Toasted Walnut Cake

Apparently I'm not done with my Company's Coming "Baking: Simple to Sensational" cookbook. I've been using it to adapt recipes for gluten and dairy free desserts lately. This Toasted Walnut Cake turned out beautifully! I might add raisins to it next time, since my Other Half doesn't like walnuts and didn't help me eat this. I did a half batch of the original recipe and used my bundt pan for baking. I used the full glaze recipe, but I'll convert it here. (feel free to double the glaze recipe here.) I did find the glaze a bit thick, so I added hot water to make it a little more runny. I think it would work in an 8 or 9 inch square pan; you might have to bake it a little longer, but it should work. Just drizzle the glaze all over the top. Enjoy!


1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup Canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*

Maple Glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp Becel Vegan margarine
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 cup maple (or maple flavoured) syrup

1-2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted

In medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt and sugars. Add milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk together really well, until thoroughly blended and your arm starts to get a little tired. Stir in walnuts. Let stand for 30 minutes.

While batter is standing, grease  a bundt or small angel food tube pan and preheat the oven to 350*F.

After 30 minutes, spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand in pan on wire until the pan is cool,  then gently ease cake out of pan onto wire rack to continue to cool.

Mix up all glaze ingredients together until smooth. (If too thick, add a little hot water. ) Drizzle glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drip down sides. Immediately sprinkle with second amount of walnuts. Let stand until glaze is set.

*You can toast the walnuts in the oven, spread evenly in ungreased shallow pan at 350*F for 5-10 minutes, stirring or shaking often, until lightly browned and fragrant, OR you can toast them on the stove in a skillet/frying pan or saucepan, likewise stirring and/or shaking them. Toast all 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp together, reserving out the smaller amount for garnish.

Gluten, Dairy and Egg Free Brownie Bites

I am still in love with the Babycakes cookbooks. They have brought some joy back to this diabetic, gluten, dairy and soy-free woman's life. One of my favourite recipes has been adapted from "Brownies", in Erin McKenna's first cookbook. This is a smaller version of the original, with a few modifications. They are completely delicious, and as they are very quick to mix up and only take about 15 minutes to bake, it's super easy to whip up a batch while Brownies for everyone else are baking. Bonus: they freeze well, and even taste good before they thaw... 

1/3 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour

4 teaspoons potato starch

2 teaspoons arrowroot or tapioca starch

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar (*A combination of 3 Tbsp sugar + 2 Tbsp Splenda works)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum

3 Tablespoons Canola oil

3 Tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons hot water

1/3 cup vegan* mini chocolate chips (I used "Enjoy Life Mini Chips" that I purchased at Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods) OPTIONAL

Preheat oven to 350* F. Lightly grease a 12-cup mini muffin tin. (have a second tin ready to grease and fill as needed)

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, potato starch, arrowroot, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum (or guar gum) and coffee granules. Add the oil, applesauce, vanilla and hot water, and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips, just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. 

Divide the batter into prepared muffin cups. Fill to the top of each cup; grease additional cups as needed. I generally get 14-16 brownies per batch. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center brownie comes out clean, and the tops have a firm edge with a softer center. Let stand in pans 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack. Fabulously, decadently delicious when served warm. Equally delicious any time. Store in airtight container in the fridge, or freeze. 

Serve iced (making a dairy-free frosting with Becel Vegan Margarine), dusted with confectioner's sugar or plain. The chocolate chips give them a "frosted" taste. 

Have I mentioned that these are delicious?

Makes 14-16 brownie bites.

Pineapple, Upside Down Oatmeal Cake

It's MOPS time again, and for our Tropical Beach Party theme we thought an upside-down pineapple cake might be fun. I had a vision of a kind of pineapple-oatmeal cake, and so I went looking. In one of my favourite cookbooks (Cooking From Quilt Country by Marcia Adams) I found both an upside-down pineapple cake and an oatmeal cake. I envisioned a mash-up of sorts and so putting them together, came up with this. The first trial was pretty good, but deemed a little too sweet, and since I had added ground flax I thought I might be able to leave out the egg. The second trial turned out nicely; with a few maraschino cherries sprinkled in for a festive colour and the egg replaced with a flaxseed substitute, either regular or gluten-free it's a delightful breakfast or dessert treat. In place of crushed pineapple I used pineapple tidbits the second time around, breaking up the chunks with the sharp edge of a plastic spatula. It worked just fine.

