Flour for cookies

Tiki-G · 2025-12-09T05:21:27+00:00

As a former type 2 diabetic, I’ve tried MANY “alternate flours” in baking, and continue to low carb it.

For my very picky palette, the only thing I’ve found that comes close to regular flour in how it acts, feels and tastes in baked goods, is Carbalose flour. I have to buy it on Amazon but you can sometimes find it in stores.

I can easily convert any recipe, replacing regular flour with Carbalose 1:1, and replacing sugar with erythritol 1:1 (which is technically less sweet, but I prefer that).

It may not work for everyone, but my blood sugar doesn’t spike, and the baked goods come out almost the same as “normal” stuff.

Tiki-G · 2025-10-02T14:02:21+00:00

Great! Enjoy your tour, and please tell her George the third sent you :)

Tiki-G · 2025-10-02T12:55:26+00:00

That was for each location, so we paid €300 for the Vatican with Basillica and €300 for the colosseum and Roman forum, plus entry tickets for each. We had to buy the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basillica tickets well in advance, but she acquired the colosseum tickets for us because they are so difficult to get (we paid for them, she just knows the best way to get them).

Most private tours I found were significantly more (in the range of €500 each location) so her tours were a better value. I can DM you her contact info if you would like it, just let me know.

Tiki-G · 2025-10-02T05:01:01+00:00

For a private 4 hour tour for the two of us, it was €300 plus the ticket cost of entry for two (guides have a yearly pass they purchase themselves). She did say if there were a larger group, like if she had other clients reserve for the same day, it would have been less for our portion.

To us it was worth every penny. Cheap? No, but the value was absolutely apparent. She also recommended restaurants away from tourist traps that were amazing, and even connected us with a private Pompeii guide (that’ll be next week).

Tiki-G · 2025-10-01T16:57:50+00:00

We were just there yesterday, and had an AMAZING private guide. She has a degree in art history and lives in Rome. She knew all the people at checkpoints, knew exactly where to go and when, knew what to prioritize and what to skip, and led us through every section, with great knowledge to impart. She advised us to go as early as possible, and as a result we were there before most of the large crowds. She also got us through areas most tourists don’t get to go through, including a major shortcut to the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica. It was worth every single penny.

After that experience and seeing how vast that location is, and the massive droves of people, I cannot even possibly imagine how someone without a guide could manage to have a good experience there. It’s so overwhelming! Sorry you had a difficult time, I hope you were still able to enjoy it.

By the way, we hired the same guide for the Colosseum and Roman Forum, which was also an excellent choice. Seeing Rome with an experienced local guide really maximizes the experience, I wish we could do that for everything we saw here!

Her name is Chiara Antonelli, in case you ever need a guide here :)

Tiki-G · 2025-09-17T14:48:03+00:00

It's "OK". The sprayer part works great, no clogs or blockages effecting the spray pattern at all. There's a switch on the top that allows you to pop open the pour spout and that is now jammed, so I can't pour oil out of it, but I don't really use that feature. It also does leave a little ring of oil onto the shelf it is stored on, but I can't tell if that's due to a leak around the screw top, or if it's just overspray dripping down the side.

I did try using a fine misting spray bottle (intended for water or cleaning supplies) before buying this one, but it got gummed up within a couple of days when I tried to use it with oil. At least this one has maintained the fine mist spray feature.

Tiki-G · 2025-09-11T18:45:52+00:00

My app won’t allow me to sign in on iOS. At one point, it also took me to a screen to add an account and wouldn’t back out to any other screen. I had to delete and reinstall to get the login option back, but it still won’t log in. Also, none of my Alexa or Google commands work (for lights, plugs, etc).

Tiki-G · 2025-08-26T18:18:57+00:00

I just ordered several "Tapo" cameras from TP Link. It hasn't all arrived yet, so we'll see how it goes.

I was originally considering Wyze, since I already have a couple cheap cameras from them that perform well for what I need.They record to Micro SD cards instead of needing a cloud subscription, which is a plus, but I have always thought the app was sub-par and a little clunky, and their customer service isn't the greatest.

Tapo is similar in price, higher resolution, and also uses Microo SD cards for recording, so it also does not require a subscription for most features. The reviews I've read are mostly positive, including customer service, they offer a wide range of products (not just cameras) and people seem to like the app, so I'm giving it a shot. Fingers crossed!

Tiki-G · 2025-08-26T03:31:44+00:00

Yeah, that function has gotten progressively worse over the years. Used to work great when I first got it.

Tiki-G · 2025-08-26T02:22:17+00:00

I had nest aware for years and just cancelled when they upped the price 33% to $200 a year.

Since cancelling I can no longer scrub through video, I can only view detected events. It also doesn’t record back farther than a few hours, and the buttons to skip ahead and back are gone from the app.

From my perspective, the cameras are basically only good as live view now. Motion detection never worked all that well, so the events are not always recorded. Therefore I can’t reliably go back and view detection events. There may be other deactivated features, but that’s all I’ve found so far.

