Our Favorite Game: Replacing A Cup of Sugar

[Bfranke]

So, Kevin, you are using SlimSweet for the Splenda part of the equation? Any more thoughts on using part of a Splenda Quick Pack?
Bette

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by Bfranke

So, Kevin, you are using SlimSweet for the Splenda part of the equation? Any more thoughts on using part of a Splenda Quick Pack?
Bette

Bette, My intent is to come out of this with 2 mixs. The two interchangable parts would be SlimSweet and Splenda quick packs. But alas, all of this take time! And getting the sweetness right tied to the volume is tricky.

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

Oddly enough when I back out the splenda to tone down the sweetness it disappeared.

Now, I'm just thinking aloud here, but could it be that just MAYBE it's because this is a different day than the day when you whoofed 3 big servings of the Pavlova? Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

[Kevinpa]

Another point of interest with this dipping chocolate is I have gone back to the well 3 times without any problems. That is to say I have reheated it twice after it was set in the mixing bowl and within about 1 minute it was right back to dipping consistency.

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by theislandgirl

Now, I'm just thinking aloud here, but could it be that just MAYBE it's because this is a different day than the day when you whoofed 3 big servings of the Pavlova? Hmmmmmmmmmmm?

Honestly, I would be the first to say if I thought that was true but I have had enough today for it to have effected me also. I am doing some major blood glucose test with this mix as well.

[stephdray]

As I mentioned before, I don't yet have all the ingredients that Kevin is using in his Blend #2. Namely, I don't have Xylitol or Slimsweet. I replaced the Xylitol with granular splenda for purposes of my own experiment and then added two packets of Ace-K. Extremely unscientific, but those strawberries were much too impressive for me not to try.

I went ahead and followed the same method Kevin did with the double boiler, then laid them out on my baking mat. The chocolate was possibly not sweet enough, and I did need to chill it. I then drizzled the leftover chocolate over an almond flour pound cake that I made last night. The final product looked like it could not possibly have been low carb, but it was!

Pictures below:

It was the most delicious low-carb desert I've ever had.

Anyway, the upshot is that this blend is possibly more versatile than we think, since I don't even have all the right ingredients and it still worked fairly well, though not perfectly. My chocolate hardened, but it was slightly on the softer side.

[Yummy's_Girl]

Those look deliciois stephdray! Thanks for helping with the experiments and sharing pics and results

[RVcook]

I just LOVE how collaboration works!!!!

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by scott123 April 2006

Brownies (Jackieba)
1 cup POLYD
1/3 CUP ERYTHRITOL
1 PACK SWEETONE
1/2 cup CARBQUIK

2 SQUARES UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
1 STICK BUTTER
(1/3 cup sugar equiv)
1 TSP VANILLA
2 EGGS
½ CUP CHOPPED PECANS

PREHEAT OVEN TO 325 DEGREES

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS.
MELT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE
ADD SPLENDA & VANILLA TO BUTTER/CHOC MIX
LET COOL A BIT THEN ADD EGGS TO BUTTER/CHOC
SLOWLY ADD WET INGRED TO DRY WHISKING/STIRRING VIGOROUSLY
ADD NUTS

BAKE IN FOIL LINES/SPRAYED 8" SQUARE PAN

BAKE 30-35 MINUTES

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil/parchment (by far, the easiest for removal later)

Back when I saw Scott post this recipe last April I tried it and it became my favorite brownie recipe.
The bad part was I could not tolerate the level of polyD in it so I could only make it a couple times.

I thought a good test for this sweetener was to make these brownies with it.


Although it did not turn out the fudgey, raw brownie that the polyd creates, it still turned out very moist and chewy and ranks with some of the best HC brownies I have had.

I subbed the following 1 cup of this sweetener for the polyd and sweeteners in this recipe.

Mix #2 (1 cups volume & sweetening power)
3 TB Xylitol
9 TB Erythritol
2 TB Diabetisweet
2 TB SlimSweet
2 TB Inulin
2 TB not/Sugar

[Yummy's_Girl]

Yummy! Do we have a winning sweetener combo yet?

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by Yummy's_Girl

Yummy! Do we have a winning sweetener combo yet?

As I said yesterday Yummy, I have a lot of testing to do yet. I like what I see so far and the sweetness is very consistant but at what point you decide to try this is going to be up to you. I plan on taking my time so I get it right the first time. I still have not even started on the splenda version yet either. For all I know at this point.....that may be better.

