shortbread with splenda

[mira]

I have been asked to prepare shortbread but with splenda. I have made a lot of drop cookies and loaves with splenda successfully but shortbread is a bit more fussy and has less ingredients to cover the taste of the sweetener (though I will be flavouring them with espresso powder). Has anyone here done this with success? Thanks in advance!

[Badiane]

While I personally have never understood the reasoning behind subbing Splenda for sugar in flour based baked goods - the flour converts to sugar anyway so you are no further ahead by cutting the sugar from a blood sugar point of view - I do have a low carb recipe that is shortbread-ish that might work for you. I don't see why you couldn't use some espresso flavouring instead of the almond extract. Probably be pretty tasty. And people that use Splenda regularly aren't going to notice the taste of it...you get used to it and after a while it is just normal. I can't even tell anymore and often have to get my husband to taste things just to be sure.

Almond cookies

2 cups almond flour

1/2 cup Splenda

1 stick (1/2 cup) sofened butter

1/2 tsp salt (if using salted butter, omit salt here)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine all ingredients. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Press down lightly with fork, then continue to bake another 15 minutes. Let cool.

Approximately 2.7 carbs per cookie

Hope that helps

You might like to look at this website: http://www.lowcarb.ca/low-carb-recipes.html and have a look - there are some excellent low carb and sugar free desserts in the reader recipes section as well as on the main page.

Edited August 10, 2005 by Badiane (log)

[mira]

Thanks so much, Badiane! Does this have a similar texture to shortbread? And do you think it will work better if I use coffee extract rather than adding espresso powder?

[Patrick S]

While I personally have never understood the reasoning behind subbing Splenda for sugar in flour based baked goods - the flour converts to sugar anyway so you are no further ahead by cutting the sugar from a blood sugar point of view

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What is it about using Splenda that you don't understand? Splenda has no calories (excect that in the bulking agent), no carbs (ditto), and no effect on blood glucose. If your goal is to reduce intake of calories or carbs, or reducing the effect of sweet foods on blood sugar, then subbing Splenda for sugar obviously would put you "further ahead. Granted your baked good is still going to have an effect on blood sugar and its still going to have carbs, but the effect will be smaller and the amount of carbs lower, and that in itself provides a seemingly obvious rationale. You're not really suggesting that two baked goods, identical in all respects except that one is made with Splenda instead of sugar, are going to have identical effects on blood glucose, are you?

[scott123]

The texture is going to be way off. Splenda, unlike sugar, adds no texture to baked goods. A shortbread without the textural impact of sugar is a cracker. Also, part of the 'short'ness of shortbread is the sugar hampering gluten formation, so you might be looking at a very sturdy cracker (aka hockey puck) even with careful mixing.

Also, coffee and chocolate are both fairly reknowned for having issues with splenda. Because of the bitterness they add, they require additional sweetener to compensate. For those sensitive to Splenda's aftertaste (a small percentage of the population) this high concentration of splenda is unpalatable. Another big complaint about splenda and chocolate/coffee is that, regardless of the quantity of splenda added, the end product is too bitter.

Almond cookies are nice, but if shortbread was requested, I'd go with that. If your client is allowing you to use wheat flour, by all means, use it.

For a better quality of sweetness with little to no aftertaste, combine the splenda with ace k (another high intensity sweetener).

For the right texture, use a non-laxating sugar alcohol like erythritol and combine it with polydextrose (a fiber that has the texture of sugar).

These ingredients are a little tricky to find, but if you want the best sugar free shortbread cookie on the planet, I highly recommend obtaining them.

