Sugar Free Trials

Yesterday was my last day at the assisted living facility I've been working at, but not the end of cooking for seniors. I am keeping my job at the bakery instead, not only because I prefer it, but because it will better prepare me for a future as a pastry chef in a very upscale and snazzy old folks home. We specialize in gluten-free and vegan desserts, as well as the tasty originals, techniques I did not learn in culinary school, and things that will prove to be very valuable in my specialized industry.

But the biggest thing is sugar free baking, something I am just starting to explore, both in the bakery and at home.

Last night, after my last day, I started a new first. My first experimental recipe using xylitol instead of sugar. My boss, and bakery owner, is excited to also start experimenting with xylitol, and since I am the head (and only) baker, I get to do all the recipe development.

My first trial, using things I had on hand (since I didn't want to run out the the grocery store, again), ended up being a loaf of banana bread/cake. I adapted it from a recipe in the only known xylitol cookbook, Sweeten Your Life the Xylitol Way by Karen Edwards (available on amazon), for Banana Cake, baked it late last night, and tried the first slice this morning for breakfast. Not too bad for my first try! And it is definitely sweet.

I will share all my trial sugar free recipes, whether they use xylitol, stevia or no substitute. I doubt I will be experimenting with the harsher chemical sugar substitutes such as aspartame (Equal and NutraSweet), and try to stick with a natural approach.

Xylitol can be substituted for sugar, 1:1. It will not caramelize or feed yeast, but is otherwise a very useful and easy alternate. I have read that xylitol is very deadly to dogs, more so than chocolate, so be very careful to keep your stash and xylitol baked goods away from your K-9 pals!

Banana Loaf Cake
adapted from Sweeten Your Life the Xylitol Way by Karen Edwards

2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon butter, melted
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about one medium-large banana)
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, seperated
1/2 cup xylitol

1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix together the melted butter, mashed banana, yogurt, vanilla and egg yolk.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg white with electric mixer until soft peaks form, then add the xylitol and beat until peaks are stiff but not dry.
4. Gradually fold dry ingredients into beaten egg whites alternately with banana mixture, and stir just until batter is smooth.
5. Pour into and spread evenly in a greased 8" x 4" loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. 
6. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Cake

Is there a better combination than banana, chocolate and peanut butter?

I've been craving peanut butter and bananas recently, and I've settled for just smearing fresh bananas with the creamy goodness. But my new job at the bakery has left me wanting to make cake all the time, surprisingly enough. So when I got to work this morning and saw all the bananas, I decided on Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting.

I went to open the fridge and saw a batch of chocolate frosting I had made the previous weekend, and was initially bummed I hadn't yet thought of a way to use it.

While the residents were going over the menu, one mentioned that peanut butter in frosting did not sound good. I told her that I had some extra chocolate and I could frost her piece with that instead, but that peanut butter and bananas are delicious together. She said that was true, and that she'd give it a try.

Once again, my chocolate frosting goes unused. I leave it out at room temperature, just in case.

It was not until the cakes are out of the oven and my peanut butter icing is made that I decide to use the chocolate. I used it as the filling between the two layers of cake, then frosted the outside with the peanut butter, and garnished with chocolate chips to tie it all together.

Yummmmm!

Banana Cake

makes 4 8'' cake rounds, or 2 finished cakes

ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 vegetable oil

1 cup water

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup whole milk (minus 1 1/2 teaspoons- I put the apple cider vinegar in the measuring cup, then fill it up to the 1/2 cup mark with milk)

3 large bananas, pureed in a blender

preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.

If you haven't already, combine apple cider vinegar, vanilla and milk together to curdle.

Melt butter in small saucepan with oil and water.

Sift and combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in the bowl on an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn on low speed to mix.

Slowly pour melted fat mixture into bowl with paddle running at low speed. Scrape bowl and paddle, mix again briefly.

Combine the curdled milk mixture with the eggs and yogurt, and pour into mixer, running at low speed.

Scrap down sides of bowl, add banana and mix again, just to combine thoroughly. (Do not over-mix- this will form gluten and make your cake tough.)

Divide evenly amongst your 4 pans, place in pre-heated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean.

When cool, un-mold and place one round on a plate, slather with chocolate frosting and stack on the next layer. Frost the entire cake with peanut butter frosting, decorate as you wish. Repeat with second cake.

 Frostings

I didn't follow a recipe or write one down for the frosting. They are easy to make up as you go.

For peanut butter, I used equal parts butter and peanut butter (about 1 cup each), and mixed until smooth, then added a teaspoon of vanilla, and powdered sugar until the desired consistency and flavor was reached.

For chocolate- same thing, just no peanut butter, add about 1/2 cocoa powder, and a few teaspoons of milk

Apple Crisp

 

 My extremely sweet boyfriend bought these cute little foil baking cups shaped like hearts for me at Target (as well as a cute pair of knee socks)  so I could bake up little treats for my residents (and stylishly keep my feet warm) for Valentines' Day.

