Biscuits? I might not need them after all.

[lrw60]

The subject field says it all really. Some years back I believed that I was addicted to chocolate. I had to have a regular chocolate fix. When I started a diet 2 years ago I stayed away from large amounts of chocolate and started to buy the smallest bar of choc for kids, the Freddo. I can't remember the last time I had one, I don't need chocolate now. But biscuits. My downfall. I did believe they had to play a large part in my life. A little disc of comfort, and in the past, with a layer of chocolate. I managed to give up the chocolate ones, but the others wanted to be my best friend so much. It is now over a week since I last had a biscuit. There have been times when I nearly gave in, I wanted that comfort. Now I don't feel that I need them. Something has changed, something has, hopefully, gone out of my system. And as for the comfort thing, after the awfull time I had today I had plenty of reasons of hitting the bikkie tin. I didn't. One more way of really trying to lower my carb intake. I don't think I will ever get it as low as some of the 'pros' becuase of being nearly a vegan.
I can't be alone in this thirst for comfort food. In the past thinking about eating a biscuit caused a sever pain in the far corners of my jaw. Sometimes eating biscuits did the same thing and even just walking down the bikkie aisle in a supermarket! What gives there!?!?
Right, what can I give up next? I fell empowered!
Lee.

 

[SamJB]

I think macaroons are made from ground almonds so are low carb. Never made them myself, presumably you could put some Splenda in instead of sugar.

I'd definitely like to hear if anyone has any LC biscuit recipes!

 

[Yorksman]

I used to eat a lot of biscuits. They were a quick and easy snack requiring no preparation and had some crunch. Sometimes you just need that bite. It wasn't just the sweetness because sometimes the crunch, the bite was to be had from crisps or twiglets or several other snacks including toast. Now I always sit down and make a meal out of a snack. Even if I am eating an apple or a pear. Out comes a plate and a small sharp knife and I cut it into sections and eat them as I go along. For biscuit substitutes my favourite are Lidl's sesame seed wholegrain rye crispbreads. They are a lighter bite than ryvita and crunchier. The seseame seeds are baked in too. Favourite toppings are sardine paste, very thinly sliced cheese with thinly sliced pickled onion or bovril. I have not eaten a biscuit since. I think I have kicked the need for sweet but I do need crunch from time to time. This satisfies it. Occasionally, for a tougher bite and if I have some in, pork scratchings. Bite, crunch and strong taste all in one. But, full of fat and cals, so to be limited, at least for me.

 

[lrw60]

It was the effect of biscuits that got me dianosed as a diabetic. I had gone to the doctor because I had an ear infection. He examined me and said it was clearing up by itself, was there anything else he could help with? I took the plunge and told him that whenever I ate half a pack of chocolate biscuits I would end up in a semi-coma on the sofa. He laughed and actually wrote those words on his notepad. Then the potential of the seriousness made him suggest a bloodtest. The results showed I was borderline diabetic. It was downhill from there, but even being diabetic didn't stop me eating biscuits.
I would like to try making my own biscuit using Clare87s pastry recipy with soya flour and sugar substitute, no chocolate of course, but what about carob? If I did make some of these biscuits I would be concerned that my addiction would return and I would start hitting the hard stuff again. There is a chocolate digestive somewhere with my name on it.
Lee.
Still bikkie free, 9 days and counting.

 

[Yorksman]

If I did make some of these biscuits I would be concerned that my addiction would return and I would start hitting the hard stuff again. There is a chocolate digestive somewhere with my name on it.
Lee.
Still bikkie free, 9 days and counting.

I was the same and could polish off half a packet without problem. Same with boiled sweets. I have always had a sweet tooth but it really took off when I gave up smoking. Consequently, I am not keen on 'substitutes' and I try to discover safer alternatives. I think with biscuits you want the crunch, you like the convenience of no preparation or effort and then you get addicted to the sugar. It becomes very easy. You can get over it though.

 

[SandieB]

I haven't got any specifics to hand, but I would suggest a google search for low carb recipes if you want to make your own.. I regularly read 2 or 3 blogs devoted to low carb cookery and there is a wealth of ways make biscuits or cookies. Substituting ground almonds for the flour is one way, and using artificial sweeteners. Coconut flour is becoming quite the in thing as well. Making oat cookies will also make your biscuits low GI as well.
Let me know if you want more info and I will let you have some links to sites that I use.

 

[lrw60]

Thanks to all for the suggestions and to you Yorksman for your tales of biscuits. I could eat chocolate biscuits dry, all other biscuits had to be eaten with a cup of tea. I even used to dunk them in strawberry milkshake! After giving it a lot of soul-searching, I have decided not to make my own biscuits, but to try to give them up completely. So, thank you SandieB, I won't ask for the address of the low carb web sites in case I get started again. But, I will be making a fruit crumble using the soya flour recipy to give me the topping, maybe with ground nuts sprinkled on rather than sugar. I will use rhubarb from the garden and cooking apples from Morrisons. So am I just making a giant biscuit with some fruit under it?
Lee.

 

[Yorksman]

But, I will be making a fruit crumble using the soya flour recipy to give me the topping, maybe with ground nuts sprinkled on rather than sugar. I will use rhubarb from the garden and cooking apples from Morrisons. So am I just making a giant biscuit with some fruit under it?

That sounds pretty good to me. The topping should work well with soya flour, let us know how it works out. There are lots of recipes on the web for a low carb vanilla or custard sauce. I live on the edge of the rhubarb triangle and I don't eat enough of it. Together with gooseberries, it is a favourite of mine.

 

[destiny0321]

I have just started bank holiday Monday having the odd sugar free biscuit like you biscuit mad as well as sweet mad also just started with diabetic sweets occaisionally have should come with warning to many as you sat on the toilet which is good in a way as you are limited with them 1or 2 a night no problem.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Andy12345]

Coconut macaroons are very easy to make. They have only four ingredients, mix up easily, and require only 15 minutes to cook. The only trick, especially when not using sugar (which attracts moisture), is keeping them from being too dry. Here's how I do it.

Ingredients:
•2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
•4 egg whites from large eggs (should be about ½ cup)
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1 cup sugar substitute (I like liquid forms of Splenda, with zero carbs)
•about 2 Tablespoons water

Preparation:

1) Heat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with either parchment paper on a silicone mat.
2) Measure egg whites. If they aren't quite ½ cup, add a little water to reach that level. Then add the vanilla, liquid sweetener if using, and water so that sweetener and water together equal 2 Tablespoons.

3) If using powdered sweetener, mix in with unsweetened coconut.

4) Mix dry and wet ingredients together. The mixture should just hold together. Let set a minute or two and you'll be able to mold them better.

5) Roll into balls a little bigger than an inch in diameter. Slightly flatten and put on baking sheet (whatever shape you put them in is how they will stay, so this is your chance). Put at least half an inch apart.

6) Turn down the oven to 325 F, and bake for about 15 minutes, but start checking them a couple of minutes before. You want them golden brown on the bottom, and just barely starting to brown on top (though if you like them a little crispier, bake a couple of minutes longer).

Makes about 14 cookies, but yield will vary based on size of the cookies.

Nutritional Information: Each cookie has 1 gram effective carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, and 76 calories.


i found this at
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desser ... aroons.htm

 

[lrw60]

I tried making the crumble tonight and I have to admit total faiure. No crumble to speak of, more slightly singed talc. I made the recipe thus: 60g soya flour, 30g ground almond, 20g diced butter all mixed up as in the pasty recipe. It seemed a bit dry but it was my first attempt at this sort of thing. I picked some rhubarb and diced it into 25mm bits, a cooking apple peeled and sliced was added to a shallow glass dish along withthe rhubarb and 3 tea spoons of sugar subst. Very dry looking topping was then added and the whole put in an oven for 30 mins at 180c (fan oven) It looked great and didn't taste too bad, it might not have needed the sweetner as it was fairly sweet. But there was no sign of a crusty crumble topping it was still quite powdery and the powder quickly mixed in with the fruit and turned into sludge. I would like to know what I did wrong as I hate admitting defeat. But it might just be that I aint no pastry chef. I did pour some cream on it which certainly didn't help its solidity! I am also trying to give up custard too, so maybe next time I try to make it I will also try to make a low carb custard. Any ideas?
Lee.

