When I made the whole wheat carnival hearts without butter, milk, and eggs baked for the first time, the blog had just started, and I had never tried making a sweet dough, neither traditional nor for hyperglycemia.
Every year, Carnival and Valentine’s Day come almost together, and back then, busy with the professional food blogger course lessons, I barely found time to make desserts suitable for both occasions: heart-shaped carnival hearts or Valentine’s carnival hearts.
Later, I made some modifications to the recipe to improve it.
Cookies without butter, milk, and eggs:
– without butter for a hyperglycemia reason;
– without milk and eggs for personal taste.
The whole wheat carnival hearts without butter, milk, and eggs are an alternative and naturally cannot be thin and bubbly like traditional carnival hearts.
Light, crunchy, and crispy.
The Carnival hearts are also called bugie or crostoli, frappe or cenci.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Carnival
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup semolina (whole wheat durum)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 pinch coconut sugar (whole or your usual sweetener)
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- to taste lemon zest (or grated orange zest)
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch erythritol (powdered or confectioners' sugar)
You can easily double or multiply all ingredient quantities.
Suggested Tools
- Bowl
- 1 Spatula silicone
- Measuring Cup glass
- Kitchen Scale digital
- Spoon Scale digital
- Measuring Spoons set
- Pasta Maker Nonna Papera
- Pastry Wheel
- Baking Sheet 9.8×11.4 inches
- Parchment Paper
Preparation
Precautions for Hyperglycemia | Prediabetes and Diabetes
– dough made from whole wheat semolina rich in fiber;
– little whole coconut sugar with low glycemic impact or a sweetener with no glycemic impact;
– baked.
They are not thin and bubbly!
The whole wheat carnival hearts without butter, milk, and eggs are an alternative and naturally cannot be thin and bubbly like traditional carnival hearts.
Frying – in fact – is one of the components that helps in bubble formation and our carnival hearts are baked.
Pour into a bowl:
– 3/4 cup of whole wheat semolina;
– 1/2 tsp of sifted baking powder;
– 1 pinch of baking soda;
– 1 pinch of sifted whole coconut sugar and add the part that doesn’t pass through the sieve or you can substitute coconut sugar with the sweetener you usually use;
– 1 pinch of cinnamon;
– lemon or grated orange zest;
and mix with a silicone spatula.Pour into a graduated glass:
– 2 tbsp of white wine;
– 2 tbsp of sunflower oil;
– 2 tbsp of water;
– 1 tsp of lemon juice;
and quickly emulsify the liquids.Pour the liquids into the bowl with the dry ingredients and knead with your hands.
The dough will initially be quite tough and not very pliable.
Keep working it patiently until it becomes smoother and more elastic.Form a loaf, place it in a freezer bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the loaf out of the refrigerator and roll it out with a rolling pin or pasta machine – Nonna Papera – until you reach a thickness of 1/5-2/5 inches.
Fold it and roll it out, repeat 2-3 times, then proceed with the final rollout.The thinner your carnival hearts are, the crispier they will be.
Cut out your carnival hearts [heart-shaped carnival hearts or carnival hearts or ribbons] using cookie cutters or a pastry wheel or a pastry cutter for pie crust.
Re-knead the scraps and make more carnival hearts until you use up all the dough.
Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper to place the carnival hearts.
Preheat the oven.
Bake in a ventilated oven at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes until evenly golden.
* times and temperatures may vary depending on the oven and the thickness of the carnival hearts.Remove from oven and let cool before serving.
Your whole wheat carnival hearts without butter, milk, and eggs even in heart shapes are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
Finish with a sprinkle of erythritol powder – zero calories – or confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon or cover them with melted dark chocolate.
Tip
If you feel the need to indulge in a “cheat” do it wisely and consider it an exception: if you crave a dessert, it’s better to consume it at the end of a complete meal rich in fiber and vegetables which slow down sugar absorption.We occasionally allow ourselves these for breakfast.
without butter, milk, and eggs they have a simple nutritional profile: I take toast as a reference and include them in breakfast paired with a protein source like skimmed milk or low-fat yogurt to reduce overall glycemic load and slow down carbohydrate absorption, avoiding sudden blood sugar spikes.
Check your glycemic response.Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and time – indicated in your appliance’s user manual.
Check the cooking level from time to time.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
The dough for whole wheat carnival hearts without butter, milk, and eggs is a light and versatile dough great for cookies, waffles, pies, strudels, and tartlets.
You can store the whole wheat carnival hearts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; place a sheet of absorbent paper at the bottom to absorb any moisture.
FAQs
Can I use other flours?
Since it’s a water-based dough, I recommend not changing the main ingredients to avoid compromising texture and final result.
How much sweetener should I use if I’m using erythritol or stevia?
Follow the doses and equivalences indicated by the manufacturer.
Can I substitute sunflower oil with extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil has a strong aromatic profile that can alter the taste of the dessert.
Can the wine be replaced?
The wine is used to make the dough drier and lighter to achieve crunchy and crispy carnival hearts.
You can use another recipe that doesn’t require it for example: low glycemic index carnival hearts.How many whole wheat carnival hearts can I eat for breakfast?
The amount depends on your dietary plan and the recommendations of the professional following you.
Further Reading
– Semolina and flours: glycemic index.
– Sugar and sweeteners.