[RVcook]

Kevin: Like you...I simply cannot tolerate Poly-d and that is what prompted me to begin this formulation. I too find that the results are very much like REAL sugar and I'm very happy to hear that you are finding the same to be true.

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

Another point of interest with this dipping chocolate is I have gone back to the well 3 times without any problems. That is to say I have reheated it twice after it was set in the mixing bowl and within about 1 minute it was right back to dipping consistency.

That's the good bit; as long as you don't overheat it or overbeat it and it has the higher fat content, you can do this for quite some time. Great, isn't it?

:wave:

[Yummy's_Girl]

I'm going to try it after the splenda testing, since I dont have any slimsweet right now. That way, if the splenda blend works well, I wont need to order slimsweet at all.

I think I'm just worked up and anxious over it!

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

Mix #2 (1 cups volume & sweetening power)
3 TB Xylitol
9 TB Erythritol
2 TB Diabetisweet
2 TB SlimSweet
2 TB Inulin
2 TB not/Sugar

I am abandoning this mixture after recieving complaints from over 50% of the people who have tried it about gastric issues and over sweetness. It is great for texture but it looks like there are issues when sampled by a varied group of people.

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

I am abandoning this mixture after recieving complaints from over 50% of the people who have tried it about gastric issues and over sweetness. It is great for texture but it looks like there are issues when sampled by a varied group of people.

Well that's too bad! If it were just over-sweet, that would be readily fixable...but the gastric issues; yes...that is something that one must consider. I wish I had some inulin to test this out and I'm wondering whether the inulin PLUS all the SA's are creating the issues. I know that not everyone can tolerate SA's so perhaps the additional inulin (fiber) PLUS not/sugar (fiber) is just too much. Whatdja think?

[theislandgirl]

Probably right...after all the bulk of it is E, which has the fewest percentage gastric issues, IIRC. I think it's the whole lot of fiber. Me, I'd seriously consider leaving out the not/Sugar, it's already in a bunch of recipes where baking is occurring and I shudder to think what could happen if it's in the baking recipe AND in the sweetener...

There's enough other SAs and inulin (poly-somethings, each and every one) to help distribute the E and inhibit recrystallization, at a guess (though I have a personal thing about isomalt/Diabetisweet, I think in this amount/percentage, it'd be ok). And the inulin has other health benefits, so I'd want to try and keep that...yeah, I'm a little biased, though I am (really!) a long time fan and user of the ThickenThin products.

Yep, I'd go with that, my dears...if you still want to experiment a bit and aren't too fed up...

[Kevinpa]

My guess would be a combination of Xylitol and inulin.

Bottom line though is this is kind of bringing me full circle to believe that maybe a lb for lb premix scoopable sugar sub is not the way to proceed.

Up to this point I have had success matching sweeteners to the situation while avoiding issues with those who eat what I make. The convenience of a premix is becoming less desirable as it suits less people that eat the food.

[RVcook]

Originally Posted by Kevinpa

My guess would be a combination of Xylitol and inulin.

Bottom line though is this is kind of bringing me full circle to believe that maybe a lb for lb premix scoopable sugar sub is not the way to proceed.

Up to this point I have had success matching sweeteners to the situation while avoiding issues with those who eat what I make. The convenience of a premix is becoming less desirable as it suits less people that eat the food.

Well heck...it was a nice idea anyway. Hmmm...this makes me think that I must be a rarity in the camp that just doesn't have SA "issues." Which is interesting considering what Poly-d does to me... . I'm not sure how else to explain why I don't exhibit any gastric issues with my blend...at all... .

[Kevinpa]

Originally Posted by RVcook

I'm not sure how else to explain why I don't exhibit any gastric issues with my blend...at all... .

Donna, how many people on a regular basis other you and your hubby eat the things you make with your blend?

[lori121]

Thanks for all the great tips. Now I'm off to find the Meringue & blue berry coulis' recipes... Don't know why I'm craving blueberries. But so far I have resisted baking..

[RVcook]

I've passed along my formula to 3 other individuals who bake regularly for their families. Additionally, I have prepared many different items and shared them with people OTHER than the 3 previously mentioned. Each time I share something I've baked with a new person, I always check back with them to see if there were any gastric issues. I not only have NOT had any "bad" reports, most of the people ask me to prepare it again for them when they visit.

