Kate Johnson: Say hello to fall and goodbye to flour and sugar (recipe)

It is the time of year when cinnamon spice cakes and breads start to sound really alluring. Unfortunately, as I grow older I have become more aware of the effects of flour and sugar on my overall health.

Therefore, today I am sharing a recipe that I have enjoyed in past years, but I am including changes that I made to the recipe which produce a more modest effect on my blood sugar and, therefore, hopefully on my overall health.

I have begun to modify my favorite baked goods with a combination of almond and oat flour — usually 1:1 to what the recipe suggests for flour. Substitution of 100% almond flour results in zero carbohydrates, but added fat. Substitution of 100% oats results in zero added fat, but there will be some carbohydrates. These carbohydrates, however, are more heart and blood sugar friendly. I typically use 2/3 almond and 1/3 oat flour. Either of these can be made by grinding up yourself or they can be easily purchased at local grocery stores.

I have also started using dates as my go-to sweetener. Dates are a nice substitution to other sweeteners. They are packed with all kinds of good minerals and vitamins. They have a much more desirable glycemic index (approximately 30-40% lower than sugar), they have a rather high amount of fiber (also helping with blood sugar) and they have a rich, caramel like flavor. I substitute with either whole, pitted dates, date paste (made by adding whole, pitted dates and a small amount of water to a high-powered bullet blender), or date syrup. While date syrup is available at the grocery store, it tends to be pricy and also comes in a rather small container, therefore, I purchase mine on Amazon and I like the “Date Lady” product. Likewise, I prefer to purchase organic on regular dates and so I get those from Nuts.com. You will find that these products are more expensive, but I find that I do not overeat foods that do not have flour and sugar (unlike their counterparts), therefore, it ends up costing me less over time both to bake, but also in my overall health.

The cake in the photo was made with the following substitutions. I used date syrup because it was what I had on hand, therefore, I increased the dry ingredients by a 1/2 cup to even out the extra moisture. You could use regular date sugar and leave the dry ratio the same. This cake turned out perfect. It was darker than the original version, but it was so delicious. I sprinkled the top with a bit of crushed macadamia nuts (to look like powdered sugar). One further adjustment that can easily be made is to substitute the eggs for a flax seed/water combination to make the cake vegan. Regardless of which version you choose, you will not be disappointed when you sit down with a warm slice of this cake and a cup of hot coffee during this wonderful fall season we are having here in Carson City!

Substitutions:

3/4 date syrup

1/3 cup avocado oil

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup pecans

ground macadamia nuts sprinkled on top AFTER it came out of the oven

Apple Cake

Original Source: Love and Lemons

Serving: 8

Ingredients

3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1⁄3 cup neutral oil like canola or grapeseed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

2 small apples peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1⁄2 cup toasted walnuts chopped

1⁄2 teaspoon instant espresso powder optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the oil, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and espresso powder, if using. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.

Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth. Fold in apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining ¼-cup nuts over the cake.

Bake until puffed and golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes.

Kate Johnson is a long-time resident of Carson City. She is an avid gardener, cook, musician and lover of dogs.