I choose to make apple crisps, one- because we had lots of apples to use,  two- because the other chef called cupcakes for the next day, and I didn't want to step on her toes, and three- I've been baking a lot of crisps at my new (other) job at a local bakery. And because I know everyone loves a fruit crisp.

I just kind of made-up the apple part, because you can do that, and used a topping recipe from an older version of the Joy of Cooking. And I remembered to take pictures all along the way with my iPhone- so they are not of great quality, and now my phone is all crusty. Totally worth it!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

9 apples

zest and juice of 2 small lemons

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups oats

1 cup flour

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, cold and cut into small peices

cinnamon and other warm spices, if desired

Preperation:

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and ready you're baking vessel- I used individual foil heart cups, but you can do a giant one in a baking dish of some sort, or individual cermaic bowls, or whatever you like. Just grease the heck out of anything you are going to have to wash, and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil to catch the juices that bubble over and make your clean-up eaiser.

 Peel, core and slice your apples and cut into little chucks that will cook quickly and be easy to eat.

 

After you have the size you like, toss with lemon juice and zest, first cinnamon, nutmeg and the 1/2 cup brown sugar. 

Let the apples marinade in the juices while you prepare the topping.

I used my food processor, but you can easily do this by hand:

Combine the 2 cups brown sugar, oats, flour and any spices you are using, and pulse quickly in a processor to mix, but not to chop the oats smaller.

Add your little butter pieces, and pulse to combine, once it looks like a crumbly texture- stop.

Divide your apple mixture evenly amongst you little foil cups or in your prepared baking dish, dividing the juices evenly as well.

Evenly distribute the crisp topping over each serving, packing down to keep in place.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until topping looks golden brown, crispy and juices are bubbling out.

Cool before topping with whipped cream (highly recommended) and serving.

Happy Valentines' Day!!!

Fig Cookies

When I went to my grandparent's house as a young kid, I remember them often having fig newtons and school boy cookies, and those became things I associated with my grandparents, and therefore, old people. So when I found figs this morning at work (in the dried fruit box, of course), I decided to attempt to make fig cookies, be they newtons or not

I used my nifty iPhone to google some recipes real quick, and settled on the third one that came up- a simple drop cookie, rather than the first two that looked more complicated and time consuming, though maybe more attractive and tastier (though I don't know how). I guess we'll find out next time.

The Fig Drop Cookies were extremely easy to make, and absolutely delicious! The figs fell apart during the short cooking time, and the seeds ended up dispersed throughout the cookie dough, so the amazingly soft finished product had a little fig crackle in every bite.

Fig Drop Cookies
(Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried figs, chopped into little pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. In a small sauce pan, heat the water and figs to reconstitute and break down fruit. (Cool before adding to cookies.)
2. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer's bowl with the paddle attachment. Blend in egg and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture until incorporated.
4. Mix in figs.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a prepared cookie sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire racks, store in air-tight containers.

Makes about 30  1-1/2 inch cookies

Date Topped Brownies

Now, this making two daily desserts business is not an easy feat. I have to be creative and try new ideas (that don't always work) and keep coming up with new ones. I don't like to do the same dessert twice, even if they love it. I will eventually, but I don't want to get stuck in a rut where I keep baking the same things from my little stockpile of pastries. So I am building a binder, my pastry arts binder, meticulously organized, of all desserts I have tried and that were successes. There are recipes from culinary school, from my grandma, things I've tried at home, and every recipe that has won a victory at work. So onto to the successful experiment of date brownies- who just made it into my binder.

I found dates at work in the dried fruit box. I had already used the dried cranberries, raisins, cherries... So I tasted a date. I'm not sure if I had ever had one before, but this blew my mind. It was a heavenly shriveled up lump of sweetness, and I had to use it.

I usually would use my little iPhone screen to look up recipes, but I didn't have time. It was already 7:00 AM, and the menu goes out by 7:30- and I had breakfast items to prepare. I quickly searched around, saw the cocoa powder, remembered there was some left-over chocolate frosting I was suppose to use, and decided on brownies. At that point I had not decided whether I was going to put them inside or just on top- but I had something to put on the menu.

I would have called these "date brownies," but then the assumption might have been that they are a healthier brownie version- made with "date sugar," and they are not. I'm sure that would be great though, and there are many diabetics amongst the elderly, so I will try (someday) and get back to you with that recipe as well.

Date Topped Brownies

brownies:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
(1/2 cups chopped dates)
frosting:
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dates for topping (1 per brownie)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
Mix together oil, sugar and vanilla, then beat in the eggs.
Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then stir into sugar mixture.
Stir in chopped dates, if using.
Spread into prepared pan, and bake 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting:
Mix together the cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until smooth, then gradually add sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk.
Add vanilla, then beat until light and fluffy. Consistency may be adjusted with more milk or sugar.

