Caramel Sauce…lower sugar

GOLD CARAMEL SAUCE

There aren’t any (that I’ve found) rich, decadent caramel sauces out there that don’t contain sugar alcohols.  I just can’t eat those very often but NEED a good caramel sauce more times than I care to admit!

Since I use Whey Low I can now make my own and have it when I want it and not suffer any ill effects.  (Re: toxic-waste, green cloud…if you catch my drift!!)

Whey Low will cook to the soft ball/hard ball/soft crack/hard crack stages of candy making, so you can make this recipe into a pourable sauce, or even into chewy, buttery, fabulous caramels.  How wonderful is that?!

(Don’t shoot me – I never said it was calorie-less!)

~~~~

 

 

1/4 cup real butter

1 1/4 cup Whey Low Gold

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the Gold, cream, and salt.  Bring to boil and boil, stirring frequently, for 2 1/2 minutes.  (Boil for longer if you want a thicker sauce.  Five minutes will result in caramel that resembles taffy when the sauce is cooled.)

Allow to cool for a few minutes and pour into a small glass pitcher or bowl.  This will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge.  Heat in the microwave for a few seconds to pour or drizzle.  If it gets too thick, heat it with a couple more tablespoons heavy cream.

Makes approx. 16 tablespoons

Per Tablespoon: Calories 47; Protein 0 g; Fat 4 g; Carbs 4 g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 21 mg

 

 

It’s just not the Holidays without eggnog…this one is no sugar added -

EGGNOG

(No sugar or eggs added)

Some things just scream “HOLIDAYS!”…and eggnog is one of those things!  Just because we are trying to eat low or no sugar doesn’t mean we have to forgo this wonder.

There are a lot of recipes out there where you could simply sub Splenda Granular for the sugar and they would work great.  But I’m a girl who gags at the thought of drinking raw eggs – and would rather find a great alternative – and has.

This is surprisingly ‘real’ tasting and in feel, also.  Easy to whip up and is great as creamer in your coffee.  I drizzle it over warm apple crisp, too…WOW!

~~~~

 

 

1 cup fat-free half & half

One 1-ounce pkg (four 1/2- cup serving size) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding powder (Jell-O brand works best…see note)

5 cups 2% milk

3 tablespoons Splenda granular

3/4  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons brandy or rum extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

.
Whisk together the half & half and pudding powder until smooth – this will be very thick. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Whisk in Splenda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and extracts. Allow to chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg. Makes approx twelve 1/2-cup servings.

Per Serving: 82 Cal; 4 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 7 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 5 g Sugar; 155 mg Sodium

**Jell-O brand works best for this recipe.  I love them, but the generic brands are sometimes bigger packages and will make the drink too thick.  Then you have to add more milk, and it just ‘waters’ it down.  Go with Jell-O!

Peppermint Cheese Ball…a beautiful Holiday dessert

CHOCOLATE-MINT CHEESE BALL

Just in time for the Holiday dessert tables that are everywhere you go.  You can’t escape this time of year – the buffets, the lunch rooms, the office parties, and hundred and one other occasions to eat…each filled with stuff we shouldn’t have.

This one everybody will love – whether they like to eat low-sugar or not!  Most bigger grocery stores carry the sugar free star-light peppermints, or you can order from an on-line candy store.  One of my favorites is Perfectly Sweet.  Or there is Candy.com, but they sell in bulk.  I don’t know…you might want 425 star-light mints.  Who am I to judge?!

I serve it with the Murray’s Double Chocolate Cookies – or graham crackers – or off of a spoon…

~~~~

 

 

One 8-ounce pkg. reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
One 4 ounce package sugar-free peppermint candies
1/4 cup Hersey’s sugar free chocolate chips or other sugar free chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese, Splenda, vanilla, 3 tablespoons finely crushed candies, and chocolate. Place in a small plastic wrap-lined bowl and chill 4 hours or overnight. Unmold cheese ball and place on a pretty plate. Gently press 1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candies onto the surface. 

The candies tend to get “wet” if left in the fridge too long. I would press them onto the surface just before serving.

Makes ten servings, 2 tablespoons each.
Per Serving: 118 Cal; 3 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 4 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 0 g Sugar

Meatball Stew – protein packed and easy

MEATBALL STEW

Need a quick supper? Fix this dish and even the pickiest eaters in the house will gobble it up.

Toss a crunchy salad full of dark greens and colorful red and yellow peppers, radishes, some purple onion slices, and deep black olives. Dowse it with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar…sprinkle lots of freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.

For the family, thickly slice a crusty baguette, rub the pieces with garlic and drizzle on some olive oil, and a sprinkling of Italian herbs. Throw it under the broiler until golden.

~~~~

 

 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 ribs of celery, diced
2 tablespoons pearl barley
1/2 cup water
Two 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
One 16-ounce pkg. frozen OR homemade pre-cooked meatballs (Vege Version: 1 pkg Trader Joe’s vegetarian meatballs…or other brand)

In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are transparent. Stir in barley and sauté for 1 minute. Turn heat up to medium-high. Add water, broth, tomatoes, basil, oregano, bay leaf, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduced heat to low. Allow to simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Barley should be tender but still chewy at this point. Remove bay leaf.  Add meatballs and continue simmering for 15 minutes longer. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes approx eight  (1 cup) servings.

