In our October 2011 issue, we talked about kids and their sugar habits. Here is one way parents can have their kids enjoy a treat, but without the added sugar.
We're liking this xylitol-based sweetener, XyloSweet, which is an all-natural sweetener derived from corn cobs, strawberries, plums, and other natural sources, and is similar to sugar in taste and texture but with unique and surprising health benefits not found in other artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes.
Xylitol contains 40 percent fewer calories than sugar, has a net carb level of only 0.4 per gram, and has minimal impact on blood-sugar levels, making it an appropriate sugar substitute for diabetics with a sweet tooth.
We tracked down a few holiday recipes that may still let you party and watch your health. Give them a try and let us know.
XyloSweet® Strawberry Milk Shake
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries
2 tsp of XyloSweet®
1 ½ cups of chilled milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
A few pieces of ice (optional)
Directions:
Place the strawberries, milk, XyloSweet®, and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a few pieces of ice (optional), blend again for just a second and serve immediately.
XyloSweet® Banana-Nut Bread
Xylitol is derived from the fibrous parts of plants. Many fruits, like raspberries, plums and bananas are rich in xylitol and as a result, substituting regular sugar with xylitol makes natural sense when baking with these types of fruit. This bread recipe yields a sweet bread with a wonderful, tropical aroma that makes the whole house smell inviting. Since it is “sugar-free” it is great for diabetics or anyone concerned about excess sugar consumption.
Ingredients:
6 Tbs. (85 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) XyloSweet® xylitol granules
3 to 4 very ripe bananas (about 1½ cups or 375 mL), coarsely mashed
3 eggs
½ cup (125 mL) buttermilk (or mix ½ teaspoon lemon juice into ½ cup milk and let stand for 5 minutes)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans – coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 175° (Gas Mark 4 or 350° F). Grease and flour a 13 cm x 23 cm (9 x 5 inch) loaf pan.
In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, salt and nuts). Set aside while preparing the wet ingredients.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and XyloSweet® together until light and well combined. Add the bananas and lightly beaten eggs. Mix well. Add the buttermilk and mix just until all of the buttermilk is incorporated into the batter. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the batter and stir, but do not over mix as the final batter should still be lumpy.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Fill only about 2/3 full – the bread will rise and spill over the pan if it is filled too full. Any remaining batter could be put into individual muffin tins (note that these would require less baking time). Bake for about 55 minutes to one hour at which point the bread should be a golden brown and the bread will have pulled away from the sides of the pan slightly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Remove from oven and allow the bread to rest for 5 minutes or so prior to removing from the pan. Let the bread cool completely prior to slicing.
To store: wrap the bread in plastic wrap and store at room temperature overnight or for longer storage, wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
XyloSweet® Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mix:
· 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
· 3/4 cup XyloSweet®
· 2 TBSP unsweetened applesauce
· 1 egg
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 1 cup plus 2 TBSP spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
· 1/2 tsp baking soda
· 1/4 tsp salt
· 4 ounces maltitol sweetened dark chocolate bars, chopped
Combine: In large bowl, cream butter with XyloSweet® until fluffy. Gradually add applesauce during creaming process. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually stir flour mixture into batter, and fold in chocolate. Drop 1/2 TBSP of dough for each cookie onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cookies are soft when taken from the oven, but become firm when stored overnight.
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.
Per cookie: Calories: 41.8 Carbs: 6.7g Fiber: 0.5g Fat: 2.2g Sodium; 33.5g Net Carbs: 1.8g
XyloSweet® Holiday Cranberry Walnut Cobbler
Filling:
4 fresh cups fresh cranberries (two 8-oz. packages)
1 1/3 cups XyloSweet®
¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup unsalted butter
Batter:
¼ cup XyloSweet®
1 cup spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
½ cup low-fat milk
To prepare filling:
In a large bowl combine XyloSweet® with cranberries that have been cut in half (Cutting cranberries in half prevents them from bursting during baking, which helps them retain their shape). Stir well to coat all the berries with XyloSweet®. Cover and set aside for two hours or place in refrigerator overnight. After allowing mixture to sit, stir walnuts and orange juice. Melt butter and pour into 8’ square baking pan. Spoon filling over melted butter in baking pan.
To prepare batter:
Combine XyloSweet® with flour and baking powder. Add egg and milk, and mix well. Pour batter over filling, and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Best served when warm.
XyloSweet® Heavenly Spice Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons prune puree
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups XyloSweet®
2/3 cup finely chopped prunes (cooked and drained)
Frosting:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup XyloSweet®
½ cup finely chopped prunes (cooked and drained)
½ cup chopped pecans
Directions:
Combine first six ingredients in medium bowl; set aside. In another bowl, mix melted butter, prune puree, applesauce, sour cream, and egg yolks. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add XyloSweet® and beat until peaks are stiff but not dry. Using spatula, gradually fold dry ingredients into egg whites alternately with liquid ingredients; stir just until batter is smooth. Fold in chopped prunes. Transfer to 9” x 13” baking pan that has been buttered, lined with parchment paper, and buttered again. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
To prepare frosting:
In saucepan, combine butter, sour cream, egg and XyloSweet®. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in prunes and pecans. Allow to cool completely before spreading over cooked cake. Refrigerate frosted cake until ready to serve
XyloSweet® Pumpkin Bars
Crust:
1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 ¼ cups spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup XyloSweet®
¾ teaspoon maple flavoring
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
Filling:
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons XyloSweet®
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup evaporated skim milk
To prepare crust:
Combine oats, flour, XyloSweet®, maple flavoring, pecans, salt, and baking soda; mix well. Cut in butter and stir in applesauce; mixture should be crumbly. Divide crust mixture in half; press half of mixture onto bottom of lightly buttered 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
To prepare filling:
Place all filling ingredients except milk in large bowl and mix well; stir in milk.
To prepare bars:
Spread filling over the crust and then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.
XyloSweet, made by Xlear, Inc., is the perfect alternative for health-conscious sweets lovers. In addition to being a superb option for those with diabetes, XyloSweet also helps promote good dental health and hygiene. NO, it isn’t too good to be true; baking with xylitol not only saves you calories, it also reduces the risk of tooth decay! XyloSweet offers parents, kids and grandparents the chance to create delicious holiday treats without sugar, while delivering health benefits to both teeth and body.