Spanish Almond Torte

Based on a traditional Majorcan recipe, often served with almond ice cream, now reinvented for those watching sugar/carbohydrate/gluten in their diets.

This is a basic torte, springy and firm, that serves as a fabulous vehicle for fresh seasonal berries (right now, rhubarb or strawberries 'spring' to mind) , or it can be spiced up and served as gingerbread in the cooler months, with spiced whipped cream. I served it last Thanksgiving with lots of ginger, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon, layered with thinly sliced apples that I carmelized in a sizzling cast iron skillet. It would also be fabulous with tea, topped with a dollop of Lemon Curd, which is how I'll be enjoying it this week. I hope you enjoy it, too!

Spanish Almond Torte

• 1.5 c. almond flour
• 1/2 c. erythritol
• 1 t. molasses
• 1/8 t. pure stevia extract, powdered
• 4 lg. eggs, separated
• 2 T. grated lemon zest (or 1/4 t. lemon oil, or 1/2 t. lemon extract)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. sea salt

Butter a 9" cake pan, up the sides as well. Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with half of the erythritol until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
In a seperate bowl, beat yolks with molasses, the other half of the erythritol, the vanilla extract, and the lemon zest (or oil/extract). In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients (almonds, stevia, cinnamon, salt). Add dry mixture to yolk mixture and beat the dickens out of it. Fold a heaping spoonful of the whites into this mixture. Gently fold in the remaining whites, taking care not to deflate them.

Transfer batter to pan, and bake about 25-30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean in the center. Less than 25gr. net carbs for the entire recipe, meaning if you get 8 generous slices out of this, each only has about 3 gr. net. Yummy!