When brownies are cooled, cut into squares, frost and top each with a whole date.

Enjoy with your favorite seniors!

Starch

Starch: No meal is complete without it

I always thought my first job in assisted living was the best, revolutionary even. I had the idea that all facilities and homes served pre-made packaged and frozen foods. And most of them do. But Fairhaven Estates was different. They hired real cooks and made foods from scratch. Sure we had white cake mix that we'd use- adding cocoa powder or flavored extracts to change the flavor- frozen fish fillets, and a few other items, but almost everything was handmade. We peeled and diced and boiled the potatoes for mashed potatoes and potato salad, we scrubbed the skins for baked potatoes, we washed the little red guys for herb roasted red potatoes, we sliced them thin for scalloped, julienned for fries...  But all we had were potatoes. Everyday. We might have a great entree, fried chicken (with potatoes), baked ham (with potatoes), pot roast (with potatoes), but always (with potatoes). We had the occasional sweet potato fries, and even mashed sweet potatoes (along with mashed potatoes) for Thanksgiving feasts, but that's it. Potatoes.

I did ask my boss why once, he said most of the residents hated rice and spaghetti (they called any form of pasta spaghetti, regardless of shape). I took it as truth and forgot about it- quickly learning how to prepare potatoes every way, and just as quickly deciding I hated them.

I still believed it, up until my current job. I had almost forgotten about other starches, even ones I prepared at home but that didn't register in my brain for one reason or another. Then I encountered the "starch" box at work. My head chef keeps everything very organized; if you are looking for nuts in dry storage, check the nut box, flour- check the grain box. The potatoes (and sweet potatoes) are in a large box on the bottom shelf. But ah... the starch box. Polenta, long grain white rice, arborio rice, wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, barley, millet, wheat berries... the list goes on. Next to the starch box, and closely related, we have the pasta box- filled to the brim with all shapes of noodles- spaghetti, lasagna, couscous, cavatappi, egg noodles, elbow macaroni, shells.... All avaliable to prepare and serve with the entree (or soup, or salad, or even dessert).

And the residents love it. They don't want potatoes all the time either! They are still human beings with the same (though slightly weaker) taste buds! Yes- potatoes can be yummy, and seniors do love them, but not everyday.

I totally understand the distaste for spaghetti (the actual spaghetti, angle hair, capellini, linguine and other long pastas)- the long awkward shapes, hard for trembling hands to swirl onto a fork, that slide too easily down your throat, before chewing, and can be hazardous. I myself have choked on spaghetti more times than I'd like to recall. But there are so many pasta shapes! I really like to use the short, flat, wide egg noodles- they have a unique flavor and are both easy to pick up and to eat- great for Stroganoff and casseroles, plus, I always use them when I make chicken noodle soup.

I think a lot of elderly residents dislike rice for the same reason, not that it's hard to swallow, but that it is harder to pick up with a fork. It also tends to get everywhere, so serving in a bowl might make clean-up easier. Risotto is an option too- it sticks together, making it much easier to pick up, and it's creamy and flavorful.

Of all the many grains, I have had the best luck with polenta. It's thick, creamy, and soft, and can be seasoned many ways. The residents love it; it sticks together, sticks to their utensils, stays on their plates (not the floor), is easy to chew (though not necessary) and easy to swallow, and just plain delicious. I usually stir in hot cream and Parmesan cheese at the end, or sauteed onions, mushrooms and thyme ( also one of my favorite risotto combinations). You can prepare it with water or a flavorful stock- just don't forget the salt!

Whatever starches you choose to accompany your meals,  be sure to use a variety. Be open to new breeds and try new recipes. And don't forget about the potato!

Jam Swirled Coffee Cake

The seniors I work with love fruity desserts- be they thumbprint cookies with preserves, strawberry shortcake, crisps, pies or cobblers. And jam swirled coffee cake is no exception. I came across the recipe in an online search for a new dessert to make, and they liked it more than I ever would have expected- I'm not sure if it was due to the extra large pieces I served, that they were in a extra good mood, or that it really is just that good.

So bake some cake for your favorite seniors and serve with (decaf) coffee.

Jam Swirl Coffee Cake

(Click for Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter (5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup of your favorite jam, jelly or preserves (I used grape jelly!)

Topping:

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans*

Preparation:

Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender to make a fine crumbly mixture. Add egg and milk; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter into a generously buttered 9-inch square pan. Spoon jam over the batter, then swirl through the batter with a knife. Mix topping ingredients with fork or fingers until crumbly and sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 400° for 25 to 30 minutes, until done. Cut into squares and serve while still warm.
Makes about 9 squares

*I have a resident with nut allergies, so I omitted the nuts in the streusel topping
.