Low Carb Easter Hot Cross Bun Cookies

So, just in time for Easter this Sunday, I am giving you my recipe for low carb Hot Cross Bun Cookies!

They're REALLY yummy - flavoured with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange. I do put raisins in them, but ofcourse raisins are actually full of (natural) sugars, so leave these out if you want to keep the carbs low.

Here's a video of how to make the cookies:

And here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

 
120g butter

22g Splenda
1 tsp manuka honey (optional)
100g Carbalose flour
40g ground almonds
20g soya flour
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
zest of an orange

zest of a lemon
juice of half an orange
1 egg
100g mixed raisins (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350 °F/ Gas Mark 4.

First, mix together the Carbalose flour, ground almonds, soya flour and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, the butter and Splenda. Add the egg and a couple of tablespoons of the flour mixture. Then fold in the spices, raisins, vanilla, juice and zest, of the orange, and the rest of the flour Roll into balls and then press down to make cookies—making about 10 large cookies.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

In my opinion, they taste best warm (or even toasted)—cut in half, with butter—as you would with a Hot Cross Bun. They also taste great with sugar-free jam and cream, like a scone!

CARB COUNT

For the whole batch, without raisins we have 22 carbs and 1152 calories, and with raisins we have 93 carbs and 1456 calories.  So for 10 cookies, without raisins, each one has 115.2 calories and 2.2 carbs.

A Joyrich Elegant Affair

 

Joyrich Elegant Affair Dress

As the sun decided to come out for another Spring day in Brighton, I decided to go for a picnic at the park near where I live - the picturesque St Ann's Well Gardens.

 

To reflect the warm, sunny feeling, and because I've been looking for any excuse to wear it, I decided to wear my new Joyrich "Elegant Affair" Dress (from ASOS).

 

However, though the sun was out, I must say I was absolutely freezing!!

Joyrich Elegant Affair dress, Boots from Topshop

Here are some low carb picnic ideas:

Carrot and cucumber sticks with houmus,
Swedish meatballs,
Cheese,
Frankfurters,
Salads,
Crustless quiches,
Savoury cheesecakes (and sweet too!),
Ham rolled around blocks of cheese,
Cold meats,
Pepperoni,
Olives and other antipasti,
Use lettuce instead of bread to make wraps!
Coleslaw, cottage cheese,
Jelly,
Strawberries and cream,
Nuts
Avocado coleslaw - recipe here thanks to Diets in Review.

Post any other suggestions you can think of in the comments box! I'd love to hear them.