Christmas Desserts: Make Then With Splenda!

by mike cole


Before we begin "dishing" out some Christmas dessert recipes, let us talk about Splenda.

What is Splenda? Splenda is a sugar substitute. It gained popularity in 1998 when the United States Food and Drug Administration approved it for use in commercially prepared baking products. Sixty other countries have followed the initiative of the American FDA.

Rose Reisman, who wrote Secrets for Permanent Weight Loss (Whitecap Books, 2005) describes Splenda as a better choice sweetener. It contains sucralose which is the only sweetener made from sugar and the only sweetener that is not associated with health problems. It is not digested as a carbohydrate, so diabetics need not worry about experiencing a surge of insulin levels. People who have used Splenda say that one advantage it has over other sweeteners is that it retains its sweet taste even when heated.

Christmas Desserts Using Splenda

You may come across recipes that don't say Splenda; instead they will say "sucralose." They're one and the same. Splenda is available in most stores and come in tiny, yellow packets.

Recipe # 1: On a cold Christmas Eve morning, what better way to wake up sleepy heads with the aromatic smell of Pear Muffins coming straight from the oven?

Pear Muffins

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes Servings: yields 12 muffins Ingredients: Canola oil 2 cups self-rising flour 2 tsp baking powder ¾ cup sucralose 2/3 cup skim or low fat milk 2 eggs 2 ripe pears Procedure: Peel and mash the pears and set aside.

Prepare your muffin pan by greasing them with canola oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine self-rising flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the sucralose. In a separate bowl, blend together milk, oil and eggs. Combine this mixture with the flour mixture. Add the mashed pears. Blend all ingredients well. Spoon the batter into 12 individual muffin holes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

These muffins can be stored at room temperature and eaten the next day, but they are best eaten the same day!

Recipe # 2: Who doesn't love New York-style Cheesecake? It is such a popular dessert that food stores and supermarkets now sell it frozen, but why spoil the spirit of Christmas by serving frozen food? Make this recipe and turn it into a labor of love. The children, grandchildren, cousins and uncles will love you for this New York-style cheesecake made from scratch!

New York-Style Cheesecake

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes Servings: 12 individual servings (recipe is not for a whole cheese cake) Ingredients: 1-3/4 cups Ricotta cheese 3 oz light or low-fat cream cheese ½ cup sour cream 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp lemon zest 2/3 cup Splenda 3 tsbp lemon juice (preferably fresh) 3 tbsp all purpose flour

For garnish: your favorite berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries) and icing sugar.

Procedure: Line your muffin pan with muffin paper cups. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Soften the cream cheese and combine with the ricotta cheese in a food processor. Add the sour cream, egg, vanilla, lemon juice (and zest), flour and Splenda. Make sure mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into individual muffin holes.

Put the muffin tin in a larger pan containing hot water. The hot water must come up to 1/3 or halfway up the sides of the muffin tray. Put in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, take out the muffin tray from the larger tray. Set aside and let cool. Refrigerate for an hour or two. Top with garnish before serving. You can use the berries as they are, or you can mash them so they cover the top and glide on the side.

Recipe # 3: Spent the whole day in the mall for Boxing Day specials and forgot about dessert tonight? Here is a recipe for a chocolate cake. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your cupboard so no need to dash out again.

Simple & Quick Chocolate Cake

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups flour 2/3 cup sucralose Pinch of salt 1 tsp baking soda 3 tbsp hot chocolate powder mix (any hot chocolate mix will do) 1 tbsp vinegar 8 tbsp canola oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup water (or 1 cup skim milk, if you prefer)

Procedure:

Sift the flour, baking soda, sucralose, salt and hot chocolate powder together. Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Blend well. Pour into an 8 inch round baking pan. Bake at 350 degree F for 30 minutes. Let cool and serve with your favorite topping.

Note: Instead of icing, you can use English devonshire cream. Spoon a few tablespoons into the dessert platter, enough for a slice of cake to sit on. Also, if you have left over slivered almonds or crushed walnuts, you can throw them into the batter.