The Diabetic Pastry Chef

1 lb (16-oz)  container plain yogurt
1 1/2 c crushed strawberries
3/4 to 1 c Splenda
1 8 or 9-oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust

Mix together first 4 ingredients. Spread in graham cracker crust and freeze, covered, for 4 hours. Remove from freezer 1/2 hour before serving. Garnish with additional whole strawberries and mint leaves.

Delicious!

6 tart cooking apples
1 c Splenda
2 T whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp salt
1 9-in pie crust in deep dish pie pan, edges fluted

Topping:

1/2 c whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 c melted butter
Light sour cream

Peel, quarter and core the apples before slicing thin. Combine the Splenda, flour, cinnamon, lemon peel, cloves and salt. Toss the apples lightly in this mixture. Arrange the apples in the pie crust, overlapping the slices.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, salt and cheese. Mix in the melted butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes, or until both crust and topping are golden brown. Serve warm with a dollop of light sour cream.

2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T flour
1/2 c sugar or Splenda
1 c buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp vanilla
pastry for a one-crust pie

Beat together the eggs and cinnamon. In separate bowl, mix together the flour and sugar or Splenda. Stir in the buttermilk or sour milk and vanilla.

Add the egg mixture to the buttermilk or sour milk mixture; stir well. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Filling can be doubled for a thicker pie.

2  1 lb 13-oz cans sliced peaches, drained
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c Peach Schnapps
3 T flour
1 T cornstarch
1 T lemon juice
butter
1 double pie crust
milk
1 tsp sugar

In bowl, gently combine first 8 ingredients ending with lemon juice. Add to pie crust that has been fitted into 8×8x5-inch baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Dot with butter. Add top crust and seal. Vent top of pie by pricking with fork in several places. Brush crust with a little milk, and sprinkle top with 1 tsp sugar. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm with no sugar added ice cream.

Lots of pie crust recipes are available at allrecipes.com. Be sure to read the reviews before making your selection. Try adding a bit of whole wheat flour, or oat flour to replace the white flour in pie crust recipes. You might start with substituting a few tablespoons or a quarter of a cup in single crust recipes, or a half cup of these flours in double crust recipes. Continue to increase the amounts in future baking until you are satisfied with the results.

Recipes containing canola oil appear to be the most heart healthy. My personal favorite pie crust contains white flour, half butter and half shortening. Not the healthiest choice, so I’m not including the recipe here. I  plan on developing a blended flour pie crust recipe that relies on oil  in the near future. I’ll be sure to share the results with you.

I roll my pie crusts out between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap, and then flip the crust into the pie pan, and again atop the pie.

2 tsps cinnamon
3 T brown sugar
6 apples, sliced
1 c water
1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 T butter

Mix together cinnamon and brown sugar.

To saucepan, add apples, water and half of of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Cook until almost tender.

In bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Melt butter and cut into dry ingredients with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture until crumbly.

Turn apple mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle crumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking magazine.

2 3/4 pints vanilla, no sugar added ice cream, softened slightly*
1/2 c peanut butter
2 ozs semi-sweet or sugar-free chocolate chips
1 graham cracker pie crust
sugar-free chocolate sauce*
sweetened whipped cream*
peanuts

By hand, stir together ice cream, peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon into graham cracker crust. Freeze immediately until solid, about 2 hours or overnight. Serve with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Garnish with peanuts.

*Chocolate sauce and sweetened whipped cream recipes are both found on this site in the recipe categories.

*I use Healthy Choice lowfat, no sugar added ice cream to make this recipe.

Recipe adapted from Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie recipe

1 quart vanilla, no sugar added ice cream, softened*
1 6-ounce can frozen sugar-free lemonade or limeade, thawed
1 9-inch graham cracker crust

Puree the softened ice cream (should be a bit runny first) in a food processor in six batches for 15 seconds each batch, until light and creamy. If using blender, puree in four batches. Transfer ice cream into a large bowl.

Stir the thawed lemonade into the ice cream, until thoroughly combined. Transfer into graham cracker crust, and use a spatula to smooth. Place in freezer until firm. Remove from freezer about 5 minutes before serving. Top each slice with a whole strawberry or a few blueberries.

* I use Healthy Choice lowfat, no sugar added ice cream.