Low-Carb Cocoa and Cookies - Comfort Food Without the Carbs

Who doesn't love warm-from-the-oven cookies and a cup of cocoa on a chilly day? When I began eating low carb foods, I missed this comforting combination. But there's no reason to go without sweet treats when sugar and flour are off-limits. All it takes is a little substitution to bring back childhood memories without cheating.

I love my hot cocoa recipe. It reminds me of the cocoa my father used to make in the winter. He would stand over a saucepan and fill the whole house with the wonderful sweetness of his special blend. Now that I'm an adult, I love to immerse myself in a cup of this rich, uniquely spiced drink.

I'll be honest... As a child, I would run to the kitchen at the smell of chocolate chips. But as I've aged and my tastes have changed, I'm partial to plain sugar and peanut butter cookies. The flax cookie recipe I'm sharing below has an incredibly pure peanut butter flavor. The cookies store well at room temperature. Of course in my home they never last long. With their chewy centers and crisp edges, they appeal to the whole family. Don't be surprised to find your spouse or children sneaking one or two.

Make sure that the peanut butter you've chosen has no added sugar, and that your sweetener can be substituted for sugar in baking in the same quantity. Concentrated sweeteners, such as those sold in packets, are not appropriate. If you need to reuse your cookie sheet to finish baking your batch of cookies, reduce the baking time by one minute. This ensures that your cookies won't over-bake on the pre-heated sheet.

I know that you'll soon find yourself settling into a good book or a favorite film with these delicious, low carb treats.

Low Carb Cocoa

2T dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
2 packets sucralose sweetener
1tsp vanilla
Pinch cinnamon
1-2T heavy cream, optional

Heat 6-8oz water in a coffee mug. In another mug, combine cocoa, sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Add hot water and stir until combined. If desired, add cream and stir well.

One mug of cocoa without cream has one gram of net carbs. Adding cream makes a treat with 2 grams of net carbs.

Peanut Butter Flax Cookies

1 ¼ c flax meal
1 ¼ c sucralose sweetener
2 eggs
1-2 tsp vanilla
2 T butter
1 c natural peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well. Form into 88 balls, about the size of the tip of your thumb. Place on ungreased baking sheets and flatten with a fork, leaving space between the cookies. Bake 7 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool.

Each serving, 3 cookies, have one gram of net carbs.