MAPLE WALNUT BARS



I love this easy recipe! I actually didn’t have maple extract, so used butterscotch extract with the walnut bars. If any of you have some leftover Splendid Low-Carb Bake Mix, this fits the bill nicely. I also use leftover bake mixes for breading meat or veggies such as eggplant and instead of bread crumbs in meat loaves and hamburgers. Usually I just keep using up my leftover bake mixes and adding to them as required. They keep for an age in the freezer.


2 eggs
1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil
1/2 cup SPLENDA® Granular
1/4 cup powdered erythritol
1 tsp maple, OR butterscotch extract
3/4 cup Splendid Low-carb Bake Mix (see recipes)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ to ½ tsp salt
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
¾ cup sugarless chocolate chips, OR use 70% Lindt bar, chopped

In food processor, process eggs well. Add olive oil, SPLENDA® Granular, powdered erythritol and maple or butterscotch extract; process. Next add Splendid Low-Carb Bake Mix, baking powder and salt; process. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. Spread out in greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 18 to 25 minutes.

Helpful Hints: 1/3 cup raisins snipped in half may be used instead of chocolate chips or use a combination. One could potentially use chopped pecans for a variation: Butter Pecan Bars (use butterscotch extract). The amount of olive oil is necessary, believe it or not, for more moist bars.



Yield:  24 bars
1 serving
120.0 calories
3.3 g protein
10.2 g fat
1.6 g carbs


SPLENDID LOW-CARB BAKE MIX™
This tasty bake mix guarantees a low-carb result in your baking. Regular sugar and white flour recipes will have carbs reduced by about 75% to 85% or more, if Low-Carb Bake Mix is substituted for white flour and SPLENDA® Granular is used to substitute for sugar and high-carb dairy is changed to low-carb, etc.

1 2/3 cups ground almonds (400 mL)
2/3 cup vanilla whey protein* (150 mL)
2/3 cup vital wheat gluten (150 mL)

In large bowl, combine ground almonds, vanilla whey protein and vital wheat gluten. Use a large wooden spoon to stir and mix well. Store in a closed container at room temperature. Shake container to ensure ingredients are combined well.

Yield:
1/3 cup (75 mL) per serving
162.9 calories
14.3 g protein
10.3 g fat
3.3 g carbs

To use this bake mix: For every cup of flour in your recipe, replace with l cup (250 mL) of Low-Carb Bake Mix, PLUS 2 tbsp (25 mL). The aforementioned rules apply also to replacing any of the Ultimate Bake Mixes from my previous cookbooks (which are a cup-for-cup substitution for all-purpose flour) as well as Vital Ultimate Bake Mixes with this bake mix.

Once again, always add liquid cautiously to your own recipes that you wish to de-carb. Sometimes as much as 1/2 cup (125 mL) less wet ingredients (this includes ingredients such as butter, olive oil, applesauce, pumpkin, water, yogurt, sour cream, cream, etc.) will be required. Typically, most of the time, it is 1/4 cup (50 mL) wet ingredients that will need to be omitted from your regular recipe.

Helpful Hints: *If the application for this bake mix is for savory baking, it is possible to replace vanilla whey protein powder with natural whey protein powder, if desired.

Ground hazelnuts or walnuts may be used instead. This bake mix is useful for piecrusts, muffins, loaves, many cakes, cookies and squares, some cooking applications, and it guarantees lower carbs as well.