The Diabetic Pastry Chef

3/4 c regular Splenda
2 T cornstarch

Place in blender and blend to a fine powder. Use in recipes calling for powdered or confectioners’ sugar.

1 (18.5-oz) box chocolate cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

Mix together and fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean about 20 to 25 minutes.

Try this with Pillsbury’s reduced sugar Devil’s Food cake mix.

Be sure to buy pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix.

A recent post on a homemaking forum I belong to reminded me about the two-ingredient cake mix desserts. I was first introduced to these recipes through Weight Watchers. These are great for diabetics because the recipes omit the eggs and oil that are typically needed to bake a cake. Try the new reduced sugar cake mixes from Pillsbury with these recipes and you’ll really do your body a favor. These recipes work well for low-carbers and non-diabetics also, so feel free to serve these to your friends or whole family.

1. My favorite recipe is to take an angel food cake mix and add an undrained 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Do not add anything else. Mix well with a large spoon and follow package directions for baking. This is great topped with whipped cream or frozen whipped topping.

2. Take a (18.25-oz) box of spice cake mix and add 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix). Mix and spread in a 9×13-in pan and bake according to package directions.This recipe can be found at allrecipes.com. Be sure to read the reviews for tips: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Two-Ingredient-Pumpkin-Cake/Detail.aspx

3. Take a (18.25-oz) box of dark chocolate cake mix and add exactly 10 ozs of diet Coke or diet root beer. Mix well and pour into a 9×13-in pan and bake according to package directions at 350 degrees. The cake will be a bit more dense than a regular chocolate cake, more similar to a cake brownie. Use Pillsbury’s reduced-sugar Devil’s Food cake mix for this.

4. Try the above recipe with a white or yellow cake mix and diet Sprite. Pillsbury also puts out a reduced-sugar yellow cake mix.

• One in four Americans has diabetes, or is at risk of developing it.
• Two out of three people with diabetes die from heart disease or stroke.
• Diabetes is the #1 cause of adult blindness.
• Diabetes is the #1 cause of kidney failure.
• Diabetes results in more than 60% of non-traumatic lower limb amputations each year.
• Up to 80% of Type 2 diabetes is preventable by eating a healthy diet and increasing physical activity.

If you’re unsure about which flours to use in your recipes, here is a helpful link that will alleviate your fears. There are many flour choices here: www.foodsubs.com/Flour.html.

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.

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