Long time I haven't been baking.....a lot does have to do with my in-laws visiting and the kitchen being taken over, but now i am back.
To update some exciting news. I have started a new chapter in my career as a diabetes baker! I have started a degree in nutrition so that I can not only understand how food and diet can affect the body, but also how to manipulate food to provide delicious sugar free treats!
I will keep you posted and I hope to impart much of my gaining knowledge towards all of you.
In addition, one benefit of my mother-in-law coming, was that we were able to improve and perfect the Brazilian Brigadeiro frozen custard! I will be posting the new recipe now on my recipe website!!
Glad I am back and I hope to get at least 1 recipe a week to you all!
XOXO
Ms. Sugar Free Bee!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Sugar Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies
A fun and easy recipe to attempt. Blondies, which I will describe as a fusion of a cookie and a brownie. That probably isn't the correct description but I will attest that the texture is quite like a cookie --> brownie in that it isn't as crunchy as a cookie, but not as mushy as a brownie.
I am happy to say that my adaptation of a Two Peas and Their Pod recipe into a sugar free way was successful on the first try. I realized that when you replace sugar with Splenda, you also need to replace a bit of the moisture and so that was what I did and I think it worked.
Try the recipe found on the website www.thesugarfreebee.com
I am happy to say that my adaptation of a Two Peas and Their Pod recipe into a sugar free way was successful on the first try. I realized that when you replace sugar with Splenda, you also need to replace a bit of the moisture and so that was what I did and I think it worked.
Try the recipe found on the website www.thesugarfreebee.com
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| Peanut Butter Sugar Mix! |
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| Mmmm....such a big cookie!!!!! NOPE! |
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| Blondies! |
Friday, July 27, 2012
Low-Sugar "Sugar" Cookies
So simple, so delicious, but MURDEROUS in the amount of sugar within an individual cookie!!
Sugar cookies are common "canvas" cookies for holiday decorations. No matter which holiday, a good cookie cut shape and coloured frosting make a cheery and yummy treat!
How to make sugar-free??
Well, I am ashamed to say that I still haven't made a great sugar-free "sugar" cookie. It is hard because the single ingredient that makes this cookie famous is omitted. So here is the best, yummiest, and closest low sugar alternative to the famous Sugar Cookie.
I will post the recipe on my website as a "Low-Sugar" option, and I do stand by the fact that I believe it is a really good diabetic alternative to the common sugar cookie because it has 1/7 of the sugar in the original recipe. However watch how many you eat and adjust with insulin.
As always, because these are desserts I typically bake, these are NOT considered "Snacks" or daily enjoyments. These really are for special occasions like birthdays or a weekend treat.
Take a look. I made this batch for a birthday party!
(Frosting unfortunately not 100% diabetic friendly.....but since this was for a non-diabetic crowd, I felt safe making it for them).
So as a comparison:
Sugar cookies are common "canvas" cookies for holiday decorations. No matter which holiday, a good cookie cut shape and coloured frosting make a cheery and yummy treat!
How to make sugar-free??
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| Just before baking |
Well, I am ashamed to say that I still haven't made a great sugar-free "sugar" cookie. It is hard because the single ingredient that makes this cookie famous is omitted. So here is the best, yummiest, and closest low sugar alternative to the famous Sugar Cookie.
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| 9 minutes later...cooling off! |
As always, because these are desserts I typically bake, these are NOT considered "Snacks" or daily enjoyments. These really are for special occasions like birthdays or a weekend treat.
 |
| Cooled and iced! |
Take a look. I made this batch for a birthday party!
(Frosting unfortunately not 100% diabetic friendly.....but since this was for a non-diabetic crowd, I felt safe making it for them).
So as a comparison:
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Pineapple Cake
While on my trip to Colombia, I also bought a Diabetic Dessert book called: "Postres para Diabéticos" by Ana Pedraza. Unfortunately it was THE ONLY Diabetic cookbook I found at the bookstore.
One recipe that I simplified from this book is: "Pastel de Piña" or Pineapple Cake. The original came with carrots and nuts. I will make it again with their recipe, but for now I wanted to make a delicious and tart Pineapple Cake.
Take a look and full recipe is (as always) found on my website.
One recipe that I simplified from this book is: "Pastel de Piña" or Pineapple Cake. The original came with carrots and nuts. I will make it again with their recipe, but for now I wanted to make a delicious and tart Pineapple Cake.
