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Baking Low-Carb

Some tricks from a kitchen magician

By Marlene Koch, author of Marlene Koch’s 375 Sensational Splenda Recipes

Who doesn't love the mouthwatering smell of a freshly baked cake, the perfect pie, or cookies right from the oven? The good news is that having diabetes doesn't mean that you can't enjoy your favorite treats. The problem with most desserts is that they are very dense in carbs (not to mention calories), which can make them tough to fit into a healthy diabetes diet. The secret to "having your cake and eating it too" while managing your blood sugar, is to learn how to creatively curb the carbs or mediate their impact on your blood glucose. All it takes is a bit of kitchen chemistry!

Flours
Substituting alternate flours for some of the all-purpose flour in baked goods is one way to help cut carbs and keep blood sugar in check by adding more fiber.

• White whole-wheat flour is a great choice, as it has all the fiber of whole wheat, with the mild flavor and lighter color of all-purpose flour. You can easily use this type of flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour in most baked goods.

• When using regular, whole-wheat flour, start by replacing just one-fourth of the all-purpose flour. In heartier baked goods, this flour adds a nice, nutty, whole-grain taste but if you use too much it can weigh down your recipes.

• For pastries, replace no more than one-third of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry flour. You can use this type of flour in other baked goods, too, because it imparts more lightness than ordinary whole-wheat flour, but it's not a good choice for yeast breads.

• Soy flour is one more great option. Made from soybeans, it’s higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than wheat flours. Use it in recipes for pancakes and oven cakes, but be sure not to replace more than one-fourth of the all-purpose flour, unless the recipe specifically calls for it.

Sugar and Sugar Substitutes
First, remember that not only white and brown sugar, but honey, molasses, fruit concentrates, and concentrated fruit juices are all simple sugars and will raise your blood sugar similarly.

Perhaps the easiest way to reduce the effect of baked goods on blood glucose levels is to use less sugar without ruining your recipe. In most recipes, one-fourth of the sugar can usually be omitted with no ill effects. Full-flavored sugars like honey and molasses lend themselves easily to being "curbed."

A second option is to replace all or a portion of the sugar in a recipe with a sugar substitute made specifically for cooking and baking. Before you make the substitution however, it is important you know what "baking functions" the sugar is contributing. For example, white sugar caramelizes, thickens, melts and "cracks" in addition to helping food rise and brown. Sugar substitutes only sweeten.

Another option is to use sugar substitute blends such as Splenda Sugar for Baking or Equal Lite for Baking, both of which contain 50 percent real sugar. Substituting these blends makes it easy to slash up to 50 percent of the sugar with predictable results. Do remember that they still contain sugar, and be sure to account for the carbs.

A last option is to use no-calorie sweeteners (not specifically made for baking) that do not contain any sugar, and thus do not affect blood sugar. Here are a few kitchen chemistry tips when going this route:

1. In recipes where sugar thickens, as in a sauce or fruit pie, add an extra touch of cornstarch.
2. For shaping drop cookies, flatten them with a spatula or glass before baking.
3. In cakes, where sugar helps them rise, simply add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and use a slightly smaller pan to compensate for less batter.
4. Last, cookies, cakes, and muffins cook faster without sugar (three to five minutes faster for cookies, five to seven minutes for muffins, and seven to ten minutes for cakes).

More Carb Curbing Tips

• Dried fruit is higher in sugar than fresh (two tablespoons of raisins have as many carbs as a cup of fresh raspberries). Chop dried fruit into small pieces and use half as much or substitute chopped nuts or fresh fruit for some of the dried.

• Substituting mini-morsels for regular size chocolate chips spreads them out better, allowing you to use less.

• Cut carbs in fruit pies by using only a bottom, or top crust (like on a deep dish pie).

• Be generous with sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. They enhance sweetness — without calories or carbs.

Test your new, lower-carb baking knowledge by making the chocolate cake recipe, too. Talk about having your cake and eating it — wait until you taste this one!


Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

No one will ever guess that a chocolate cake so moist, light, and tender is so low in fat and sugar. As if that weren't enough, it only takes one bowl, a whisk, and 10 minutes to whip this cake together. Unbelievable!

Makes 9 servings.

1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (use fresh brown sugar, with no hard lumps)
1 cup Splenda Granular
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
11/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (like Hershey's European)
1/4 cup hot water
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 X 8-inch* baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and the egg for 1 minute until the mixture is thick and frothy. Add the vanilla, brown sugar, and Splenda, and beat with the whisk for 2 more minutes until the mixture is thick and smooth and the sugars have been thoroughly beaten into the mixture. Add 1 cup buttermilk and mix.

Using a sifter or a metal sieve, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder into the liquid mixture. Whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes until the batter is nice and smooth. Pour the hot water into the batter and whisk one more time until the batter is again nice and smooth. The batter will be thin.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and tap the pan on the counter to level the surface and to help remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or just until the center springs back when touched and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook. Remove the cake from the oven and cool.

Before serving, sift powdered sugar over cake.

* Be careful not to substitute a 9-inch square pan; if you need to substitute, use a 9-inch round pan.

Per Serving (1/9 of cake)--
Calories: 160
Fat: 7 g (1 saturated)
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 200 mg
Dietary exchange: 1 1/2 Carbohydrates, 1 Fat


Reviewed by Susan Weiner, R.D., M.S., C.D.E., C.D.N. 3/08