The Diabetic Pastry Chef

I had a lot of fun giving this interview for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review news feature on The Diabetic Pastry Chef!

Whole-Wheat Oatie Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Flower Bundt Cake

Below is what I posted a while ago, to clarify why my recipes were removed from this site.  But – no worries – as my cookbook is now here!

I had posted a cheesecake recipe on a few diabetes sites, and the response was pretty typical of what I sometimes receive.

Here are some of the responses:

“You should use a natural sweetener such as stevia instead of Splenda.”

“You should use more fat; try heavy cream in place of the whipped topping.”

“You’re using too much fat in the recipe. You should use fat-free sour cream and Neufchâtel cheese in place of the cream cheese.”

“You should use a different crust.”

“You should give carb counts, etc.”

Most people seemed pleased with the recipe.  Still, as you can see, you can’t please everyone; and that’s because we are all dealing with our diets differently.

Some diabetics like high-fat, low carb diets.  Others like low-fat, low carb diets.  Some follow the exchange diet, or one of the many other diabetic diets. There are diabetics who won’t touch Splenda, others who are gluten-free, etc.  I’m sure you get the point.

So I’ll reiterate what I’ve said numerous times before: The recipes I post are my own personal recipes.  These recipes work well for my health and glucose readings.

My body may produce more or less insulin than yours. My cholesterol levels may differ from yours, as well as my taste buds.

For example, if you’d rather not use soy milk, organic and unsweetened ALMOND MILK is always an option, and is right next to the cartons of soy milk in your grocery aisle.

If you prefer not to use a commercial whipped topping, my Whipped Cream recipe is a nice, more wholesome alternative.  And, even in that recipe, you can choose to use an organic sweetener such as stevia in lieu of the Splenda.  It’s up to you!

When you’re dealing with diabetes, one recipe does not fit all!  You have to be able to tailor a recipe to YOUR specific health, personal preferences and taste buds.

I have removed most of the recipes from my site because I felt as though some readers were confusing my personal favorite recipes with my recipe-tailoring formula.

You have to be able to take a recipe and make it your own.  I have provided a formula and many tips to help you accomplish this.  I pray you never look at a recipe again and think, “I can’t make that; it has too much sugar, too many carbs, too much fat, it contains white flour or wheat, etc.”

My formula should enable you to pick up any cookbook or go to any baking site, and convert almost any dessert recipe to a diabetic-friendly version you are able to eat and enjoy without worry.

The basis of my formula consists of four (4) factors -

I often use the acronym FFMS to conveniently remind myself that it’s a Four-Factor Measuring System, as well as to swiftly remember each component of my formula – Flour(s), Fat, Milk, Sugar.

Any way you choose to use those four letters of the formula to help you quickly recall the components will work!

If FFMS across the board is easiest for you (the name of the formula and the components of it), then by all means, go with that!

Here are the essential factors:

1.  Change or mix the flours

2.  Lessen the sugar

3.  Dilute whole milk with half water

4.  Use a healthier fat, such as canola oil

These four steps should be enough to adequately convert most of the dessert recipes you come across; but if not, I provide a host of additional tips that can be utilized to lower the carbs, and or fat, even further.

Trust me, you don’t have to be limited in the desserts you can eat and enjoy, as long as you successfully make the recipe your own!

These Easter Basket Cupcakes I baked (and have made since adolescence) for my family yesterday are but a fond memory now. I’m glad I captured them on film!

It’s very nice that gourmet jelly beans are widely available in juicy SUGAR-FREE flavors!

Here are the Raspberry Linzer Tortes (Linzertortes) that I made for my family recently. The recipe for my diabetic-friendly Orange Marmalade Linzer Torte is on Page 119 of my cookbook.

The beauty of this is you can choose ANY low-sugar jam, preserves or marmalade you prefer when baking this; doesn’t have to be raspberry or orange.

Lots of low-sugar (and no-sugar) jam/preserves/marmalade varieties are available nowadays!

“Think medically restricted diets are bland and boring? A grocery bag full of new cookbooks will make you eat your words.” – Buffalo News
http://www.buffalonews.com/340/story/951498.html


“The Diabetic Pastry Chef, an impressive 192-page culinary compendium of pastry dishes.” – Midwest Book Review http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/jan_10.htm


“The Diabetic Pastry Chef is a wonderful cookbook with more than just recipes.” – Haley Mathiot
http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-diabetic-pastry-chef.html


The July 2009 issue of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) magazine, Diabetes Forecast, includes an article mentioning The Diabetic Pastry Chef

~ For UPCOMING MEDIA EVENTS (interviews, book signings, baking demos), check out my Events Calendar in the right sidebar under Pages

~ In addition to Facebook, you can also follow The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/DiabeticPasChef

~ I’d like to give special thanks to The Bayer Corporation, who stumbled upon my blog, and have offered to sponsor me to provide baking demonstration classes to the public.

~ I’d also like to give thanks to my additional sponsors and supporters: Health Craft, Giant Eagle Market District, Chocolate Graphics (sugar-free chocolates) and Diabetic Cooking.

Here is my new organic sister site, for diabetic baking that is even better!

The Diabetic Pastry Chef GOES ORGANIC

A meal planning technique many diabetics use for managing their blood glucose levels is known as carb counting.

Carb counting should take into account how active you are; and what, if any, medications you are taking.  Generally a diabetic should start with 45 to 60 grams of carbs per meal and adjust this to their health.  Food labels and carb counters can be relied on for help in carb counting.

To further lower the carbs in my recipes, or in your own, you might choose to use a mixture of some of the lower-carb flours such as coconut flour, almond flour, flaxseed flour, soy flour or oat flour.

8 tea bags
4 quarts water
2 oranges, washed and quartered
1 1/3 c Splenda
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
ground cloves

Steep teabags in boiling water and cool. Add to pitcher. By hand, squeeze the juice from the oranges into the pitcher. Drop the squeezed quarters into the pitcher. Stir in the Splenda and add cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to taste. Stir and chill.

Note: Lemons can be substituted for the oranges, or a combination of oranges and lemons can be added. Yield: 1 gallon.