Pineapple Upside-Down Oatmeal Cake

1 -14oz can crushed pineapple

5 maraschino cherries, finely chopped (optional)

1 cup Gluten-Free Oatmeal  (or regular, but not instant, rolled oats)

2 Tablespoons ground flax* (or 1 egg/egg substitute)

pineapple juice + water to make 1 cup

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Canola oil

1 cup all-purpose flour or Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (if using gluten-free flour)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg

1/3 cup Canola oil

1/2 cup Agave nectar OR 1/4 cup brown sugar+1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a 9inch square pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with spray oil.

Drain pineapple through a sieve into a microwave safe bowl or glass measure.

Add water to pineapple juice to make 1 cup. Microwave 2-3 minutes on high heat. Stir in oatmeal and flax, and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix first amount of brown sugar and canola oil together and spread over bottom of prepared pan. Spread drained pineapple over brown sugar mixture, sprinkle maraschino cherry pieces (if used) over pineapple, and set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, xanthan gum (if used), salt and mace. When pineapple juice is cooled to lukewarm, add second amount of oil, agave nectar or sugars, and vanilla. *Mix in egg or egg substitute if ground flax wasn't added to the oatmeal.  Stir together until well blended. Add to flour mixture, and fold together until fairly smooth and well blended. Pour over pineapple in pan and bake for 25-40 minutes until cake is browned, springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Let stand for 15 minutes, then invert onto large serving plate. Peel off parchment. 

Strawberry Surprise Cupcakes

As if being diabetic wasn't bad enough, I had to go and decide to give gluten and dairy free eating a try. The good news? I feel 100% better. The bad news? I feel 100% better. At least, after two months without the gluten and dairy, I have the energy and imagination to feel like baking again. I discovered Erin McKenna's cookbooks, "Babycakes" and "Babycakes Covers The Classics". If you're living in a gluten-dairy-egg free world you MUST investigate these cookbooks. Life changing. At least you'll be able to make some pretty awesome snacks and goodies. This recipe is half of the Vanilla Cupcakes recipe in the first Babycakes cookbook. I've added a little strawberry jam goodness. These were a delightful Canada Day treat (strawberries = red + vanilla cupcakes for the white) but they'd be good any time and I guarantee they'll turn any day into a celebration. All the "strange" ingredients (agave nectar, coconut oil, xanthan gum) and the flours can be found at Nutters. In a pinch you can try Canola oil instead of coconut oil.

1 cup garbanzo-fava bean flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup arrowroot

2 teaspoons + 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted before measuring, and measured in dry ingredient measures not liquid)

2/3 cup agave nectar (again, use dry ingredient measuring cups to measure the liquid ingredients)

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup (or so) Strawberry jam

Strawberry-vanilla frosting: (Mix together 2 cups icing sugar+2 Tablespoons Becel Vegan margarine + 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam+ boiling water to make spreadable.)

Preheat oven to 325*F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (I got 14 cupcakes out of my batch)

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, applesauce and vanilla to the dry ingredients and combine. Stir in the hot water and mix until the batter is smooth.

Spoon 2 Tablespoons of batter into each prepared cup. Drop a generous teaspoon of jam into the centre of each cup on top of the batter. Cover with another spoonful of batter.

Bake on the centre rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tins 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The finished cupcakes will be golden brown and will bounce back when pressure is applied gently to the centre.

Let the cupcakes stand in the the tins for 20 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Frost with the strawberry-vanilla frosting. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes 12-14 cupcakes.

