My New Baking Master Mix and Chocolate Zucchini Crockpot Cake

Hi all. I promise I have not fallen off the planet. Closing the school is taking much more out of me than anticipated. Emotionally and physically, it has been tough. Tomorrow is my final day of moving out. Things that didn't sell, a few things I want to hold on to sell from home, and of course the things I can't bear to part with...Then will come the final clean up and turning in the keys. Ending my dream of three years has been really hard. I have to admit, time and interest in making up new recipes have been rare lately.

I did have a foray into the world of baking mixes. I saw that the girls over at Trim Healthy Mama came up with a new one. I was going to try it, but they were all sold out. I looked at the ingredient list and started playing around on my own. I began with little bitty batches, since some of these ingredients are a little pricey. I hit a winner early on. Then, when I ran out of a couple of ingredients, I ventured into a slightly altered recipe for a second version. I have to say, I love them both. I have no idea if my recipe performs similarly to the THM version, but I was developing my own recipes anyway.  So make your own, or buy theirs here. It might be back in stock.

What I love about this new baking mix, I now call it my Master Mix, is that it uses the best properties of the well known flour substitutes and combines them into something new. In doing so, we also avoid some of the not-so-favorite qualities. You know, the expense and calories of almond flour. The grassy taste of flax. The dryness of protein powder. The obvious coconut flavor of coconut flour. The cardboard texture of too much oat fiber. The possible tummy issues with psyllium husk. 

The synergy is amazing when all these ingredients balance out. Plus, some texture help in binding from the glucomannan and gelatin. Gelatin is also good for you. Just look at the nutrition stats here. A 1/4 cup serving is really huge! Many of my recipes would be about half that amount. That puts us in the low calorie range. Choose lower fat ingredients like egg white and yogurt to take that even farther, or go with whole eggs and more oil for a luxurious mouth feel to baked goods. Good either way. I am not afraid of fat, but as an older girl, I need to watch calories.

This recipe #2 is what I have chosen to use with breadlike recipes and darker cakes. It is a little sturdier than version #1. It is also cheaper than the other, using whey protein rather than the purer isolate, and regular flaxmeal over golden flax. I am now buying my coconut flour and  flaxmeal at Sam's club at great prices. Coconut oil as well. If you want both Master Mix recipes, you will need the June issue of the Diner News.

Master Baking Mix #2

1 1/2 cup coconut flour

1 1/4 cup oat fiber

3/4 cup almond flour

3/4 cup whey protein powder

1/2 cup flaxmeal

1/4 cup ground psyllium husk (be sure to grind this yourself, don't rely on the flaked as it comes in the can)

2 tbsp glucomannan

2 tbsp beef gelatin

Combine all ingredients in an air tight container.

18   - 1/4 cup servings  116 calories 2 net g carbs

Now what can  you do with this? Sub it in any Minute Muffin. Make lots of terrific baked goods. I am not so crazy about pie crusts or pizza crust, but I love the lightness for cakes. Even made in the microwave and crockpot.

Here is a recipe to get you started. It is perfect for June when you don't want to turn on the oven. Let the crockpot do the baking. I used my little crockpot. It was so easy!

Crockpot Zucchini Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup Master Mix (#2)

1/2 cup Erythritol blend sweetener (Natvia is what I used)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

Dash salt

1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk

1/4 cup liquid coconut or MCT oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and stir until no clumps remain. Stir in zucchini.

Oil a mini crockpot and sprinkle an additional tsp of master mix in the base. Shake and turn to distribute. Pour batter into crock. Bake on low setting for about 3 hours.. Check at the 2 1/2 hour mark. If center is still wet, up the heat to high for the last half hour.

Serves 6:  163 cal.  2.5 net carbs  14.5 g  fat

This is so moist and delicious. The texture is amazing, and you really can eat it like a snack cake with no frosting. I added a spoon of frozen whipped cream. Remember that hack from the May Diner News? The cake lasted us three days, with the last piece as yummy as the first.

If you want more recipes with my new Master Mix obsession, you can get them in the June issue of the Diner News. Here is a sampling of what you get.

Banana Chocolate Chippers

Blueberry Crumble

Italian Cheese Crackers

Short Time Strawberry Shortcake

Italian Cheese Rolls

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Cheeseburger Pie

Sausage Bread

Vanilla Minute Muffin

Cool Ranch Wannabes

Pepper Cheese Waffles

Peanut Butter Muffins

Low Cal Strawberry Pie

Sriracha Crackers 

See? I have been busy even if I have not been posting. Life is just crazy, crazy, crazy. In just a bit, I will get my summer break. And who knows what the future holds?

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