Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Cannoli MiniCakes (Gluten-free, Sugar-free)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Put 12 square silicone muffin cups on a baking sheet, and set aside. If you don’t have the square muffin cups, use round silicone muffin cups, line a muffin pan with parchment cup liners, or bake in greased 8×8 baking pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl until there are no lumps in the coconut flour. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave (40 seconds or so). Add eggs and vanilla to the melted butter; whisk until slightly frothy. Slowly whisk in ricotta, whisking until well blended.

Add to dry ingredients and quickly stir with a large spoon. The batter will be very thick. f you don’t work quickly, it may get too thick to scoop and get into the muffin cups. If that happens, thin with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, just enough to get the batter transferred to the cups.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop about 3 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup, distributing evenly. Smooth tops with wet finger tips. Bake 25 minutes, then check with toothpick. They should be firm to the touch and just starting to brown.

Remove from oven. Cool in baking cups for 5–10 minutes, then turn out of the cups onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Place softened coconut oil, ricotta, cream and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl, and beat with electric mixer. Slowly stir in the powdered sweetener, then use mixer on medium speed to whip until frosting is creamy and smooth. Apply generously to cooled mini cakes with butter knife (or pipe on, if you prefer).

Top with additional chocolate chips or shaved dark chocolate, if desired.

Store covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. May be frozen. Bring back to room temperature on counter top, not in microwave.

Notes:
1. For an even lighter and creamer frosting, use mascarpone cheese in place of ricotta. Or, to reduce calories and carbs, frosting may be omitted entirely. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream instead, or eat plain as a snack cake. These little cakes will travel well if frozen without frosting, and packed in an airtight container in your suitcase.
2. Oat fiber is made from the hull of the oat plant, not the grain. It is 100% fiber. For that reason most ketoers find it acceptable. I use Lifesource Oat Fiber 500 to assure a product free from gluten cross contamination. If gluten is not an issue for you, use whatever brand is cheapest.
3. I get no kickback for products used in my recipes. Brand names are included to assure more accurate nutritional estimates. Nutrition information is based on My Fitness Pal’s online recipe analyzer. The recipe is stored there and available to MFP users for logging in their food diaries. Sugar alcohols and liquid sucralose are excluded from nutrition counts, as they are not absorbed by the body and rate zero on the glycemic index.
4. For more Atkins/low carb/keto recipes and cooking tips, look for Aunt Rocky’s Low Carb Recipes & Tips Group on Facebook, or follow me on Pinterest at auntrocky2.

Per serving: Calories 141, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 8, Sodium 542 mg, Potassium 27 mg, Total Carbohydrate 6 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Net Carbs 3 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 4 g. Macros: 78% fat, 13% protein, 9% net carbs

© April 4, 2018 Roxana Lopez for Aunt Rocky’s