is dense.
Turn into a deep ovenproof glass dish that will fit in your crockpot, cover with baking parchment and a layer of foil. The paper and foil should be tied neatly to the bowl to keep in the flavor (use butcher's twine). You can also tie a handle on the bowl, as you will have to lift it out of the crock pot, where it will cook on low for about 6 hours. Add water to come up to within 2 inches of the top of the bowl, cover and let the crock pot do its work. I've frozen my pudding and intend to defrost it in the refridgerator a few days before Christmas, at which point it will be fed brandy to keep it alive...
Serve in thin slices with hard sauce. Hard sauce can be made by mashing room temperature butter with sugar or your sweetener of choice, brandy, whiskey, and/or rum, and a dash of vanilla extract. Refridgerate before serving.
I don't know what the carb count is on this, but the fiber in the nuts, fruits and rye flour will lower it.
The English Christmas pudding is kind of like fruitcake, but much more popular in its native island than fruitcake is here. I decided to make a low carb version, since the full sugar store bought variety did not appeal this year.
The ingredients are:
1/3 cup raisins chopped
1/2 cup crushed walnuts (mixed with pecans if desired)
1/3 cup unsweetened frozen cherries chopped and dried in the oven
1/4 cup ground almonds
1/8 cup ground hazelnuts
1 apple chopped fine
up to 1 cup unbleached rye flour
1/2 cup Xylitol (an alcohol sugar found in health food stores)
Sweet and Low packets to taste
Dash of port wine or sherry
Dash of brandy
2 eggs
1/8 cup beef fat or lard
Lots of powdered cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to taste
Dash of pepper, dash of salt
Combine all the ingredients except the eggs, beef fat and rye flour in a bowl. Beat the eggs and the beef fat or lard until smooth, add to the mixture and then add rye flour to the mixture until the batter is dense.
Turn into a deep ovenproof glass dish that will fit in your crockpot, cover with baking parchment and a layer of foil. The paper and foil should be tied neatly to the bowl to keep in the flavor (use butcher's twine). You can also tie a handle on the bowl, as you will have to lift it out of the crock pot, where it will cook on low for about 6 hours. Add water to come up to within 2 inches of the top of the bowl, cover and let the crock pot do its work. I've frozen my pudding and intend to defrost it in the refridgerator a few days before Christmas, at which point it will be fed brandy to keep it alive...
Serve in thin slices with hard sauce. Hard sauce can be made by mashing room temperature butter with sugar or your sweetener of choice, brandy, whiskey, and/or rum, and a dash of vanilla extract. Refridgerate before serving.
I don't know what the carb count is on this, but the fiber in the nuts, fruits and rye flour will lower it.