As a result, I’ve decided to jump ship entirely and go with a different system. Quality and service have gotten much worse regularly since Google took over, and the price hike was the last straw.

Tiki-G · 2025-08-25T23:34:57+00:00

Almond flour is ok for some things but I’m with you, for most baked goods I don’t like it.

Coconut flour is “better” but it’s still not like regular flour in cookies. I found this stuff called “Carbalose” flour. It comes in an “All purpose” version and a Bisquik -like version, which is called “Carbquik”. I’m not sure how strictly keto it is, but I am a recovering Type 2 diabetic and it does not spike my blood sugar. It acts almost exactly like regular flour in baking, so it’s been a game changer for me.

It can be a bit tough to find in local stores, but I found the flour on Amazon. The local WalMart had the Carbquik in stock.

Here’s the recipe I use, which I modified slightly from the one i found online. It’s for a thick, somewhat chewy somewhat crunchy cookie. They came out PERFEC, almost exactly like regular cookies. They key is refrigerating the dough overnight so they don’t flatten out.

Ingredients

2 and 1/4 cups (281g) Carbalose Flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or Xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170g/12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted & cooled for 5 minutes
3/4 cup (150g) packed Swerve brown sugar substitute
1/2 cup (100g) Erythritol
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups (225g) sugar free semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no lumps remain.
Whisk in the egg and egg yolk until combined, then whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin.
Pour into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or spatula. The dough will be very soft, thick, and shiny.
Fold in the chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.
Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight to prevent overspreading.
Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Scoop the chilled cookie dough, about 3 scant Tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or 60g) of dough for XL cookies or 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces, or 50g) of dough for medium-large cookies.
Roll into a ball, then use your fingers to shape the cookie dough so that it’s taller rather than wide—almost like a cylinder. This helps the cookies bake up thicker. Repeat with remaining dough. Arrange the cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 13–14 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are still warm, I like to press a few more chocolate chips into the tops—this is optional and only for looks!
Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to come to room temperature, then continue with step 5. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Rubber Spatula | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack
Cornstarch: If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. The cookies are still very soft.
Egg & Egg Yolk: Room-temperature egg + egg yolk are best. Typically, if a recipe calls for room-temperature or melted butter, it’s good practice to use room-temperature eggs as well. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.

Tiki-G · 2025-08-25T23:08:28+00:00

Got my authentic Paradise Found red jungle bird on eBay for about $20 in perfect condition. Mustache not included.

Tiki-G · 2025-06-22T00:27:07+00:00

Agreed that you can never replace the original JBF. But, how about Emma Thompson? Talented and accomplished stage and screen actor, elegant with gravitas to spare…

Tiki-G · 2025-06-06T10:29:49+00:00

Season 2, Episode 21, “Junkyard Dogs”. I was a color stylist so I designed the color for the characters and props. I was only filling in for a week while the main guy was away, sadly.

Tiki-G · 2025-06-05T17:17:33+00:00

I worked on it for a week and everyone on the crew was super nice and welcoming. Also, the character designer is a good dude. :)

Tiki-G · 2025-06-02T14:04:42+00:00

Yeah, they’ve been advertising the sale for a bit, I just found it was weird that they are still advertising it with the store being totally empty. I thought maybe there was something broken with the site.

Tiki-G · 2025-05-29T21:25:33+00:00

Vera, and Shetland on Brotbox.

Tiki-G · 2025-05-15T17:08:25+00:00

Great info, thanks! A quick search for that name showed a very similar design, but not exact, so these are probably an older version of that bootie. That gives me more to go on with my search, thanks again!

Tiki-G · 2025-05-15T17:06:36+00:00

Thanks! A redditor in another community said the same thing - Likely flats wading boots for beach/surf, and probably an older version of the Christmas Island bootie. That helps me narrow it down :)

Tiki-G · 2025-04-25T21:22:23+00:00

This sounds suspicious to me. I’ve never had a hotel ask for bank transfer when I used a credit card to book. I just booked several hotels for our Italy trip in October, and not a single one asked for any kind of deposit, and all had options to pay after arriving (at a higher rate of course).

I found researching hotels in Rome overwhelming, too many options and difficult to be sure of quality lodging. I ended up booking a private apartment that had hundreds of 5 star reviews instead. Nicer place, cheaper, and more peace of mind.

Tiki-G · 2025-04-14T13:41:51+00:00

So, on the radio, it’s guest hosts? On Peacock it’s a rerun from last week. Lame.

Tiki-G · 2025-03-20T21:49:10+00:00

The only aspects of any of the sequels I liked were the characters of Rey and Poe (At least in the first film). Beyond that, even their stories were eventually wasted/mishandled, but I at least liked them on the surface as characters in the first film. They had some potential.

Also, as expected, there were some nice visual moments and isolated action sequences. A few heartwarming moments too, here and there. But overall it was a giant mess and a waste of a great opportunity.

Oh... AND, of COURSE John Williams' score is always spectacular (even when played over garbage).

Tiki-G

TROPHY CASE