sugarfree

Making homemade jam wasn’t my thing but I learned to make it because I wanted my family to enjoy my homemade bread with something fresh and clean. Clean meaning, no added refined sugar and preservatives. This is a very easy recipe that I use as a spread, as topping for my yogurt snack, add-on to my overnight oats for breakfast or even an addition to my homemade dairy-free ice cream. By the way, I tried this same recipe using blackberries and raspberries. You can use any kind of fresh OR FROZEN berries you have in handy, wherever you are 🙂

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Organic Blueberries
1 tsp. lemon zest
Juice of 1/2 of a small lemon
3-4 tbsp. of Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener (optional)
1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract
Pinch of Salt
2-3 pinches of Xantham Gum (optional)

Start by washing the blueberries. In a medium stainless steel sauce pan, place the blueberries and add the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Turn on the burner to medium high. Using a potato masher, gently smash the blueberries while it is starting to cook. Leave some berries tact for texture. When the mixture starts to boil, turn the burner to low then add the chia seeds.

Cook for 10-15 minutes, mixing a couple of times or so. Add the xanthan gum and continue to cook for 5 minutes. You can omit the xanthan gum because the chia seeds will help thicken the jam already.

The lemon will balances the sweetness. You can also omit the monk fruit when blueberries are in season and are naturally super sweet.

This is our go to jam. I put them in small 8 oz. jars. Each jar is only 165 calories. I hope you try and make this too. It’s one of my super easy recipes that I truly want to share to all of you. If you liked this recipe, please share it to your friends. Thanks!

I am an amateur when it comes to baking but I always want to try new things. Today, my eldest daughter home and is still on spring break. I thought it would be fun to make cookies with her so we can spend time together in my kitchen while creating fun time memories teaching her how to bake this very easy sugar-free recipe I learned from looking up different recipes online. Here’s how I made my own version:

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sifted All-purpose flour
1/4 cup Splenda (for baking)
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 sticks of unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 cup raw whole Almonds
1 tsp. Vanilla extract

First, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Then, using a coffee grinder (I use mine to grind rice for porridge for my baby) on percolator settings, grind the toasted almonds. In a big mixing bowl, start creaming the butter, sugar substitute and vanilla until creamy and fluffy.

Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture. Towards the end, add the ground almonds. The dough will be ready after everything is mixed well. Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

When dough is firm, roll it out about 1/4 inches thick onto a floured surface. You may create any shape that you like using a cookie cutter. Half of my dough, I made round drops of cookies then we put some sugar-free jam into the center of the cookie. My daughter made her own cookie shapes (hearts, stars and weird shapes I can’t even explain).

Before baking, place the shaped cookie dough in the freezer for another 5 minutes to make sure it retains its shape while baking.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Mine took about 18-20 minutes because I used a Silpat mat on my cookie sheet. You may use parchment paper to line your cookie sheet as well.

Cool in wire rack.

TOASTING RAW ALMONDS: Place the raw nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes under 350 degrees fahrenheit.

It’s crumbly and creamy and not too sweet. We love it!