CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT RUM CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

My dear hubby and I were sitting at Panara Bread today enjoying the Chicken Cobb salad with Avocado, and I noticed he kept looking over at the sweets.  He said to me, "That carrot cake over there sure looks good."  I've been trying to convince him he needs to lay off the sugar and low carb with me, at least lower carb than what he has been.  We're dealing with a new diagnosis of "mild cognitive impairment" recently and I'm trying to convince him a ketogenic diet is what he needs.  His mother had Alzheimer's and though nothing showed up in his brain scan to show damage that would indicate Alzheimer's or a stroke, we're concerned enough to look for all the help we can with diet and supplements.  I'm reading an excellent book right now by Bruce Fife, MD, called Stop Alzheimer's Now! I highly recommend it for anyone worried about dementia or neurodegenerative diseases of any kind! 

So I told him I'd make him a carrot cake.  I never tried one before but this turned out really yummy.  And I also had a chance to try out my LC-Sweet Brown sugar substitute from LC Foods.  I'm finding it an excellent substitute for brown sugar.  This tasted like it was sweetened with sugar. It really went well with the Cheesecake Icecream I had made yesterday too! I'm sort of on a cream cheese roll.  Still having to use a lot of it up, which I find an enjoyable problem! 

CARROT CAKE WITH COCONUT RUM CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

4 egg whites
12 packets  Truvia, or 1/2 cup equivalent
1/4 cup  LC-Sweet Brown, (5 g carbs and 5 g fiber--carbs are all fiber, 18 cal.-  per serving)
1/4 cup  Swerve
1/4 cup  Greek Yogurt
3 tablespoons  coconut oil -- melted, or softened
1 teaspoon  vanilla
1/2 teaspoon  orange extract
2 cups  almond flour
2 teaspoons  baking powder
1 teaspoon  cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon  ginger
1/2 teaspoon  nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1 cup  carrots -- shredded
1/4 cup  HOT water

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 8 x 8-inch pan.

In large bowl, add egg whites, Truvia, LC Sweet Brown, Swerve, Greek Yogurt, coconut oil, vanilla, and orange extract.  With electric mixer beat until smooth and well blended.

Add almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Beat on low speed until well combined. Add carrots and hot water and continue mixing until well blended.

Pour into pan.  Bake about 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and frost with Coconut Rum Cream Cheese Frosting (below)

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8 Servings/Per Serving: 246 Calories; 19g Fat (66.2% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber

5 g net carbs

COCONUT RUM CREAM CHEESE FROSTING                    

3 ounces  philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese -- softened (less than 1 g carb per serving and less calories than regular cream cheese)
3 tablespoons  butter -- softened
1/3 cup  powdered sugar substitute -- (whatever your favorite)
1/2 teaspoon  rum extract
1/3 cup  unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons  coconut milk -- or cream--just enough for consistency

In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar substitute, and rum extract.  Beat until smooth and creamy. Add shredded coconut and coconut milk or cream, until it is a spreadable consistency, beating until smooth.

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8 Servings/Per Serving: 110 Calories; 10g Fat (75.2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber

NOTES : 1 g net carbs
Carbs are from my powdered sugar substitute which is a combination of splenda and xylitol and mostly fiber. You can use powdered Swerve or erythritol if you prefer or another sweetener of your choice. Nutrition counts will vary.

CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM

Well, there's just nothing better on a hot day than ice cream, and hot days are finally here in Minnesota.  Just a couple weeks ago we were all very chilly it seems and now we're sweating and eating ice cream.  I have lots of cream cheese so I decided the ice cream for tonight would be Cheesecake flavor.  And it certainly is very much like cheesecake.  I am a bit dissapointed in that it does not remain scoopable after sitting in the freezer.  It's best right out of the ice cream maker, which is the way I like it best anyway... sort of soft serve.  But if you have leftovers, just stick it in the microwave to soften it for a few minutes, or let it sit out on the counter while you are eating your dinner.  The flavor was not a dissapointment at all.  It was great!

This would have been great topped with strawberries or blueberries, but I didn't have any! Or you could swirl some berry jam into it at the end if you like.

CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM                    

8 ounces  philadelphia 1/3 less fat cream cheese -- (you can use full fat if you prefer but this is less than 1 g. carb per serving and less calories)
1 tablespoon  lemon juice -- (more if you want it more lemony)
7.6 ounces  Nestle Media Crema table cream -- (in the mexican section usually)
1 1/2 cups  almond milk, unsweetened -- vanilla flavor
1 teaspoon  Stevia and Monk fruit -- (EZ Sweetz brand) OR sweetener equivalent to 1 cup sugar

Make sure all ingredients are chilled and your ice cream freezer has been in the freezer for 24 hours.

In medium bowl, add cream cheese and lemon juice and beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Add Nestle table cream, vanilla almond milk, and monk fruit and beat until smooth and creamy scraping the sides.

Pour into ice cream maker and process according to manufacturers instructions.

Yield:
  "1 quart"
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Entire Recipe: 1197 Calories; 110g Fat (89.9% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

8 one half cup servings/Per serving: 150 Calories; 14g Fat (89.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber