FROSTED PEANUT BUTTER CHIP SQUARES

FROSTED PEANUT BUTTER CHIP SQUARES

These are delightful at room temperature and great cold as well. They have slightly crunchy edges like you would expect when baking with sugar.  Sometimes squares are even nicer than cookies because they are so very easy to prepare - no fuss or bother!  Our lives are busy and few of us have time to fuss these days.  If you have friends coming over and you have a dozen other things to do, it's great if dessert can be simple and quick.  Talking about that I have friends coming over for supper tonight.  They are vegetarians, but I think they eat fish (does that make them pescaterians?), however, to be on the safe side I'll have plenty of veggie dishes and rice (they are not low-carbers) as well.  I made a white chocolate cheesecake with strawberry sauce and I have these squares and some chocolate chip blondies.  I'm all set!  It is rainy and cool on our mountain today again (been this way for a week now and it is our dry season!).  It's hard to believe that one gets such wintry weather in the tropics, however, it is very refreshing as the lowlands are almost always hot and humid.  I like to feel cozy at times too and cuddle up under a comforter at night or reach for a sweater during the day.  This morning I started my day with a square and a cup of hot tea.  Aaah, bliss!  :-)  I wish I always had something sweet in the house, but I try to pace myself , especially when I have a few pounds to drop.  Remember the old Weight Watchers Days?  Or just remember when we grew up (especially if you are a Baby Boomer), eating dessert was not considered dieting.  The neat thing with low-carbing is that our desserts typically can be eaten while dieting, but I would never suggest eating dessert every single day, unless you have a particularly easy time of losing weight or if you run or walk several miles a day (Ha! not for this older gal!).  Sweet treats may still call our name and encourage us to eat more calories as a result.  So keep desserts for once a week or a couple of times a month.  How great though that we can still have our low-carb, high-fat cake and eat it too!

A word about GELATIN:  I have not verified this personally, however, it is possible that if you get a cakey result as one person did with my Sour Cream Chocolate Chip bars instead of a denser product (which is what I like) that it is your gelatin.  Gelatin that you buy in the store is likely to do that, however, I've given the link of the gelatin that I buy in bulk (cheaper that way), that provides great results for me.

1¹/₄  cups Gluten-Free Bake Mix, (300 mL)

1 tsp baking powder (5 mL)

¹/₄  tsp salt (1 mL)

2 eggs

¹/₂  cup creamy peanut butter (125 mL)

¹/₃  cup butter, softened (75 mL)

Liquid sucralose to equal 3/4 cup (175 mL)

  granular sweetener equivalent

¹/₄  cup granulated erythritol (60 mL)

2¹/₄  tsp unflavored gelatin (11 mL)

1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)

1 cup sugar-free chocolate chips (250 mL)

Better than Bettty Frosting (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).  In medium bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix, baking powder and salt.

In food processor, process eggs.  Add peanut butter, butter, liquid sucralose, OR granular sweetener equivalent, erythritol, gelatin and vanilla extract.  Process 2 minutes.  Let it rest 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.  Add dry ingredients and process until well combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Spread evenly in greased 8-inch (20 cm) square cake pan. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until turning brown at the edges and cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool and frost with Better than Betty Frosting. Cut into squares.

Yield:  25 squares

1 square with/without frost.

132.5/113.7 calories

3.1/2.8 g protein

10.5/8.8 g fat

2.8/2.3 g net carbs

BETTER THAN BETTY FROSTING

This frosting is reminiscent of Betty Crocker^® Frosting, but I think it is nicer .

3 tbsp butter, melted (45 mL)

2 tbsp sugar-free pancake syrup (30 mL)

Liquid sucralose to equal ¹/₂  cup (125 mL)

  granular sweetener equivalent

¹/₄  cup powdered erythritol, sifted (60 mL)

¹/₄  cup whole milk powder (60 mL)

¹/₂  tsp cornstarch (2 mL)

In blender, combine butter, sugar-free pancake syrup, liquid sucralose, OR granular sweetener equivalent, powdered erythritol, whole milk powder and cornstarch.  Blend until smooth.  If it is too thick, add a tsp (5 mL) of water at a time and blend again.  If the frosting is too soft, let it sit for half an hour and it will thicken up.

Yield:  1 batch

1 batch

469.2 calories

8.8 g protein

43.1 g fat

13.5 g net carbs