Weekly Update: So far in June 2023
This summer I am assisting Molly Kimball and Chef Ryan Conn in recipe research and development. Molly is a registered dietitian and founder of Ochsner Eat Fit; she works closely with Ryan, the executive chef of FUEL Cafe + Market at Ochsner Fitness Center.
This past week I have tested three different recipes from Molly’s cookbook (“The Eat Fit Cookbook”) because “Swerve”, the main plant-based sweetener used in these recipes, was recently reformulated. It now has added allulose and xanthan gum, which will make baked goods moister and will enhance browning. Due to these additions in Swerve, some of the recipes in The Eat Fit Cookbook needed to be kitchen tested to see if the ingredients and/or baking time and temp need to be adjusted. The Eat Fit team is printing a revised edition of The Eat Fit Cookbook this fall, so the timing is perfect.
I tested Blueberry Protein Muffins, Lemon Scones, and Rustic Eat Fit King Cake.
The Blueberry Protein Muffins were tested at three different temperatures to determine which would produce the best consistency. The temperatures were 325, 350, and 375 degrees Fahrenheit and all the muffins were cooked until a knife came out clean. The pictures below show the results. In my oven, the muffins baked at 325 had the best texture and moistness.
The second recipe I tested was lemon scones. I removed the xanthan gum when I made these because of the addition of xanthan gum in the new Swerve formulation. These scones turned out incredible! They had amazing flavor, and the glaze turned out perfectly with the new Swerve Confectioners. The scones were moist and browned very nicely.
The final recipe I tested was the Rustic King Cake. I had an issue with this dough rising and staying together, but it still had amazing flavor. This recipe is still in the works, but here are some photos:
The fourth recipe I have worked on so far is perfecting an Eat Fit Maple Pecan Butter recipe with Chef Ryan, part of a new dish that he created for the revised edition of The Eat Fit Cookbook. The issue with the original recipe was that the pecan oil would separate from the pecan butter. In the first attempt at rectifying this, Chef Ryan and I used half the amount of pecan oil. Most of the oil was still separating, so for the second attempt we used very little oil. This helped make the pecan butter much more spreadable, but it was still separating slightly. For the final attempt, we didn't use any pecan oil, and instead, we increased the amount of liquid allulose, the plant-based sweetener with a nectar-like consistency. And - we landed on the perfect pecan butter.
I have enjoyed working with Molly and Chef Ryan so far, and can't wait to see what else we accomplish this summer.