I have to say that I really have NO other explanation for the gastric discrepancy here which is why I was wondering if all the fiber was to blame. I would actually think that IF one found the sweetness TOO sweet, then simply leaving out the SlimSweet should technically work. But the ONLY real fiber in my blend is the inulin in the Stevia+ the rest is fairly straight forward:
Xylitol
Erythritol
Diabetisweet
SlimSweet

Certainly I cannot believe that only the people I know don't have gastric issues and only the people you know do. It just simply has to be the amount of extra fiber in addition to the SA's that is producing a less than desirable side effect.

[Bfranke]

I have been reading steadily here. So, this afternoon, I mixed some sweetener up. This will be my take on it, and once the cup I mixed is tested will report back. Tomorrow I plan biscotti dipped in Kevins Dipping Chocolate. The next day, I plan to dip strawberries and make Pavlova. And I plan to make some Anise Meringues this week and again drizzle with chocolate. We will see how this all goes.
Bette

[magnamater]

Wow!!!

All of you! Kudos are in order!

I travel a couple of days, and look what happens. . .

you guys rock!

Thanks, I'll be following the experiments. . .I THINK some ingredients came in. . .I'll know tonight, and can start, maybe, myself.

The dipping choc and the pavlova both look SO DARN GOOD!

Thanks to all, especially to Kevin for the experiments!

[stephdray]

When I was trying to reproduce the formula Kevin used, I was getting more than a cup measure for measure. This may be because I was using granular splenda in the place of xylitol and because I measure by volume rather than weight. I dunno.

But anyway, the point is that we've got a bunch of different formulas going here. (And with good reason because honestly, I tried Stevia this weekend for the first time, and I almost started retching on it it was so terrible. I don't know how some people choke that down!)

Anyway, as I said, my experimentation with the strawberries was not very scientific, and I did not have all the proper ingredients. But with what I had, I was able to make hardened chocolate and neither my husband nor myself had any gastric symptoms.

[Yummy's_Girl]

Originally Posted by theislandgirl

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sweetener, Sugar Replacement Blend #1

Recipe By : Jude / IslandGirl


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Sweetener, Sugar Sweetness Equivalent, my special blend #1
130 grams Polydextrose -- @ scant 3/4 C, 40 cals
81 grams Erythritol crystals -- @ 1/2 C, 18 cals
80 grams Xylitol Crystals -- @ 1/3 C, 192 cals
8 grams Ace-K, SweetOne or Sunnett -- @ 6 packets, 20 cals
1/2 gram pure Sucralose powder (Splenda) -- @ 1/8th Tsp
1/2 gram pure Stevia white powder -- @ 1/8th Tsp

Jude, is this the regular stevia powder used here, or the stevia plus?
And how many cups does this blend make?

[datahamstr]

So nice to see everyone here still hard at work, lol! Good on you all
I've been searching this thread, and can't find the original recipe for the dipping chocolate. Could someone kindly post the link where I'd find it?
I've been looking for a good recipe for this for ages, one that will harden when cool?
Jude, long time no see, lol! Hope you're doing well! I noticed that we now
have xylitol (sp) on the shelf at London Drugs (this is in Canada), but no Splenda Quick packs yet.
Anyway, I've been working hard on learning a software program, but have
been dropping in and lurking every so often.
Hope someone can help me find that dipping chocolate, would much appreciate!
Datahamstr

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by Yummy's_Girl

Jude, is this the regular stevia powder used here, or the stevia plus?
And how many cups does this blend make?

Regular Stevia unless otherwise posted (pure white extract, pick your favourite brand).

The measures add up to approximately 1 2/3 Cups in bulk, but I'm thinking the sweetness is approximate 2 1/2 to 3 Cups worth...ballpark minimum...maybe a little low.

[theislandgirl]

Originally Posted by datahamstr

...I've been searching this thread, and can't find the original recipe for the dipping chocolate. Could someone kindly post the link where I'd find it?
I've been looking for a good recipe for this for ages, one that will harden when cool?

Hey, Lee!

Rummage back through to post 190, that's where Kevin takes my rambles and actually makes strawberry dipped chocolates out of them. Magic, isn't he?!
Our Favorite Game: Replacing A Cup of Sugar

Ta!

[datahamstr]

Oh great! Thanks so much Jude!
Leigh