Low-carb Ginger Crunch (THM S recipe)

Ginger crunch is one of those foods I always make a bee-line for. There's just something about the sharp, sweet tang of the ginger that calls to me. Yet I know I need to make better choices for my body, because my sugar addiction has been rearing its ugly head a lot lately... and I've been caving far too often.

Honestly, I don't feel great, healthwise. And I've started to worry, what if I'm not around for my kids as they grow up?

I need an arsenal of food I can turn to that will satisfy my sugar cravings, without actually feeding sugar to my body.

Enter: Low-carb Ginger Crunch.

I warn you now, this is not one of those recipes you can whip up with ingredients you already have in your pantry - our old staples of flour and sugar are exactly what this recipe is trying to avoid.

You're going to need to invest in specialty ingredients if, like me, you want to enjoy baking that's not going to spike your blood sugar levels and wreck your waist-line.

I bought a 3 pound bag of the Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend earlier this year, and that's what I've used in place of flour in this recipe. You can buy the Baking Blend from the Trim Healthy Mama webstore, or, if you're in New Zealand, from Lenabosa Farms (although I just checked and they're out of stock at the moment). You can also have a go at making your own baking blend, potentially sourcing the individual ingredients at lower prices to keep costs down. This baking blend recipe looks good. However, I haven't tested my Low-carb Ginger Crunch recipe on homemade baking mix, so I can't tell you how it will turn out. If you do try it, please let me know.

The good thing about the Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend is that it's not full of empty calories. It's actually highly nourishing for your body, with ingredients like flaxseed and collagen, so you can enjoy sweet treats that will also reward you with better health.

However, it doesn't have quite the same texture as regular ol' flour, so this ginger crunch won't be as crunchy as you're used to. It's still satisfying and tasty though. The kids and I got through the whole pan in a couple of days. Just be aware that it's not exactly like the original.

Ingredients

Base

• 1c Trim Healthy Mama Baking Blend
• 75g cold butter
• 1/4c Natvia or other stevia/erythritol sugar blend
• 1t baking powder
• 1t ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 1T cold water

Icing (Note: If you don't have as much of a sweet tooth as me, halve the icing quantity.)

• 150g butter
• 1c Natvia (or other stevia/erythritol blend)
• 3t ground ginger
• 4T cream
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC / 350ºF.
2. Line a 20cm square baking pan with baking paper.
3. Process together 1c Baking Blend, 75g cold butter, 1/4c Natvia, 1t baking powder and 1t ground ginger until a coarse meal is formed.
4. Add two eggs and pulse to mix. 
5. Add 1T cold water and pulse again.
6. Press mixture into baking pan. It will be wet, so you might like to use wet hands to smooth it out to the corners. Try and get the mixture as flat and even as you can in the pan.
7. Bake at 180ºC / 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, until slightly toasted.
8. Allow base to cool completely before icing. 
9. In a small saucepan, melt together 150g butter, 1c Natvia, 3t ground ginger, 4T cream and a pinch of salt over a medium heat. As soon as mixture starts to bubble, take it off the heat and continue to stir it until it starts to thicken. 
10. Pour mixture over baked, cooled base and allow to set. 
11. Cut Ginger Crunch into squares once cool and store in an airtight container. This recipe can be frozen and actually has a good crunch on it when eaten straight from the freezer. (Don't ask me how I know.)