Take a look and full recipe is (as always) found on my website.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Filo vs Puff Pastry
JUST realized what my problem was with the mille feuille. I used filo dough instead of puff pastry! That was why the layers were so flaky!
Will reattempt recipe soon!
Will reattempt recipe soon!
Product Review: Sugar Free Oreos
The only problem about these cookies.....they can only be bought in the USA. For some reason "Christies", the Canadian supplier for Oreo, doesn't sell the sugar free version that is sold in the US from Nabisco. How unfair! I think we should make a petition to Christies to start producing the sugar free version in Canada!
For now, we must resort to buying them across the border in bulk!
Product Review: Bocadillo Light (Guava Paste)
Unfortunately this product is probably only found in South America or in specialized South American stores but it is worth buying! If you like fruit sweets this is a great one to try.
It comes in blocks and can be sliced and prepared for a simple yet popular South American treat known as a "Romeo and Juliet". The perfect pairing of guava paste and soft white cheese.
Delicious!
I recently used it as a syrup for a mille feuille dessert. To make the block into a syrup, you just need to add a bit of water (about 1/2 tsp per cube) and microwave it in 20 second intervals. I managed to dissolve the block in 40 seconds.
This can be added for crepes or on top of ice cream. Delicious!
Sugar Free Guava Mille Feuille
First attempt at a mille feuille and it wasn't terrible, but not the right consistency I wanted.If you haven't had a millef euille before, it is a pasty composed of thin layers of filo dough, with sweet cream oozing between the layers. DELICIOUS!
On my recent trip to Colombia (yes south america!) I found sugar free guava paste. Guava is a tropical rosy fruit that has this great salmon coloured flesh. It is often made into juices, but even more commonly made into a sweet candied paste, known as a "Bocadillo".
I was so happy to find a sugar free guava paste! After buying almost half a kilo, I decided to use this to make a slightly different mille feuille.
In terms of flavour, it was DELICIOUS!! And best of all, didn't taste like Splenda. The only problem is that the filo dough remained too flaky and "airy". Usually in a mille feuille the dough is denser. Perhaps I need to add more fat?
Here is the first picture.....will keep on working on it.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sugar Free Brazilian Brigadeiro Meringue
Brigadeiro is a classic sweet in Brazil.
It is made from condensed milk and chocolate and is rolled into a ball and covered in chocolate sprinkles. These are sold everywhere. Even gas stations have little platters selling these for 50cents.
This dessert, which was given to me by my mother-in-law (yes she is Brazilian), is an adaptation of this brigadeiro, but into a large creamy frozen dessert.
It is composed of three layers.
The first is the brigadeiro layer.
On top you can either add sliced strawberries or grapes. I thought grapes sounded like an odd fruit to add but I have since learned that it is quite common.
Next you add the meringue/cream layer, and finish it off with some sugar free chocolate shavings.
This dessert can be easily adapted to be sugar free.
The only challenge that I had to deal with was the condensed milk. In North America it isn't easy to find sugar free condensed milk as it is in Brazil, so I had the unfortunate and lengthy task of making it myself.
The fastest way to make it (which I foolishly didn't do) is by combining splenda, powdered milk, butter, and hot water. Since I didn't have any powdered milk left, I made it from fresh milk, splenda, and butter. Stirring stirring stirring, it wasn't reducing at all. Finally I added about 1 1/2 spoons of corn starch (maizena) which thickened it up a bit. I still kept on stirring. Overall I was at my stove for 1 hour and the end result tasted good, but still too liquidy.
The cream is basically thick cream (the one in the can), which is whipped into an egg white and sugar peaks.
For me, once I added the cream, the stiff peaks completely fell apart. Next time I may have to whip the cream, then whip the egg white, and then fold them into each other.
Once all the layers are made, you actually FREEZE the dessert so that it sets. Then while you serve dinner you can remove it from the freezer and let it defrost a little so that by dessert time it will be ready to eat!
For a first attempt I think it went quite well. I would recommend if you are making this for personal enjoyment, make mini ramekins because each time you defrost then refreeze can lead to increased bacteria to your dessert.
It is made from condensed milk and chocolate and is rolled into a ball and covered in chocolate sprinkles. These are sold everywhere. Even gas stations have little platters selling these for 50cents.
This dessert, which was given to me by my mother-in-law (yes she is Brazilian), is an adaptation of this brigadeiro, but into a large creamy frozen dessert.
It is composed of three layers.
The first is the brigadeiro layer.
On top you can either add sliced strawberries or grapes. I thought grapes sounded like an odd fruit to add but I have since learned that it is quite common.