[ladyyoung98]

While I personally have never understood the reasoning behind subbing Splenda for sugar in flour based baked goods -

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heres an answer to that which may help u to understand...

its because there are many diabetics out there...myself included who still love our baked goods but cant take the sugar.....splenda is awonderful alternative for those of us who are glucose/sugar/insulin challenged...while splenda is a derivative of sugar..the nature of, it for whatever reason..does not allow it to be absorbed by our diabetic bodies...the principal is the same for whatever sugar may exisit in flour...its a different form of sugar that our bodies are able to handle..this does not give the diabetic public to go hog wild on the sugar free stuff made with splenda since there are still calories...but we need not feel deprived of some of the things the non diabetic public takes for granted..while we want to have our cake and eat it too (without frosting)... we diabetics need to be careful of what sort of sugars we can and cant have..for us its a health issue that we have to be careful of..

i hope this gives you a little more insight

and by the way..i have used splenda in shortbread with no problems at all

[Badiane]

Thanks so much, Badiane! Does this have a similar texture to shortbread? And do you think it will work better if I use coffee extract rather than adding espresso powder?

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I think espresso powder would be better, actually...more concentrated flavour. I would call them shortbread-ish...sort of but not really - but you can't duplicate the texture of shortbread without the sugar, so this is an pretty good facsimile.

Oh...I just noticed the coffee reacts badly thing...hmmm....that is a good post and probably full of sound advice...

But I'm going to try it anyway...I like a little bitter.

Edited August 10, 2005 by Badiane (log)

[Badiane]

What is it about using Splenda that you don't understand? Splenda has no calories (excect that in the bulking agent), no carbs (ditto), and no effect on blood glucose. If your goal is to reduce intake of calories or carbs, or reducing the effect of sweet foods on blood sugar, then subbing Splenda for sugar obviously would put you "further ahead. Granted your baked good is still going to have an effect on blood sugar and its still going to have carbs, but the effect will be smaller and the amount of carbs lower, and that in itself provides a seemingly obvious rationale. You're not really suggesting that two baked goods, identical in all respects except that one is made with Splenda instead of sugar, are going to have identical effects on blood glucose, are you?

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Holy hostility, Batman.

[Badiane]

heres an answer  to that which may help u to understand...

its because there are many diabetics out there...myself included who still love our  baked  goods but cant take the sugar.....splenda is awonderful alternative  for those of us who are glucose/sugar/insulin challenged...while splenda is a derivative of sugar..the nature  of, it for whatever reason..does not allow it to be absorbed  by our diabetic bodies...the  principal is the  same  for whatever sugar may exisit in flour...its a different form of sugar that our bodies are able to handle..this does not give the diabetic public  to go hog wild on the sugar free stuff made with splenda since there are still calories...but we need not feel deprived of some of the things  the non diabetic public takes for granted..while we want to have our cake and eat it too (without frosting)... we diabetics  need to be careful of what  sort of sugars we can and cant have..for us its a health issue that we have to be careful of..

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I am a diabetic. For me, a cake is a cake, icing, no icing, it's all good. Flour, sugar, any carb at all, it's all the same to my body, so hey, I might as well go with the sugar, because it doesn't affect me any differently than flour. I have had worse reactions to watermelon than to pecan pie. I can pretty much eat whatever I want within reason, as long as I keep taking the Avandamet. I'm clearly some kind of freak, but there ya go...

I should have phrased that as so I (me personally) am no further ahead by cutting the sugar in a flour based recipe and that it makes no sense for me personally to make the substitution.

I mostly stick to the nut flours...with the splenda...just because I do want to keep my eyesight and my feet for around another 50 years

But you explained it beautifully...thank you

[Patrick S]

What is it about using Splenda that you don't understand? Splenda has no calories (excect that in the bulking agent), no carbs (ditto), and no effect on blood glucose. If your goal is to reduce intake of calories or carbs, or reducing the effect of sweet foods on blood sugar, then subbing Splenda for sugar obviously would put you "further ahead. Granted your baked good is still going to have an effect on blood sugar and its still going to have carbs, but the effect will be smaller and the amount of carbs lower, and that in itself provides a seemingly obvious rationale. You're not really suggesting that two baked goods, identical in all respects except that one is made with Splenda instead of sugar, are going to have identical effects on blood glucose, are you?

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Holy hostility, Batman.

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Well that sure clarifies things, Robin.

