HOMEMADE APPLE BUTTER
9 cups apples
1 cup cider vinegar
6 cup Splenda or Splenda Blend
red hot candies or cinnamon to taste
Cook apples until tender; run through a blender or food processor. In a saucepan, mix apple pulp with the vinegar, Splenda, and candies or cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 18 minutes. Pour mixture into sterilized jars and seal.
BLACKBERRY CUPS
6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
nonstick cooking spray
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 tbsp Splenda
1 cup sugar-free Cool-Whip
1 carton (6-oz) lite custard-style peach yogurt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Get out 6 large custard cups.
Cut phyllo dough crosswise into 4 pieces. Place 1 sheet phyllo dough on work surface keeping the remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Lightly coat first piece of the sheet of phyllo dough with nonstick cooking spray and place in a large custard cup. Place second piece of first sheet atop the piece in the cup, alternating corners; spray with cooking spray. Repeat with the other two pieces, alternating corners. Repeat this process with the other 5 sheets of dough into the remaining 5 custard cups. Place custard cups on a baking sheet and bake approximately 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Let cool to room temperature.
While phyllo cups bake, combine the blackberries and sugar in a small bowl and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Mix the Cool Whip and yogurt in a medium bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the blackberries for garnish. Fold the remaining blackberries into the yogurt mixture. Spoon mixture into the cooled phyllo cups. Garnish with the reserved berries.
PINEAPPLE-ORANGE DELIGHT
2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups unsweetened crushed pineapple, well drained*
1 pkg (.3-oz) sugar-free orange gelatin
2 cups sugar-free frozen whipped toppping, thawed
In a medium to large bowl, gently fold the cottage cheese, crushed pineapple, and dry gelatin mix into the whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Spoon into dessert dishes. Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a mint spring, if desired.
APPLE ONION SAUTE
4 medium firm apples, cored and sliced
3 tbsps butter
2 onions, sliced
1/2 tsp marjoram
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and apples. Saute over medium heat until apples and onions are tender. Season with marjoram, salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Serve hot with chicken, pork chops, steak, etc.
Serves 4
DIABETIC'S PEAR BUTTER
4 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
4 lb firm, ripe pears (about 10 large pears)
2/3 cup white grape juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
8 to 10 pkts artificial sweetener
Combine water and half of lemon juice. Place peeled, cored, quartered pears in mixture to prevent browning. When all pears are prepared, drain liquid. Put pears in kettle with remaining lemon juice and grape juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook until pears are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool. Press pears through a colander or process in a blender. Return puree to kettle and add spices. Cook and stir until thick, about 20 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and add sweetener, adjusting to taste. Pour into jars and refrigerate up to 3 weeks. If preferred, pour into sterilized jars and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Be sure jars are well sealed.
Yield: 4 cups
Note: This makes a great gift to give a diabetic.
SAUTEED APPLES A LA MODE
4 large apples, sliced
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar-free maple-flavored pancake syrup
sugar-free vanilla ice cream
In a skillet, combine apples, water, and syrup; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until apples are tender. Place ice cream in serving dishes and ladle warm apple mixture over ice cream.
Serves 6
STRAWBERRY SPREAD
1 qt fresh strawberries
3/4 cup cold water, divided
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup Equal Sugar-Lite
Wash, hull, finely coarsely chop berries. Combine in a small dutch oven or other heavy saucepan, strawberries, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring well. Dissolve cornstarch in the remaining cold water and add to the boiling mixture. Reduce the heat and simmer a couple of minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in Equal after mixture has cooled down.
NOTE: This is good spread on toast or used as you might use jelly or jams.
1 tbsp = 11 calories, 3 g carbs, trace protein
APPLE-CHERRY COBBLER
7 tbsp butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Splenda granular
3/4 cup milk
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 can lite cherry pie filling (no sugar added)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put butter into a large oval baking dish and place in oven to melt butter. In a medium mixing bowl, combine Splenda, flour, baking powder, vanilla and milk. Mix well. Remove dish from oven and add batter by pouring into the center of the butter; do not stir or mix. Add apple on top of batter and pie filling on top of apple. Do not stir or mix! Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and crispy around the edge.
Serving note: Serve warm with sugar-free vanilla ice cream.
Note: You can omit the milk and you will have more of a fruit crisp dessert, if desired. Before baking, sprinkle 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans over the top.
CHOCOLATE DIPPED ORANGES
For a pretty dessert tray on a buffet or a "pitch-in" meal, try the following.
6 fresh blemish-free oranges (tangerines also work well but you will need 10-12)
4 - 5 oz sugar-free chocolate sauce or 4 oz bittersweet chocolate.
Wash oranges, hand peel and seperate into sections. Lay sections on paper toweling.
If using bittersweet chocolate, break into pieces and place in a microwavable-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each until chocolate is melted enough to be smooth when stirred.
Dip one end of orange segments about 1/3 of the way into chocolate. Lay on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil. Chill until chocolate is set. Remove to a pretty serving platter.
PINEAPPLE SOUFFLE
2 cans (16 oz each) crushed pineapple in it's own juice--do not drain
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
white bread slices, crusts removed
melted butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together pineapple, flour, Splenda, sugar and eggs. Pour into a shallow casserole dish. Cut bread slices into small squares. Dip squares individually into melted butter and place on top of mixture in dish. Bake 45-60 minutes until lightly browned.
Note: Excellent served with pork.
Note: This is a recipe from the Crystal River Inn in San Marcos, Texas. I reworked it to make it more diabetic friendly.
BAKED APPLES WITH CARAMEL SAUCE
4 large baking apples
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup uncooked oats
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar-free caramel topping
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Wash apples thoroughly and core. Cut a small slice off the bottom is necessary to make apple sit upright. In a small mixing bowl, combine cinnamon, nutmeg, oats, raisins and butter; combine well. Stufff mixture into apples. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45-50 minutes until apples are tender. Remove from oven and drizzle caramel topping over apples. Serve warm.
This recipe is one I received in the mail from SMUCKER'S.