Mini-Donut Muffins

I recently acquired a couple of mini-donut pans. I bought mine from Avon, but I've seen them online as well, so I know they're out there. The fun thing is that the recipe that came with the pans, (for "Old Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts") makes really delicious little cinnamon donuts that remind me of The Forks in Winnipeg and The Exhibition, where we used to buy little mini cinnamon donuts. I reasoned that this recipe should work with regular mini muffin tins, so I tweaked it a bit- cutting down the recipe for a start (the original makes about 6 dozen of the things), and have come up with this manageable facsimile. They are very quick to mix up, and can be baked and ready to serve in about 30 minutes. I hope you try them. Not just for little children.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ground cloves (optional) and ground cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine melted

Topping:
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325*F. Lightly grease 1 & 1/12 mini-muffin pans.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and first amount of cinnamon together.

Mix buttermilk, egg and first amount of melted margarine together in another bowl; stir into the dry ingredients.

Fill each greased muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned and spring back when lightly touched. Allow to cool 3-5 minutes, (until you can handle them) then remove from pan.

Topping:
Put butter (melted) in a small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in another bowl. Dip tops of slightly cooled muffins in the butter, and then in the cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat the tops.

Makes about 18 mini-muffins.

Trifle

I had some loaves left over after an event a few months ago, so I froze them for later. With another event looming at the beginning of next week, "Trifles" came up, and so I'm going to convert the leftover loaves into a couple of trifles.  I think the beauty of "trifle" is that, with a little imagination, you have limitless possibilities.  Kraft Canada has a great Trifle "formula" style recipe; they've made a chart and the 3 main components have been broken down, giving you ideas for mixing and matching what you have on hand. It's a good place to start if you're a first time Trifle maker.

To make a Basic Trifle, you need:
A clear/glass bowl
A cake/cookie layer
A fruit/jam layer
A pudding/custard layer
Whipped topping
A garnish

Start with a layer of cake on the bottom of the bowl.Traditional English Trifles have liqueur or sherry sprinkled over the cake. The older and drier the cake, the more liquid (whether alcohol or fruit juice) it will soak up. If you are using frozen or tinned fruit, you could drain the juice and sprinkle it over the cake. If you're using fresh fruit, you might spread the cake with a complimentary jam. Layer the fruit over the cake, followed by a layer of pudding or custard. A few inches of whipped cream is next.

I like at least 2 layers of everything, so I would try to use half of each item, and then layer it all again. If you have a tall trifle bowl, you might like to do 3 or 4 layers of everything. Top off the last layer of whipped cream with your garnish.

Trifle Ideas:

Tropical Trifle- banana bread/cake with crushed pineapple and coconut custard (Bird's Custard made with coconut milk), whipped cream with a toasted coconut garnish.

Banana Split Trifle- banana bread/cake with strawberries on one layer and crushed pineapple on another, chocolate pudding and whipped cream, garnished with fresh sliced strawberries & shaved chocolate, or chocolate sundae sauce drizzled over the whipped cream.

Leftover Waffle Trifle- Breakfast waffles, any kind of frozen fruit or jam, vanilla custard or pudding, and whipped cream with coloured candy sprinkles on top.

Leftover Loaf Trifle- how about Orange-Cranberry loaf with tinned mandarin orange segments, vanilla custard or pudding, whipped cream and orange sugar sprinkles, grated orange rind or maraschino cherries on top? 
Lemon-Poppyseed loaf or muffins with peaches or mandarin orange segments, lemon pudding, whipped cream and grated lemon peel on top.

Chocolate Trifle- chocolate cake, cherry pie filling, raspberries or strawberries, chocolate pudding, whipped cream with crushed Oreo cookies for a garnish.

Vanilla Trifle- white cake, strawberries or raspberries, vanilla pudding or custard, whipped cream with fruit to garnish.

*Use your imagination and share your trifle ideas in the comments.

Nutty Fruit Crisp Topping

Crisps are crisps- rhubarb, apple, peach, plum... basically whatever fruit you have on hand or in the freezer makes a nice crisp. (1/3-1/2 cup sugar or sweetener and 1/8 cup of flour or cornstarch per 2 cups of fruit) When I make fruit crisp I rarely look it up; I usually just "wing it". Tonight I made a rhubarb/apple crisp, and I caught myself remembering the ingredients that I used for the topping. Good thing, as I did something a little different and it was really good. I give you "Nutty Fruit Crisp Topping"


1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/4 cashews, fairly finely chopped
1/4 cup hard margarine

Mix flour, oatmeal, salt, brown sugar and cashews together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingers, cut/blend the margarine into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbled together. Spoon/spread over fruit in greased casserole dish and bake at 350*F for 45-60 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and topping is crisp and toasted golden brown.