Next you add the meringue/cream layer, and finish it off with some sugar free chocolate shavings.
This dessert can be easily adapted to be sugar free.
The only challenge that I had to deal with was the condensed milk. In North America it isn't easy to find sugar free condensed milk as it is in Brazil, so I had the unfortunate and lengthy task of making it myself.
The fastest way to make it (which I foolishly didn't do) is by combining splenda, powdered milk, butter, and hot water. Since I didn't have any powdered milk left, I made it from fresh milk, splenda, and butter. Stirring stirring stirring, it wasn't reducing at all. Finally I added about 1 1/2 spoons of corn starch (maizena) which thickened it up a bit. I still kept on stirring. Overall I was at my stove for 1 hour and the end result tasted good, but still too liquidy.
The cream is basically thick cream (the one in the can), which is whipped into an egg white and sugar peaks.
For me, once I added the cream, the stiff peaks completely fell apart. Next time I may have to whip the cream, then whip the egg white, and then fold them into each other.
Once all the layers are made, you actually FREEZE the dessert so that it sets. Then while you serve dinner you can remove it from the freezer and let it defrost a little so that by dessert time it will be ready to eat!
For a first attempt I think it went quite well. I would recommend if you are making this for personal enjoyment, make mini ramekins because each time you defrost then refreeze can lead to increased bacteria to your dessert.
Re attempt on the Sugar Free Strawberry Meringue
Attempt #2:
I made two changes for this version of the meringue.
First, I used 4 egg whites because the 2 in the previous recipe were clearly not enough.
I also added the sweetener at an earlier stage of whisking but I still got stiff peaks.
**Note: Stiff peaks are just after the soft peak. As I learned, a soft peak is when you turn the whisk at it makes a curl, a stiff peak is just a few seconds afterwards and when you flip the whisk, the foam remains immobile**
I placed this in the oven where it still maintained a nice volume....unfortunately once I removed the rack, it was golden, but FLAT again. Still need to invest in some Cream of Tartar. See if that helps.
My second change which was really great was making the chantilly (whipped cream) from fresh cream (35% fat). I was able to make a really great and creamy chantilly. The only thing I realized afterwards, is that it could have used a bit of Splenda to sweeten it up. It wasn't terrible because of the sweetness of the strawberries, but still. I wanted just a bit more to make it a great sweet dessert.
Overall attempt #2 was improved. I still want to try the egg whites with cream of tartar, so stay tuned for attempt #3.
I made two changes for this version of the meringue.
First, I used 4 egg whites because the 2 in the previous recipe were clearly not enough.
I also added the sweetener at an earlier stage of whisking but I still got stiff peaks.
**Note: Stiff peaks are just after the soft peak. As I learned, a soft peak is when you turn the whisk at it makes a curl, a stiff peak is just a few seconds afterwards and when you flip the whisk, the foam remains immobile**I placed this in the oven where it still maintained a nice volume....unfortunately once I removed the rack, it was golden, but FLAT again. Still need to invest in some Cream of Tartar. See if that helps.
Overall attempt #2 was improved. I still want to try the egg whites with cream of tartar, so stay tuned for attempt #3.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Product Review: Arequipe de Antaño LIGHT
In Colombia it is most commonly spread on obleas, a thin wafer that is eaten as a sandwich.
I have used this in a previous recipe: Sugar Free Thumbprint Cookies (recipe on my website www.thesugarfreebee.com).
I use "Arequipe de Antaño Light" a product imported from Colombia, which is sweetened by Splenda.
I first tasted this when my Aunt sent this all the way from Colombia. Thankfully I have found this little jar (which is a bit pricey: 5.19 CDN) at my local Latin market. This spread is SOOO Delicious. If you have tried the regular dulce de leche and love the flavour, you will be happy to know that this diabetic version is just as good. It doesn't have the bad after taste of sweetener. It has an identical texture to the regular version and is so versatile as a spread or decoration or even as an alternative sweetener. I recently made a cheesecake where I incorporated a tablespoon of this instead of granular Splenda. WAS GREAT!
I highly recommend this product!
Nutritional Information in 1 tbsp (25g)
Calories: 35
Carbs: 5g
Sugar: 0g
Fiber: 8g
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sugar Free Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies
I saw this recipe being made by a Youtube blogger CTFXc and I just had to find the source and try it out myself à la Sugar Free!
I tracked down the recipe to cookie wizards from Two Peas and Their Pod (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/). They have quickly become one of my favourite baking bloggers and I only hope I could create such delicious desserts with sugar substitutes.
