Butterscotch Yum-Yum, Regular or Sugar-Free

We've been having a heat wave around my house--both inside and out. Outdoor temperatures have been from the high 90's all the way into triple digits, and to make a bad situation worse, our air conditioner at the apartment decided that now would be a good time to die! We actually had to spend one night at a hotel; it was close to 90 degrees inside the apartment that night. It took several days and nine --yes, nine--visits from building maintenance, but we finally got a new outside unit, new electrical breaker and a new thermostat. Not all at once, but that's the winning combination that finally made everything work long enough to really cool things down.

And so I've finally been doing some cooking again! Nothing too exotic, I'll be leaving for Louisiana next week and I've been trying to use up as much of my pantry and stockpile as possible so I won't have to move it all! But it was definitely time for cool and delicious "goodie", so I decided to make a sugar-free version of an old favorite, and to change the flavor up a little by using butterscotch instead of chocolate.

Layer 1: The first layer is a basic "press in" crust:

• 1/4 c (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/3 c chopped nuts
• 1 T sugar or Splenda (optional)

Toss together the flour and sugar or Splenda; cut in the butter, then add the chopped nuts. (I used walnuts because they're about half the price of pecans in the grocery store.) Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, or until set and just slightly brown around the edges. Set aside to cool.

Layer 2: While the crust is cooling, mix together in a medium bowl

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 c sugar or Splenda
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 c whipped topping (I used sugar free)

Mix everything together until well blended. Spread on cooled crust.

Layer 3: This is where you can get creative with the flavor

• 1 small pkg instant pudding (I used sugar free butterscotch)
• 1 1/2 c milk

Whisk together until blended and the mixture starts to thicken. Pour over the cream cheese layer and smooth the edges.

Layer 4: Add a layer of whipped topping (again, I used the sugar-free)

Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. I usually cut this into squares, but I didn't let this one set up long enough, so I just sort of scooped it out onto the plate (see the top picture) then I had to eat along the edge to straighten it out. Sometimes we all have to make sacrifices for the sake our art. Cough.

This got two thumbs up from the sugar-free-ers in my household, including me! If you're not a sugar-free-er, just use regular pudding and whipped topping, and sugar instead of Splenda. It's a good basic recipe that can be adapted with any flavor of pudding, or even fruit topping. Umm, fruit topping, that gives me pause...maybe next time!

This recipe is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

Tuesday at the Table at All the Small Stuff

Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party

What's on the Menu at Dining With Debbie

Recipe Swap at the Grocery Cart Challenge

Until next time, good cooking and good eating!

Sugar Free Sunday--The Post That Almost Wasn't

Welcome to this week's Sugar Free Sunday post!

I came really close to not having a post at all. It's been a scorcher again this week, so I haven't been cooking much. And besides that, this has been one of those weeks where nothing I've touched has turned out right!

Remember last week's sugar-free bean pie? I left out the butter, and while it was palatable I thought it was a bit dry, and it looked funny, too...

I made a load of Italian herb bread in the bread machine, and forgot both the butter and the salt. (What is it about leaving out the butter with me lately?) It, too, was edible, but just not the same.

I had just about decided to throw in the towel with the sugar-free baking for this week. I had promised myself when I first started on this sugar-free kick that half-way through the summer I was going to have an "indulge" weekend, and this was going to be it. I was really craving some ice cream and some doughnuts. Not together, that's just the two things I thought I wanted. So yesterday I decided that what I really wanted was a thick, creamy, vanilla milkshake from one my favorite places, the kind where they put whipped cream and a cherry on top. And then today would be doughnut day, from the place where they light up the sign when they have fresh hot doughnuts. You know where.

First up was the milkshake. It was hot outside and I really really wanted that milkshake. Not a regular, a large. If I was going to do it, I was going to do it good! I drove to the place, paid my money, and got my milkshake. First I ate the cherry off the top. Umm, not bad. Cough. Maybe a bit sweet. Then a big old draw on that thick milkshake. Ummm. Really good. Really really good. Another big sip. Umm. Good. um, that's good. really, really good. that's pretty good. It's okay. really.

I thought I was going to be sick. Really. For the rest of the night I thought I was going to be sick. Hours and hours of feeling like I was almost going to be sick.

And so this morning--doughnuts? No way. Not this weekend, anyway.

And so I made another bean pie. With Splenda, just like last week. Only this time I added slightly more Splenda, and the butter, and a little extra on the spices. And I also sprayed the top lightly with cooking spray before I baked it, for more even browning.

It did look better...


...and while it's never going to taste exactly the same as the regular version...

...this one turned out very well.

And so this is the version that I did this week:

• 1 c cooked, drained navy beans
• 1 1/4 c Splenda
• 1/2 c powdered milk
• 1/2 c evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 T flour
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 3/4 t nutmeg
• 1/4 t baking powder

I used canned navy beans, drained and well rinsed. Next time I'll just use the whole can, and increase the sweetener and spices just a smidge. Put everything in the blender, and blend until smooth. You could use a food processor or even a hand mixer (mash the beans first if you use a hand mixer.) Pour into an unbaked single crust pie shell. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, or until lightly browned and set in the middle.

Allow to cool (it's normal for it to puff up while baking and "fall" and crack slightly when it cools. Even the full sugar version does it.)

Topped with some sugar free whipped topping, if desired.

I do still miss some of my full-sugar treats, and I'm sure the milkshake was a fluke--but I have to say that I'm finding my palate much more sensitive these days, not just to sweet, but to saltiness, as well.

Do you find your tastes changing as you consistently leave certain things out of your diet?

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating...

Sugar Free Sunday--Bean Pie

Welcome to this week's edition of Sugar Free Sunday!

My son has been requesting another navy bean pie, and since he's been eating sugar-free right along with me, he asked me to try a sugar free version.

After actually reading the Splenda bag last week and discovering that I needed to add 1/2 cup of powdered milk and 1/2 t baking powder for every 1 cup of Splenda that I substitute for sugar when making baked goods, I was ready to tackle another sugar-free challenge.

Ingredients:

• 1 c cooked navy beans (I used canned)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c evaporated milk
• 1/2 stick (1/4 c) butter
• 1 T flour
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1 c sugar Splenda
• 1/2 c powdered milk (added due to the Splenda substitution)
• 1/4 t baking powder (I wasn't sure if I would need this addition for a pie, so I used a little less than the 1/2 t recommended)

Put everything into a blender and process until well blended.

Pour into a single crust pie shell. (I used a refrigerated pie crust that you unroll, but you could use a frozen (thawed) crust, or one made from scratch.) The original recipe calls for baking at 350 for 50-60 minutes; I baked this one about 35-40 minutes and it was done.


I don't know how, but I messed this up a bit, I totally forgot to add the butter. So I actually made a pie that was both sugar-free and fat-free. So, instead of my pie looking like this:


(my first bean pie--the one with sugar and butter in it)

...it came out looking like this.

Just a bit disappointing? Another thing that's mentioned on the back of the Splenda package is that baked goods made with Splenda don't brown the same way as those made with sugar. You can lightly spray the top with cooking spray if you want the browning. I have a feeling that even having butter in the batter might have helped the looks of this!

As far as taste goes, it was okay--I think the butter would have really helped it--and the texture was just a bit dry. I will make this again, this time with the butter, and possibly lightly spraying the top, as well.

What sugar-free goodies have you made this week?

Until next time...