This made a substantial topping for a rhubarb-apple crisp in an 8 inch, round casserole pot. The chopped nuts added a nice texture and flavour.

Fudge Brownies

This is from "Cooking With Cents" by Donna-Joy Halliday and Norma Bannerman. It was a wedding gift from my sisters, and some of my sanity savers originate in its pages! (the Master Mix and basic recipes like pancakes and muffins got me through babies and toddlerhood!)

It seems to be out of print, but was published in 1983 by Cooking With Cents Publishing Company Ltd., in Calgary Alberta. If you can get your hands on a copy of this one, I strongly encourage it! It's a great cookbook.

I've been expressly told to get the family's favourite brownie recipe posted so children far away can make them. Here we go!


1/2 cup (125 ml) hard margarine, melted
1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa
2 eggs
2/3 cup (150 ml) flour

Combine melted margarine, sugar and cocoa. Stir in eggs and combine well. Add flour and mix until well blended.

Spread into greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350* F. for 30 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes; ice while brownies are still very warm.

Icing:

3 Tablespoons margarine
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup icing sugar
1 1/2- 2 Tablespoons boiling water

Mix margarine, cocoa and icing sugar together with enough water to make a spreadable icing.

Fresh Fruit Flan Trifle

Probably every time I'm at my Mom and Dad's I've had opportunity to help make dessert, and every time I think of this treasure. I always check this website, and I always find that although I've been meaning to post it, I haven't done so. Finally, here it is.

The cake for the flan started life as "Almond Roll with Fresh Cherries" in the "Simply Splenda Cookbook" put out by my hero, Graham Kerr, back in 2004. This little cookbook has served as a "springboard" for many great cooking, baking and preserving ideas. I hesitate to confess that I've tweaked a Graham Kerr recipe, but honesty compels me to tell you where the original recipe came from. I wanted to add a little fibre, and I reduced the amount of Splenda. The technique is all Kerr, and the resultant sponge is a wonderfully versatile little cake.

For a Fruit Flan "Trifle" I bake the cake in my 10" tart/ flan pan. I've also baked it in a 9 X 13 inch pan to cut into squares for a real trifle, and divided the batter into 2- 8 inch round pans for a shortcake. I haven't tried it as a jelly roll, but I believe it would work really well for that too.

Cake:
4 large eggs
4 Tablespoons sugar (divided)
1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable/ Canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Divide the eggs as follows:

In large mixing bowl place 1 whole egg + yolk of 2nd egg.

In another mixing bowl place whites of 3 eggs, reserving the 2 extra yolks for the custard.

Whip the 3 egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 2 Tablespoons of the sugar and continue to beat until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

To the whole egg and egg yolk, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar, the oil and the vanilla. Beat until ribbons form when you lift the beater, (about 5 minutes).

In a 3rd bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and Splenda. Fold into the egg yolk mixture.

Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour into well greased 10" flan pan. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes, until golden.

When cake is cooled, loosen edges of pan and invert onto serving plate. Fill with custard, then top with sliced/diced fresh fruit that has been tossed with a little sugar or Splenda (either one kind, like strawberries or peaches, or a variety of fruit in a pleasing arrangement) and low fat whipped topping. Well drained canned fruit could be used if fresh fruit is not available.

Custard:
1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
3 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cups skim milk
2 egg yolks in a bowl, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium sized saucepan, combine Splenda and cornstarch. Gradually add milk, whisking to blend.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Whisk small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. (use a small measuring cup or a soup ladle to transfer the hot milk) Immediately pour heated egg yolks back into the pot with the hot milk mixture. Whisk egg yolks in, until well blended.

Return pot to heat, cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Stir occasionally while pudding cools to prevent skin from forming on top.

