Comfort food for cold spells

Comfort desserts
Of course, comfort food by definition tends to be starch-based, especially when it comes to desserts. Comfort food in the form of a dessert includes pastries, cookies, cakes, sugary hot puddings and so on. An excessive amount of starch is obviously to be avoided for a low-carber but, even so, it is possible to create very comforting desserts for cold winter evenings. The carb counts do tend to be a little higher than regular low-carb desserts, but if you can spare the carbs and are really in need of a treat, you can indulge in these recipes and know that you are avoiding the worst of starchy desserts and getting some extra protein (from the eggs, nuts and nut flour) and good fats (from the fresh butter, cream, eggs and nuts).

One of my favorite types of comfort food is a hot steamed pudding. Pudding is the generic word for dessert in England and a steamed pudding is usually a hot dessert which has a cake-like texture which is cooked by steaming over simmering water. The steaming takes a couple of hours, but once the pudding is set up steaming on the stove, it can be left to cook slowly, only checking the saucepan now and then to see that it doesn't boil dry.

Steamed puddings can be flavored with a wide range of choices from lower-carb ingredients such as low sugar or sugar-free chocolate, lemon, coffee, walnut, berries and vanilla.

The basic equipment required for steaming are quite simple and can be found in practically every kitchen cupboard. You will need a large saucepan, a metal colander, a 1-2 pint Pyrex bowl or a traditional ceramic pudding basin, aluminum foil and baking paper and some string or a sturdy elastic band to secure the paper and foil over the bowl or basin.

To steam a pudding, simply fill the saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of water and bring the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Place the prepared pudding in the colander, cover with a suitably-sized saucepan lid and place over the simmering water for the required amount of time. The only attention the pudding needs after this is a check every half an hour or so to see if the water needs topping up with boiling water to ensure it doesn't boil dry.

The customary ingredients for a traditional steamed pudding usually include the standard starchy ingredients -- flour and sugar -- together with "suet" as the fat element. Suet is widely available in Britain, and is a type of hard fat which is dried and sold in boxes. This contributes to the distinctive texture of a steamed pudding. However, it's perfectly acceptable to use butter instead and so the recipe ingredients below have been adjusted accordingly. As always, I like to replace the flour in a recipe with good old almond flour and the sugar element with Splenda. I also use Lindt Excellence 70% cocoa solids chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder in my chocolate recipes. Other than that, the ingredients can stay much the same as any regular dessert.

Steamed Chocolate Pudding
The combination of chocolate in a hot dessert is undeniably a comfort food favorite. This recipe is very dark and rich, and a small serving is more than sufficient.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (slightly softened)
6 tablespoons Splenda
1 cup almond flour
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ounce unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs, beaten
2 ounces chocolate (chopped) from a 3.5 oz bar of Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Chocolate, (this chocolate does contain some sugar but is sold on many low-carb store web sites)

Directions:
1. Grease a 2-pint Pyrex bowl or ceramic pudding basin with butter. Have a large saucepan with about 3 inches of water simmering on the stove, and a metal colander with a close-fitting saucepan lid to place over the saucepan.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter and Splenda until light and fluffy. In a smaller bowl, mix the almond flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together and then alternately add to the butter mixture with the beaten egg, beating well between each addition.

3. Finally, stir in half the chopped chocolate. Place the remaining chips in the base of the Pyrex bowl or pudding basin and add the mixture on top. The bowl will only be about half full, but this allows plenty of space for the pudding to expand during cooking.

4. Cover the Pyrex bowl with a large piece of greaseproof paper so that the paper covers the bowl like a lid, and then with a similar sized piece of aluminum foil, securing the foil and paper around the outside of the bowl with string or a sturdy elastic band.

5. Place the prepared Pyrex bowl into the colander and place the colander over the saucepan of simmering water. Put the saucepan lid on the top and leave to steam for 2 hours. Check the water now and again to make sure it doesn't boil dry -- it may need topping up with boiling water.

6. After 2 hours, remove the colander from the heat and take off the aluminum foil and paper. Slide a knife around the edge to loosen the pudding and turn out onto a warm plate. If any of the chocolate sticks to the bottom of the bowl, spoon it out onto the top of the pudding. Serve with Chocolate Custard, Vanilla Custard (see below) or cream.

Serves 6.

Per serving: 12g carbohydrates; 6g fiber; 11g protein; 38g fat; 110mg cholesterol; 230mg sodium; 430 calories

Baked Coffee and Walnut Pudding
This recipe is baked in the oven, but served hot with your choice of custard or heavy cream. I prefer it with Vanilla Custard, but Chocolate Custard would also be lovely with this recipe. The recipe tastes best with the addition of golden raisins, but if this pushes the carb count too high for you, or your plan does not allow dried fruit at this stage, you can omit them.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup Splenda
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a shallow 1 pint baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and Splenda together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and coffee mixture gradually, beating thoroughly after each addition. Don't be concerned if the mixture looks a bit lumpy at this stage. Add the almond flour and baking powder and mix well. Stir in the walnuts and optional golden raisins.

3. Turn the mixture into the prepared baking dish, smooth the top and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Serve with hot custard or cream.

Serves 6.

Per serving: 15g carbohydrates; 6g fiber; 11g protein; 41g fat; 75mg cholesterol; 210mg sodium; 470 calories

Low Carb Custard
Hot custard on hot "puddings" on a cold winter's day in Britain is about as traditional as it gets! This is true comfort food. For Chocolate Custard, simply add 1 ounce of chocolate to the cream as it is heating. For Vanilla Custard, leave out the chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1 ounce chocolate from a 3.5 oz bar of Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Chocolate (optional - for Chocolate Custard)
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat the cream (and chocolate, if required) gently in a small pan. Whisk the egg yolks, Splenda and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until smooth. When the cream is just coming to the boil, pour it into the egg mixture and whisk well. Return the mixture to the pan and heat again for another minute or so, whisking all the time until the mixture thickens. Be careful not to overcook or the mixture will curdle! Pour immediately over any hot or cold dessert and enjoy!

Serves 4.

Per serving (chocolate): 4g carbohydrates; 0g fiber; 3g protein; 27g fat; 235mg cholesterol; 30mg sodium; 270 calories

Per serving (vanilla): 3g carbohydrates; 0g fiber; 3g protein; 25g fat; 235mg cholesterol; 30mg sodium; 250 calories