Sugar-free Recipes

Many people who are diet-conscious are changing over to sugar-free recipes, in order to watch their weight and their health. A lot of us are realizing that less sugar also means lower carbohydrate intake, and realize that sugar is a quick energy fix that creates an energy drop three hours later. These are recipes for those of us who still crave something sweet, who want to, or need to cut back on their sugar intake.

First of all, add a little variety to your sugar-free pudding mix - use sugar-free graham crackers to create a crust. Decorate with sugar-free candies, such as mint patties, sugar-free chocolate pieces, or sugar free gummy candy.

Cannoli shells only have a minuscule amount of sugar, and are wonderful presentations for all kinds of sugar-free fillings. Instant pudding, piped into the cannoli makes an excellent filling, which may add a gorgeous decoration to sugar-free ice cream, giving the dessert a touch of class. I found that packaged string cheese readily fit into a large cannoli shell, which tasted great after placing in the microwave for 10 - 15 seconds. Adding a few berries to the inside, or a few sprigs of mint, or a few citrus wedges makes for a tasty and appealing presentation. Other fillings to use include cheese spreads, which may be decorated with vegetables, for a continental European accent to your meal. For a quick dessert, placing seasonal fruit slices or freshly washed berries into a cannoli, then filling it with sugar-free whipped cream from a can or spooning in sugar-free frozen non-dairy dessert topping will work. Or, spoon in a few small spoonfuls of a sugar-free jam, jelly or preserve, such as Polaner's, which is manufactured in a large variety of textures and flavors, then add the sugar-free whipped topping. I found cannoli shells available both at Tops and Wegman's, or by mail order from Mr. Snack.

Sometimes, finding sugar-free creamer can be a little bit of a hassle. The stuff is available in french vanilla and hazelnut, however, you want something a little different. It's easy to make a little bit of difference in the sugar-free creamer, by way of adding flavoring. Add a little orange or lemon extract (1/4 teaspoon) to a bottle of french vanilla flavored creamer for an elegant orange creamsicle or lemon creamsicle flavored sugar-free coffee creamer. Or, add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract into a bottle of hazelnut creamer for a nuttier flavor, or 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate flavoring to a bottle of hazelnut creamer to make a chocolate hazelnut coffee creamer.

Taking the powdered type of non-dairy creamer, placing 1 cup of this into a glass or plastic measuring cup, diluting 1 teaspoon full of flavored extract, and four packets of sugar substitute into 1/8 of a cup of water (using a 1/4 measuring cup), sprinkling the mix into the non-dairy creamer, gently stirring the mixture, then microwaving the mixture for 30 seconds to dry out the water, and stirring the mixture again. Allow the mixture to cool, then place in a sealed container, this will make an excellent and original flavoring. Flavor choices include vanilla, rum, mint, almond, lemon, anise, orange, cinnamon, chocolate, peppermint, spearmint - or combinations of the above such as mint chocolate flavored coffee creamer, or lemon rum flavored coffee creamer.

Adding a little texture and flavor to sugar-free gelatin desserts is easily done by way of using 50% of the cold water as cold soda pop or cold diet drink. So, if you are making a 4 cup serving box of sugar-free gelatin dessert, mix in 1 cup of hot water, then 1/2 cup of cold water, allow to cool for five minutes, (about the time it takes to clean your counterspace and table) then add 1/2 cup of diet carbonated beverage or iced tea. Here's some interesting suggestions: diet Rockstar, diet Sprite, diet Coke with lime, diet Mountain Dew, diet Pepsi, flavored seltzer, Aquafina flavor splash, diet dr. Brown's cherry cola, diet Dr. Brown's root beer; diet Lipton pure leaf iced tea in green tea citrus or white tea raspberry or white tea peach papaya, diet Schweppes tonic water, diet Canada Dry ginger ale, diet Blue Sky cherry vanilla soda.

These are interesting and cost-effective, time-saving recipes that allow you to have a bit of fun in the kitchen while making something sugar-free for yourselves.

Pre-writing for this article was researched at Tops and Wegman's stores.