Two Egg Custard

This is a take on the 3 egg "basic cream pie recipe" found in Better Homes & Gardens Pies and Cakes cookbook. It's a nice custard pudding, that can be used to make a low fat cream pie or trifle. For a pie or trifle dessert, I've found that 1 1/2 or 2 times the amount of custard is needed.

1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
3 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cups skim milk
2 egg yolks in a bowl, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

In medium sized saucepan, combine Splenda and cornstarch. Gradually add milk, whisking to blend.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat.

Whisk small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. (use a small measuring cup or a soup ladle to transfer the hot milk) Immediately pour heated egg yolks back into the pot with the hot milk mixture. Whisk egg yolks in, until well blended.

Return pot to heat, cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Stir occasionally while pudding cools to prevent skin from forming on top; or cover with plastic wrap. Serve warm or cool.

For cream pies:
-Coconut Cream Pie; add 1 cup of coconut to custard and fill cooked pie shell.
-Banana Cream Pie; spread custard into cooked pie shell lined with sliced bananas.

Serve with low fat whipped topping, or meringue made with Splenda and the whites of the eggs used in the custard.

Cream Cheese Icing

1/4 cup (50 ml) margarine or butteer
4 oz (125 g) cream cheese
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla
2 cups icing sugar
1 Tablespoon milk or water (if needed)

Cream together margarine and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Mix in icing sugar. Add water or milk if needed to make a smooth, creamy, spreadable frosting.

Should be enough for a 9" cake.

Carrot Cake

Or, "Have my Birthday cake and eat it too." For a long time now I've been thinking that Carrot Cake would be a good one for tweaking. I decided to work on it for my Birthday, and it came out pretty well. Porridge oats increases the fibre, the sugar is replaced with Splenda, and I've cut out 1/4 cup of the fat, and then replaced half of the remaining amount with unsweetened apple sauce. The cake didn't really smooth out during baking, so I'd advise making the top as smooth as possible before putting it in the oven. Give it a try, then let me know how yours turned out!


1 cup orange juice
1 cup Roger's Porridge Oats
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
2 cups all-purpose white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups grated carrots*

*If using commercially shredded carrots, (which I did, and which are fairly thick and coarse) measure them into a microwaveable bowl, add 2 Tablespoons of orange juice, and microwave 2-5 minutes, until carrots are slightly tender. Let cool while you mix up the rest of the batter.

Heat orange juice to just before boiling point.

Measure oats into large mixing bowl. Pour orange juice over oats. Let stand about 5 minutes, until cooled to lukewarm. Add eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Mix well.

Add coconut and walnuts, stirring to mix well.

Stir together flour, Splenda, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients. Mix gently until well combined.

Add carrots and raisins.

Pour into greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350*F for 30-40 minutes, until brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool, in pan, on wire rack until completely cool. Ice with cream cheese icing as desired.

The cake is good without icing, too, so for an easier conscience, try just a dusting of icing sugar over the cooled cake, or a very thin layer of frosting.

Upside Down Peach- Mango Cake

It was a whim; turns out it was a tasty whim! Pretty quick and easy.

1 Added Touch (or other) Golden Cake Mix
1/3 cup Canola oil
1 cup water
3 large eggs
1 -14 oz (398 ml) tin Tosca sliced mango
1- 14 oz (398 ml) tin Del Monte Peach slice in fruit juice
1 Tablespoon corn starch


Preheat oven to 350* F.

Line a muffin pan with 12 paper cupcake liners (or lightly grease cups). Set aside.

Lightly grease a 1.8 L baking dish. (mine is a "French White" dish, about 10.5 " X 8") or large casserole. Set aside.

Empty cake mix packet into large mixing bowl. Add Canola oil, water and eggs. (the oil and water amounts will be different than the package directions.)

Mix according to package directions, (about 3 minutes, until batter is smooth). Set aside.

Drain peaches and mango, reserving juice.

In medium sized saucepan, whisk reserved juices and cornstarch together. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. Remove from heat and gently stir fruit into thickened syrup.

Arrange fruit and juice in bottom of prepared baking dish. Spoon 2 cups of the batter over fruit, spreading it evenly over the whole top right to the edge.

Divide the remaining batter between the 12 muffin cups.

Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Bake cupcakes for about 20- 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown, and they also test done with a toothpick.