Per Serving: Calories 217; Protein 13 g; Fat 11 g; Carbs 10 g; Sugar 3 g; Sodium 484 mg

Okay…so I love cheesecake…that is old news!

SWEET POTATO CHEESECAKE

How convenient!

Just in case you bake off too many sweet potatoes for your souffle or candied-whatever you will now have something fabulous to do with them.

Glad I could be of help.

~~~~

 

 

 

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs OR sugar free shortbread crumbs

2 tablespoons Splenda Granular

1/4 cup melted butter

Filling:

Three 8-ounce pkgs reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1  1/4 cups Splenda Granular

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (or yams)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon cloves)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream OR half & half

3 eggs

.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine cracker/cookie crumbs, Splenda granular, and melted butter.  Pat into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of the prepared pan.  Wrap pan in foil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 10 mintues.

.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until softened.  Beat in Splenda Granular, lemon juice, lemon zest, sweet potatoes, vanilla, spices, and cream.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended.  Pour filling into prepared crust.

.

Return to oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until set on the edgess and the very middle is still jiggly.  (Cover loosely with foil after 30 minutes, if you don’t want it colored).

.

Remove from oven to a wire rack.  Cool for 15 minutes; run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen, but do not remove sides of pan; cool completely.  Remove sides of pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Chill for 5 hours or, preferable, overnight.  Makes 20 servings.

.

Per Serving: Calories 184; Protein 6 g; Fat 11 g; Carbs 14 g; Sugar 4 g; Sodium 196 mg

.

Like eating a beautiful pumpkin cloud…

PUMPKIN MOUSSE

Made with whipping cream, this is not a low-fat dessert.  But a few spoonfuls of this is Heavenly after a big meal or with some coffee in the evening of a special day.

Here it’s simply made into no-sugar-added and we’ll let the Fat Fairy deal with the extra calories the day after!

~~~~

 

 

One 15-ounce can Libby’s 100% Pumpkin puree (NOT the sweetened pie filling)
3 cups heavy whipping cream, divided (see note)
3/4 cup Splenda Granular
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon cloves)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Sugar free Murray’s Ginger Snaps, for garnish, if you can find them.  (Or sprinkle with toasted pecans or simply dust with a little more cinnamon.)

Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, Splenda, and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and chill until completely cool. Whip remaining 2 cups of heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold into chilled pumpkin mixture. Spoon into your prettiest wine glasses and crumble ginger snaps over top just before serving. Makes approx. 12 one-half cup servings.

Note: This is best with real cream, but if desired, use 1 cup heavy cream cooked with the pumpkin and 3 cups thawed Cool Whip to fold into chilled mixture.

With whipping cream:
Per Serving: Calories 234; Protein 0 g; Fat 20 g; Carbs 12 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 42 mg

With Cool Whip:
Per Serving: Calories 152; Protein 1 g; Fat 11 g; Carbs 11 g; Sugar 1 g; Sodium 48 mg

Holiday Gorgeousness!

PUMPKIN ROLL

This is my version of the famous orange-label recipe.  It’s low-sugar, completely moist and spicy.  I took out the butter from the filling and added whipped cream.  It’s easier than it looks and always gets rave reviews.

(Don’t be scared of a cake roll.  Even if it cracks or breaks it still tastes great.  I’ve had it turn into a pile of chunks, so I just layer the cake, then filling, then cake, then filling…in a trifle bowl, said “I meant to do that.”,  and called it fabulous!)

~~~~

.

.

Cake:

1/4 cup powdered Whey Low or powdered sugar, if you can have it  (for sprinkling on towel)

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 eggs

1 cup Whey Low Granular (or Splenda if that’s all you have)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2/3 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree

.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 15x1o – inch jelly roll pan with vegetable cooking spray and line bottom of pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over a clean kitchen towel and lay on a table or counter.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a large bowl beat together the egg and WL/Splenda until thick.  Beat in lemon juice and pumpkin.  Fold in the flour mixture.  Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes or just until cake springs back when lightly touched.

Run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto the towel.  Remove the paper carefully.  Starting at the short (10 inch) side slowly roll the cake AND the towel together.  Don’t squeeze or roll it tight, just gently and loosely.    Allow to cool on a wire rack completely.

Filling:

One 8-ounce package  fat free cream cheese, softened

1 cup Splenda Granular

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups Splenda-sweetened whipped cream or 2 1/2 cups Cool Whip (one small container), thawed

.

In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the Splenda and vanilla until well combined.  Beat in the Cool Whip or whipped cream.

To assemble:

Carefully unroll cake and towel…don’t force the tightest end to lay flat.  Spread cream cheese mixture over the cake to within 1/2 inch from each edge.  Re-roll cake.  Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill for at least one hour.  To serve, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired, and slice.  Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving (using reduced fat cream cheese): Calories 131; Protein 5 g; Fat 6 g; Carbs 9 g; Sugar 3 g; Sodium 126 mg