Hazelnuts have been on my mind lately. I LOVE nuts - (most of them anyway) and up at the top of my list is hazelnuts. Even in my pre-low-carb days, they were a favorite..... especially in my baked goods. I recently picked up a bag of hazelnut flour for the express purpose of *playing*. A couple things came to mind to make -- scones, biscotti and then it hit me -- I wanted to make a HAZELNUT BLONDIE!!
I looked at a lot of different recipes -- both low-carb and not low-carb and took what I thought was the best of many to come up with a recipe. Company's coming (can I say that this company has become my favorite guinea pig and doesn't seem to mind that job, lol) -- the day before and I was in the kitchen wildly whipping ingredients into this recipe that came out of my research and my head. I HOPED (okay, I said a prayer too)this would turn out but I bought a half-gallon of Carb Smart Ice Cream and a jar of Smuckers Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce just in case -- there would be a dessert even if my experiment didn't work out.
My photos are dark and hardly do justice BUT the Blondies turned out wonderful (okay, I need to say that louder -- WONDERFUL!!!!) -- not one to allow anything to go to waste, the ice cream and caramel sauce came in handy at serving time. Please note that the carb counts are only for the blondies.
Hazelnut Blondies
1/2 c hazelnuts (toasted and skins rubbed off)
2 c hazelnut flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 c unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c granulated sweetener (I used Truvia)
2 tsp vanilla
10 drops liquid stevia
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 325°F and butter a 8x8-inch pan. Line with parchment paper and butter parchment. Toast hazelnuts, rubbing skins off in a clean dishtowel and roughly chop. Set aside. Combine hazelnut flour and xanthan gum in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, granulated sweetener, vanilla and stevia. Stir into flour mixture. Add beaten eggs a little at a time, mixing thoroughly. When all combined, stir in chopped hazelnuts. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. The edges will be slightly browned and the center will be slightly firm to the touch. Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then lift out to cooling rack and cool completely. Do not cut into until completely cooled. Makes 16 blondies.
Calories 225, carbs 3.22g*, fiber 1.8g = net carbs 1.42g per serving
*carbs from sugar alcohols in granulated sweeteners are not accounted for since they do not impact blood sugar