Back to the cookies: Their recipe "Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies" involves a red velvet CAKE mix with extra flour and of course, cream cheese to make the cheesecake interior. The photos alone makes my mouth water.
I unfortunately don't have a sugar free cake mix, but fortunately I do have my own sugar free chocolate cake recipe. I decided (since I had no red fruit coloring at home) to make these a completely chocolate cake/cookie with traditional cheesecake interior.
WELL, they did not come out looking good at all!! I tried to make the batter into the consistency of the cookie dough, but I think the buttermilk just made it impossible to solidify. I had to add an extra 1/2 cup to get any semblance of solidity. Not good! And so because of that, my cream and cottage (Shhh) cheese mixture could not be enveloped by the chocolate batter.
And so this is what happened on my first attempt (the cheesecake was on the bottom):
I tracked down the recipe to cookie wizards from Two Peas and Their Pod (http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/). They have quickly become one of my favourite baking bloggers and I only hope I could create such delicious desserts with sugar substitutes.
Back to the cookies: Their recipe "Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies" involves a red velvet CAKE mix with extra flour and of course, cream cheese to make the cheesecake interior. The photos alone makes my mouth water.
I unfortunately don't have a sugar free cake mix, but fortunately I do have my own sugar free chocolate cake recipe. I decided (since I had no red fruit coloring at home) to make these a completely chocolate cake/cookie with traditional cheesecake interior.
WELL, they did not come out looking good at all!! I tried to make the batter into the consistency of the cookie dough, but I think the buttermilk just made it impossible to solidify. I had to add an extra 1/2 cup to get any semblance of solidity. Not good! And so because of that, my cream and cottage (Shhh) cheese mixture could not be enveloped by the chocolate batter.
And so this is what happened on my first attempt (the cheesecake was on the bottom):
They don't look that bad but when you flipped them over, there was a gaping hole where the cream cheese mysteriously disappeared!!!
My second attempt also didn't prove to be successful. I put the cream cheese mixture on top. This time it didn't dissolve, but it also didn't create that delicious gooey interior as the original.
I know what I will have to do to adjust. Either use a traditional chocolate cookie recipe and then roll the cream cheese inside, or when using the cake batter mixture, avoid adding the buttermilk.
Better luck next time.
The only upside was that they did taste pretty good. Tasted a lot like a cupcake (flat cake perhaps?).
Sugar Free Strawberry Meringue
When I first heard that my husbands favourite dessert is a meringue I thought....great! Impossible to make sugar free!! If you don't know, meringues consist of beaten egg whites and sugar and baked until hard. That's it.
What I didn't realize is that in Brasil, the meringue is slightly different. From what I have gathered, it is similar to a Pavlova (an Australian dessert).
Somehow, my husbands godmother (a goddess in the baking world) still managed to make a decent meringue using only a sugar substitute. I decided to try it myself and for the most part it was successful.
The egg whites did form into stiff peaks but after baking they proceeded to deflate :( Also they weren't very crunchy....it was more of a taffy like consistency. Then my second mistake: the chantilly. I was told to use frozen chantilly (like Cool Whip) and then beat that into stiff peaks. DIDN'T HAPPEN!
But nonetheless it didn't come out too bad. Another problem were the proportions. Definitely not enough to make an entire cake. In the end I made 4 mini cups and they looked much better.
Here is the final product. I am still going to work on it. For starters I will make fresh whipped cream and see if I can use some egg stabilizers like Cream of Tartar.
For now here is a picture of the dessert. It still proved to be a successful Easter dessert!
What I didn't realize is that in Brasil, the meringue is slightly different. From what I have gathered, it is similar to a Pavlova (an Australian dessert).
Somehow, my husbands godmother (a goddess in the baking world) still managed to make a decent meringue using only a sugar substitute. I decided to try it myself and for the most part it was successful.
The egg whites did form into stiff peaks but after baking they proceeded to deflate :( Also they weren't very crunchy....it was more of a taffy like consistency. Then my second mistake: the chantilly. I was told to use frozen chantilly (like Cool Whip) and then beat that into stiff peaks. DIDN'T HAPPEN!
But nonetheless it didn't come out too bad. Another problem were the proportions. Definitely not enough to make an entire cake. In the end I made 4 mini cups and they looked much better.
Here is the final product. I am still going to work on it. For starters I will make fresh whipped cream and see if I can use some egg stabilizers like Cream of Tartar.