 

[SamJB]

Irw60, Yorksman and Andy, there are some great ideas there can't wait to try them! For tonight though I'm having a two course pudding: sugar free jelly and cream and some 85% dark chocolate!

 

[Yorksman]

I have just started bank holiday Monday having the odd sugar free biscuit like you biscuit mad as well as sweet mad also just started with diabetic sweets occaisionally have should come with warning to many as you sat on the toilet which is good in a way as you are limited with them 1or 2 a night no problem.

Non digestible carbs The sweetener truvia conatins 99g of carbs per 100g but they are non digestible. An old sweetener called sorbitol, often used in sweets, has a laxative effect because it draws water into the large intestine which in turn stimulates bowel movements. It really is the stuff of comedy sketches.

 

[Yorksman]

some 85% dark chocolate!

The dark chocolate is something I am getting used to. I don't each much but kowing there is some around and a little won't cause any problems is quite handy. I am sure that taste buds can be trained to accept new foods.

 

[SamJB]

It's definitely not as good as milk chocolate, but its better than no chocolate!

 

[Yorksman]

I tried making the crumble tonight and I have to admit total faiure. No crumble to speak of, more slightly singed talc. I made the recipe thus: 60g soya flour, 30g ground almond, 20g diced butter all mixed up as in the pasty recipe. It seemed a bit dry but it was my first attempt at this sort of thing.

A typical crumble mix would be something like 1 part butter, 1 part sugar and two parts flour so in your mix above, you need to use about 50 g butter. You mix the butter and flour together to get something like a breadcrumb feel. Then you add the sugar, or sweetener in our case.

I'd do the fruit separately to begin with, part cooked and allowed to cool. You should be able to then concentrate on the crumble when it is in the oven. To begin with you'll probably overcook the rhubard so it will fall to pieces, but it still tastes nice.

 

[lrw60]

As I was doing the crossword with Lorna last night we discussed my failed crumble and it occured to me that by adding the ground almond I had made the mix far too dry. I looked at Lorna's recipe for crumble and it was as you say 50%. I think there is enough rhubarb in the garden for one more little crumble. I have an apple from Morrisons to use and I will leave out the sweetner. I should be making it about 4ish this afternoon. I still have to eat my main meal that early as I spent years as a diabetic not able to get past that time of day without food. It does make for a long evening, but I got back into the garden after my meal and did some digging. Lorna doesn't believe I can make custard without using egg. I pointed out that Mr. Bird has done that for 100 years. I might have a go if I can make the crumble work.
SamJB. Dark chocolate? Fill me in dear boy, you interest me strangely.
Lee

 

[smudgee]

I buy dark chocolate whip a little double cream, melt the chocolate and mix together, pop in the fridge and hey presto a lovely chocolate mousse, the cream makes the chocolate less bitter, you only need a very small amount for a very rich yummy desert.

 

[lrw60]

My second attempt at a crumble was a bit better than the first, but only just. This time I made a smaller crumble (not enough rhubarb sprouting at the moment) 40g soya flour, 13g ground almod, 25g butter. All mixed up as per pasty instructions and it made a very convincing mix, much better than my first try. I pre-cooked the rhubarb and apple for 5 mins in a little water. The fruit was placen in a small glass dish and the crumble mix poured on top and slightly firmed down, not too much pressure. The dish was put into a pre-heated oven at 200c for 30 mins. It all looked fine when I took it out, but the mix still lacked any body, very powdery. I didn't use any sugar substitute this time and it didn't need any I felt. Ah well, plenty of flour left in the bag, I just need to let a bit more rhubarb grow before trying again! I will copy these thought and post them on to the low carb recipe forum to see if anyone can help.
Lee.

 

[Andy12345]

did someone say jelly?.... yes tastes can change for sure, the first time i tried the 85% chocolate i spat it out..... now im like a wine taster, i savour each suck