Serve cake warm with cream or ice-cream. Ice/ decorate cupcakes as desired.

Yield: 9 or 12 servings + 12 cupcakes

Nutritional Analysis for cake: (not including cream/ toppings)

Per serving (1/9th of) Upside Down Cake alone:

Calories: 163.8
Fat: 5.25 g
Carbohydrates: 26.8 g
Fibre: .11 g
Sugars: 14 g
Protein: 1.72 g
Cholesterol: 32 mg
Sodium: 263 mg

Per serving (1/12th of) Upside Down Cake alone:

Calories: 122.92
Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 20.2 g
Fibre: .08 g
Sugars: 10.42 g
Protein: 1.3 g
Cholesterol: 23.75 mg
Sodium: 197.5 mg

Bake Sale Butter Icing

Do you have a ton of cupcakes to frost? Several cakes to decorate? Say no more! This mega-batch of icing easily decorated 8 dozen cupcakes, with a bit to spare. It stores well in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or you could freeze the leftovers (thaw in the fridge) for next time.

1 cup hard margarine, softened
1 bag (kg) confectioner's (icing) sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Rhubarb Spice Crunch Cake

This, as adapted, is like a coffee cake. It turned out moist and nicely spiced, with pieces of tart rhubarb throughout. A nice summer dessert for your fresh rhubarb. I don't think it would work well with frozen rhubarb, but you could try it and let me know how it goes!


1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup fat free, plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups raw rhubarb, cubed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

In large bowl, mix margarine, eggs and yogurt together.

In another bowl, mix flour, wheat germ, Splenda, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.

Stir in rhubarb, and spread into greased 9 X 13 " baking pan.

Mix brown sugar, second amount of cinnamon, and walnuts together; sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 * F, for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, and cake tests done in the center with a toothpick.

New York-Style Cheesecake

Someone besides me thought it was good, so I'll give you the recipe! Based on the Kraft Food's "What's Cooking" recipe (Spring 2007 edition) I used my fiber added crust, and Graham Kerr's Yogurt Cheese to lower fat and carbohydrates. This has a smooth, creamy texture, and isn't too heavy. I served it once with a homemade blueberry sauce made with Splenda, and once with fresh strawberries and whipped topping. Beautiful.


1 cup (250 ml) low-fat graham cracker crumbs (about 12 squares)
1/2 cup (125 ml) toasted wheat germ
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Splenda
2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 - 750 ml tubs of low-fat plain/ natural yogurt with NO gelatin listed in the ingredients (I used 1% fat yogurt)
1/4- 1/3 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 eggs

THE EVENING BEFORE: line a wire mesh sieve with paper towel, and empty the yogurt tubs into the sieve. Let stand over the sink or a large bowl overnight to let the liquid drain off the yogurt. In the morning- yogurt cheese!

Combine cracker crumbs, wheat germ and first amount of Splenda in food processor. While processor is on low speed, slowly add olive oil. When crumbs and oil are well combined, press firmly into bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate.Bake at 350* F., for about 10 minutes, til lightly browned and set.

Lower oven temperature to 325 * F.

Beat yogurt cheese, second amount of Splenda and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

Bake 25- 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Top with fresh berries or pie filling, and garnish with dessert topping as you like. Store leftover cheesecake in the fridge.

For 8 servings, per serving:
219 calories
8.5 g fat
55 mg cholesterol
25.26 g carbohydrates
1.125 g fiber
8.3 g sugars
12.35 g protein
196.75 mg sodium

For 12 servings, per serving:
146 calories
5.6 g fat
37 mg cholesterol
16.8 g carbohydrates
.75 g fiber
5.55 g sugars
8.23 g protein
131 mg sodium

Easy Fruit Dip

This is an old standby that has been around for a long time. So easy a child can do it! Turns cut up fruit pieces into something special.

Simply mix together equal amounts of Cool Whip whipped topping (or dairy whipping cream whipped) and fruit yogurt.

Serve with cut up, fresh fruit- banana, pineapple, apples, strawberries, peaches and pears are especially good. Leave smaller fruit and berries whole, and cut larger fruit into bite sized pieces.