For now here is a picture of the dessert. It still proved to be a successful Easter dessert!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Sugar Free Thumbprint cookies
These are still a work in progress but I attempted a thumbprint cookie, which you see often in those cookie boxes: they are the ones with the jelly in the center. Well I tried those and made them a little more Colombian by putting some 'arequipe' or more commonly known as dulce de leche in the middle.
As always everything was sugar-free, including the dulce de leche which I bought from a South American food store. They did taste great but they unfortunately didn't hold very well.
I will try chilling them for longer and seeing if that helps to hold in the print. Another possibility is that I put the filling before I begin baking. I only added it afterwards because I was afraid it might burn?!? I know you can do this with jam so I should try it with that next time.
The great thing about these cookies is that with the basic cookie dough recipe, you can fill them with anything really. Jams in different flavours, chocolate, caramel....cream! They are such a versatile type of cookie which is what I love.
Once my recipe has been perfected, I will post it on the website under Cookies!
Happy Sugar-Free Baking!
I will try chilling them for longer and seeing if that helps to hold in the print. Another possibility is that I put the filling before I begin baking. I only added it afterwards because I was afraid it might burn?!? I know you can do this with jam so I should try it with that next time.
The great thing about these cookies is that with the basic cookie dough recipe, you can fill them with anything really. Jams in different flavours, chocolate, caramel....cream! They are such a versatile type of cookie which is what I love.
Once my recipe has been perfected, I will post it on the website under Cookies!
Happy Sugar-Free Baking!
NEW WEBSITE: THE SUGARFREE BEE
HELLO any readers that may be already out there.
I wanted to inform you all the I have begun a website known as: The Sugarfree Bee
I am very excited to be starting it. I just felt that with the quanity and variety of recipes I will be presenting, it would be easier to chronicle them all in a website with multiple pages and tabs.
Shall not fear, this blog will still be kept up and it will chronicle my experimentation and development of sugar-free treats, and also look at SF products already in stores, as well as taste reviews of those products.
Come along for the ride! This is only the beginning and I am hoping that it will soon build up and people will start reading and trying out recipes.
Please feel free to leave any comments. I will answer as best I can!
XOXO,
Miss SugarFree Bee!
I wanted to inform you all the I have begun a website known as: The Sugarfree Bee
I am very excited to be starting it. I just felt that with the quanity and variety of recipes I will be presenting, it would be easier to chronicle them all in a website with multiple pages and tabs.
Shall not fear, this blog will still be kept up and it will chronicle my experimentation and development of sugar-free treats, and also look at SF products already in stores, as well as taste reviews of those products.
Come along for the ride! This is only the beginning and I am hoping that it will soon build up and people will start reading and trying out recipes.
Please feel free to leave any comments. I will answer as best I can!
XOXO,
Miss SugarFree Bee!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sugar Free Birthday Cake and Frosting!
Cakes are an essential to celebrating a birthday, however when you live with Diabetes, it can become quite frustrating when you realize that no one out there ever considered making a sugar-free cake.
So, it takes a loving mother (or a loving spouse) to make it homemade!
Unfortuntately, it is easier said than done. As mentioned in the previous post Baking 101 à la Sugar-Free, making a fully sugar-free cake can leave you and birthday boy a bit disappointed with the taste texture and even look of the cake.
Fortunately I have finally found the closest Birthday Cake recipe that still tastes great, has a fluffier texture, and with some fancy frosting (also Sugar-Free) looks great!
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients:
So, it takes a loving mother (or a loving spouse) to make it homemade!
Unfortuntately, it is easier said than done. As mentioned in the previous post Baking 101 à la Sugar-Free, making a fully sugar-free cake can leave you and birthday boy a bit disappointed with the taste texture and even look of the cake.
Fortunately I have finally found the closest Birthday Cake recipe that still tastes great, has a fluffier texture, and with some fancy frosting (also Sugar-Free) looks great!
Vanilla Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup safflower oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup Splenda sweetner
- 1 cup buttermilk (alternatively 1 cup milk with some lemon juice)
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup warm water
Instructions:
- Heat oven to 350F (180C)
- In the first bowl, whisk oil, egg, vanilla, sugar, and sweetner until fully dissolved and homogenous
- Whisk in the buttermilk
- In a second bowl, combine flour, baking soda and powder.
