The Diabetic Pastry Chef

1/4 c soy milk
2 T Splenda
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c canola oil

In blender, blend together all ingredients except canola oil. With motor running, slowly drizzle in the canola oil. Blend until smooth and creamy. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Yield 3/4 cup.  One tablespoon contains 9g fat.

Recipe adapted from Veggie Life magazine.

Plain yogurt can be substituted for an equal amount of sour cream in most of your baked goods. You can also substitute plain yogurt for the oil and eggs in packaged brownie mixes, to save 119 grams of fat and 424 milligrams of cholesterol per batch. Add 1/2 c plain yogurt and the amount of water as shown on mix. Bake approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you substitute unsweetened applesauce for an equal amount of oil in your yellow or white packaged cake mixes, you will save 73 grams of fat and 642 calories. Simply follow package directions. The cake will keep best in the refrigerator. You can also do this with breads and muffins. One half cup of unsweetened applesauce only has 9 grams of sugar.

An excellent guide to traditional sugar substitutes is found here at About.com:

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/bl010598b.htm?terms=artificial+sweeteners

I have compiled a list of many topics related to diabetes for your information.

I was previously unaware of some of the medical, clinical and pharmaceutical terms on this list. I thought it would be a great resource to share with other diabetics to keep everyone in the know of things that are happening in the world of diabetes. There are so many facets to this disease!

How many of these topics do you know enough about?

diabetic ketoacidosis
diabetes
Syndrome X
symptoms of diabetes
diabetic ketoacidosis
type 1 diabetes
hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome
juvenile diabetes
type 2 diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
gestational diabetes
diabetes and pregnancy
diabetes and steroids
diabetes mellitus
diabetes and interstitial cystitis
diabetic neuropathy
high blood triglycerides
diabetes insipidus
elevated triglycerides
diabetes diet
diabetic kidney failure
poor wound healing
unhealed sore
nonhealing sore
leg ulcer
foot ulcer
diabetes diet plan
fingerstick blood glucose
polydipsia
oral glucose tolerance test
excessive thirst
blood sugar level
gestational diabetes diet
polyuria
diabetic nephropathy
excessive urination
polyphagia
fasting plasma glucose
diabetes nutrition
glycosylated hemoglobin
hemoglobin A1c:
natural cure for diabetes
smoking and diabetes
insulin
insulin injections
glucose
pancreas
ketones
Muscle Insulin Sensitivity
rosiglitazone
rosiglitazone side effects
alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Exubera
Exubera side effects
Sulfonylureas
Thiazolidinediones
Biguanides
D-phenylalanine derivatives
Amylin
Amylin synthetic derivatives
Incretin mimetics
Prompt insulin zinc
Humulin R
Avandia
Avandia and heart attacks
Merck diabetes drug
Januvia
Novolin R
inhaled insulin
extended insulin zinc

Before I became ill, I had developed my own line of what I felt to be superior bakery products. I was devastated when I was diagnosed with diabetes and felt I had to scrap my plans of ever opening a bakery. I had been collecting recipes and devising my own line of products for years.

My mother died of complications from diabetes several years before my diagnosis, as had several members of my extended family. I felt it was best for me to bow out of the race (bakery) at this point. So I dropped out of culinary school and went through a period of depression.

Then I started developing a line of lower-carb products for my own use. Last week, my dear husband (who also loves sweets) was diagnosed with diabetes. So now I’m even more determined to convert more and more recipes.

The line of products I originally devised are not lower-carb, so I will have to now take the time to convert them. These recipes consist of deluxe gourmet pies, cakes, and cookies. I’ve put this on the back shelf for now, as presently, most of my time is being devoted to learning to vegetable garden so I can grow my own organic low carb vegetables. But I am happy to be able to share my style of baking and these recipes with you.

The few people I have shared my style of baking with felt it was less difficult than they had expected and produced a much better product.

My hopes are that some of you will also start to convert your recipes and we can all share our results here. Your comments are welcome and appreciated!

TO BEGIN…

I suggest you start with converting your family favorites, or go to AllRecipes.com or DianasDesserts.com and look around for dessert recipes. In the search box, type in what you are looking for, such as, “peanut butter cookies” or “pound cake.” I recommend these sites as they have great recipes and many of the recipes are rated. When you are learning to convert, you’ll only want to select recipes that are the highest rated. This will give you the best chance at having great results. Please convert and share your results with us.

My style of diabetic-friendly baking is very easy to do. Once you start working with various flours, you’ll develop a sense of which flours would be best for your products and taste buds.

For instance, soy flour has what I consider to be a slightly “oniony” smell and taste, so you would not want to use it in a delicate tasting recipe. Some flours are more “grainy” than others, so if you don’t like the grainier texture, you will avoid these or dilute the grain by mixing with another type of flour.

1 c oat flour (rolled oats powdered in food processor or blender)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white all purpose flour
1/2 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c toasted pecans or walnuts chopped
3 very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 1/2 c)
1/4 c plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 T canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Lightly fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients with spatula just until combined. Bake for about 55 mins. Cool for five minutes and invert. Store in refrigerator for four days or on the counter two days.

The original recipe for this banana bread was found on RecipeZaar.com. It called for 2 c all purpose white flour, 3/4 c sugar, and 6 T melted butter. I’m posting the recipe here, as I was pleased with the results of my conversion.

1 c whipping cream, thoroughly chilled
2 to 3 T Splenda
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients in bowl with mixer until whipping cream thickens and soft peaks form. Yield: 2 cups.

2 c milk, scalded
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c Splenda
2 tsp coconut extract
dash nutmeg

In large bowl, beat eggs, add Splenda, coconut extract and nutmeg. Blend in hot milk. Pour into small casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream topped with a little toasted coconut.

The recipes I submitted were adapted to my preferences and dietary needs. I encourage you to adapt them to yours. If you do not want to use white flour, I suggest you use the flour you are most comfortable with such as oat, soy or almond flour. You may prefer to use sour cream in place of yogurt, or Stevia in place of sugar, whole milk or lowfat milk, etc. This is all your choice. My recipes are only guidelines as to how to manipulate recipes to suit your dietary needs while retaining the most flavor.