To keep it good and good for you, use Cool Whip Lite or 95% fat free, or a sugar-free variety if you can find it, and low fat or no-sugar-added yogurt.

Our favourite is with strawberry yogurt.

Danish Apple Bars

This is based on the recipe of the same name in the "Company's Coming Desserts" cookbook. I've kicked up the fibre and replaced the sugar with artificial sweetener. If you're cooking for non-diabetics as well as diabetics, you can make it half and half (sugar/ sweetener)- just remember which half is which! The "Glaze" is optional and makes these pastries extra special, but they'll add 9 g of sugar/ carbs per piece.

CRUST:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (300 ml)
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (300 ml)
1 teaspoon salt (5 ml)
1 cup margarine (250 ml)

1 egg yolk
skim milk to make 2/3 cup (175 ml)

FILLING*:

1 cup crushed bran flakes cereal (250 ml)
4 large apples, cored and thinly sliced (leave the peel on for added fibre)
1/2 cup Splenda, artificial sweetener (125 ml) (or 1/4 cup/ 50 ml for half, and 1/2 cup/ 125 ml sugar for the other half)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (5 ml)

1 egg white

GLAZE:

1 cup icing sugar (225 ml)
1 1/2-2 tablespoons water (25-30 ml)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (2 ml)

*One large can (540 ml) pie filling can be used in place of apples. Omit sweetener/sugar and cinnamon. Adjust the carbohydrate content according to the nutritional information on the can.

Crust: Measure flours, salt and butter into bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Using a fork, beat yolk with small amount of milk in measuring cup. Add milk to make 1/2 cup (125 ml) Add to flour mixture. (Food processor works well for making the crust. Use Pulse action to cut in butter, then add liquid ingredients with the blade running, and then continue to pulse until dough holds together and makes a ball) Mix and shape into 2 equal balls. Roll 1 ball into 11 x 15 inch size, and put into a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet, pressing up sides. (The original recipe calls for a 10 x 15 inch Jelly Roll pan, but I found it challenging to make the dough stretch that far. It works, but is easier and less fussy to use the smaller pan. Try rolling dough between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper. Transfer with the paper.)

Filling: Scatter bran flakes over crust. Arrange apple slices over crumbs. Cover with sweetener and cinnamon. Roll remaining pastry to cover the top. Moisten bottom crust edges. Cover with pastry and seal. Cut slits in top crust.

Beat egg white stiff. Brush over crust. Bake at 350* F for about 1 hour, until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Drizzle with glaze while warm.

Cut into 24 pieces.

Per Serving: 1 piece
Calories: 144
Total Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fats: 0.06 g
Sodium: 198 mg
Potassium: 6.8 mg
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fibre: 1.8 g
Sugars: 5.6 g
Protein: 2.2 g

Hot Water Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce

Here's a favourite, (of at least half the family!). Easy to make; old fashioned comfort food.

Gingerbread

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1//2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

In large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.

In second bowl, beat egg, brown sugar, molasses and boiling water. Stir molasses mixture and melted butter into flour mixture til well blended. Pour into non-stick or lightly greased 8 " square pan. Bake at 350* F. for about 35 minutes.

Serve with Lemon Sauce.

2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 egg, beaten

In small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon peel. Stir in water and lemon juice; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly til thickened slightly. Carefully stir 1/4 of hot mixture into beaten egg to prevent egg from coagulating; return to hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 4 minutes or til thickened. Cover and refrigerate.

Sauced Butterscotch (Pudding-Cake and Sauce)

A favourite Birthday Breakfast at our house... but it really is a nice, filling, hot dessert on cold winter evenings. Serve with thick cream or ice cream. This is half the recipe, so it will make enough for 2 or 3... or 1 for breakfast and then lunch dessert!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. butter or margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup hot water

Measure first 5 ingredients into bowl. Mix together with spoon. Turn into greased 8" casserole dish or baking pan.

In same bowl, stir brown sugar, butter, vanilla and hot water until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Pour over batter in pan. Do not stir. Bake at 350*F for 20 - 30 minutes until sauce is on the bottom and the top crust is firm to the touch.