- Cup at a time, add dry ingredients to the wet ingredient bowl and whisk until smooth
- Add warm water and continue whisking
- Pour batter into the mold/cake pan and tap it to remove any bubbles
- Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until center is cooked
- Cool before frosting
Vanilla Orange Frosting
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup Cool Whip (sugar-free)
- 1/4 cup Splenda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp icing sugar
- Zest of an orange (optional)
- Food coloring (as desired)
Instructions:
- Fold in ingredients to the cool whip
- Keep chilled or else it starts to dissolve
**I tried this without the icing sugar, but the consistency was a bit like a foam spray (bubbles and all) and so the small amount of sugar made it into a shiny smoother cream. (Compare the Cowboy's pants to his shirt)
Here is an example of this recipe made for two boy's birthday cake. For some reason (I want to blame my oven), the cake layers came out a bit lopsided. Fortuntately I had enough frosting to hide all imperfections. Everyone present was happily surprised when I told them (after their initial bites) that the cake was actually made with Splenda and not sugar!
Baking 101 à la Sugar-Free
Cakes, breads and other pastries require a certain balance of flour, fat, and sugar to get the proper fluffiness, moisture, and sweetness to get the much sought after "mmmm" of recognition. When you bake the sugar-free way, you tend to lose that necessary ingredient to get this texture and taste. Unfortunately sugar substitutes may to a certain degree cover the "sweet" aspect of glucose based sugar, but it does not complete the other two requirements of fluffiness and moisture.
One thing that I learned which has been quite a saviour for my baked goodies, leaving me with happy belly and low glycemic index is from Marlene Koch's "Desserts Sensationnels avec Splenda" (I have the French version) but in English "Unbelievable Desserts with Splenda". She surprisingly includes sugar in her "sugar-free" recipes - scandalous! As she explains, the teaspoon to tablespoon of sugar allows the baked goods to regain the texture and fullness of fully sugared treats. The spoons of sugar do increase the sugar load but, as she writes, what is harmful for Diabetics are the CUPS of sugar in recipes. The small spoonfuls will have a lesser effect on blood glucose levels.
While I do agree with this to a certain degree, I still opt for fruit based sugars to sweeten up my goodies. For example, apple sauce is able to replace moisture as well as sweetness (but watch out because too much can make quite a mushy dense pastry); sugar-free jams usually have enough sweetness in themselves to easily replace the spoonful of sugar; lastly a spoon of honey works well, as honey is a low glycemic index sweetener (more on G.I. in another post) therefore it doesn't raise blood glucose levels as quickly as table sugar does.
One thing that I learned which has been quite a saviour for my baked goodies, leaving me with happy belly and low glycemic index is from Marlene Koch's "Desserts Sensationnels avec Splenda" (I have the French version) but in English "Unbelievable Desserts with Splenda". She surprisingly includes sugar in her "sugar-free" recipes - scandalous! As she explains, the teaspoon to tablespoon of sugar allows the baked goods to regain the texture and fullness of fully sugared treats. The spoons of sugar do increase the sugar load but, as she writes, what is harmful for Diabetics are the CUPS of sugar in recipes. The small spoonfuls will have a lesser effect on blood glucose levels.
While I do agree with this to a certain degree, I still opt for fruit based sugars to sweeten up my goodies. For example, apple sauce is able to replace moisture as well as sweetness (but watch out because too much can make quite a mushy dense pastry); sugar-free jams usually have enough sweetness in themselves to easily replace the spoonful of sugar; lastly a spoon of honey works well, as honey is a low glycemic index sweetener (more on G.I. in another post) therefore it doesn't raise blood glucose levels as quickly as table sugar does.
Sugar-Free but still sweet!
Welcome, Bienvenue, Bem-Vindo, Bienvenidos!
This is my brand new blog where I shall chronicle my journey in crafting creating and baking completely sugar-free breads, pastries, and other yummy treats!
For a long time, I have been toying with the idea of starting my own sugar-free business as well as just simply creating new and inventive sugar-free products aimed towards diabetics. I have been accumulating and perfecting some recipes and I would like to share some with you and also get some of your feedback and recipes as well.
Thank you for stopping by and remember even if it is sugar-free, it can still be sweet and delicious!
XOXO,
N
This is my brand new blog where I shall chronicle my journey in crafting creating and baking completely sugar-free breads, pastries, and other yummy treats!
For a long time, I have been toying with the idea of starting my own sugar-free business as well as just simply creating new and inventive sugar-free products aimed towards diabetics. I have been accumulating and perfecting some recipes and I would like to share some with you and also get some of your feedback and recipes as well.
Thank you for stopping by and remember even if it is sugar-free, it can still be sweet and delicious!
XOXO,
N
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