I don't know how you managed to mispercieve my honest question as being hostile. I was genuinely baffled by what you wrote (it is obvious why someone would use Splenda), but have no hostility towards you. Let me prove it by wishing you nothing but bear hugs and butterfly kisses, and artfully deploying a smilie or two.

[sugarbuzz]

My oldest daughter is diabetic & while I use Splenda a lot for her baking she finds it overly sweet. So I just use half sugar & half splenda..it works great. I know that splenda sells a half & half version of splenda but I just adjust the sugar according to her tastes & also depending on what I'm making.

[Patrick S]

Also, coffee and chocolate are both fairly reknowned for having issues with splenda.  Because of the bitterness they add, they require additional sweetener to compensate.  For those sensitive to Splenda's aftertaste (a small percentage of the population) this high concentration of splenda is unpalatable. Another big complaint about splenda and chocolate/coffee is that, regardless of the quantity of splenda added, the end product is too bitter.

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Granted I'm only one person, but I personally haven't found this to be the case. I always use Splenda for coffee and tea, and actually prefer it to sugar. I never bake with Splenda, but I've always thought it works great in drinks.

[Jeni Hicks]

I think it's important to note that Type 2 diabetics can often handle more sugar than people with Type 1 - my son has insulin-dependent diabetes, and sugar has a much greater impact on his blood sugar levels than flour or other carb products. If not for Splenda or other sweeteners, there would be many baked goods that he would have to avoid completely.

Ladyyoung98, would you care to share your shortbread recipe?

[Wendy DeBord]

I still don't know much on sugar free baking, forgive me for adding my two cents in a topic I barely know. But the few times I've explored it I found that the amount of splenda I needed to make the item taste sweet was very minute! I personally thought a light touch of it was o.k. and the taste wasn't too off. But recipes I've tried that were meant to be used with splenda all have called for way more splenda then I could tolerate.......they left me wondering if the recipes were written based on taste or to use as much splenda as possible to sell more.

Make a small batch......see how it goes/tastes/works. Many great things were invented from accidents and wild trials.

[ladyyoung98]

heres an answer  to that which may help u to understand...

its because there are many diabetics out there...myself included who still love our  baked  goods but cant take the sugar.....splenda is awonderful alternative  for those of us who are glucose/sugar/insulin challenged...while splenda is a derivative of sugar..the nature  of, it for whatever reason..does not allow it to be absorbed  by our diabetic bodies...the  principal is the  same  for whatever sugar may exisit in flour...its a different form of sugar that our bodies are able to handle..this does not give the diabetic public  to go hog wild on the sugar free stuff made with splenda since there are still calories...but we need not feel deprived of some of the things  the non diabetic public takes for granted..while we want to have our cake and eat it too (without frosting)... we diabetics  need to be careful of what  sort of sugars we can and cant have..for us its a health issue that we have to be careful of..

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I am a diabetic. For me, a cake is a cake, icing, no icing, it's all good. Flour, sugar, any carb at all, it's all the same to my body, so hey, I might as well go with the sugar, because it doesn't affect me any differently than flour. I have had worse reactions to watermelon than to pecan pie. I can pretty much eat whatever I want within reason, as long as I keep taking the Avandamet. I'm clearly some kind of freak, but there ya go...

I should have phrased that as so I (me personally) am no further ahead by cutting the sugar in a flour based recipe and that it makes no sense for me personally to make the substitution.

I mostly stick to the nut flours...with the splenda...just because I do want to keep my eyesight and my feet for around another 50 years

But you explained it beautifully...thank you

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you are quite welcome...i myself take glucovance..which so far has been pretty good for me...as for the nut flours...im guessing i have not had any exposure to them..to my knowledge..id love to learn more about those...for instance...

what kind of variety is there...where can they be purchased.... do they lend any kind of a nutty flavor to your baking?... im always open to things that are new to me..and i dont mind cooking experiments..i live for them...lol..so do tell.....

[ladyyoung98]

I still don't know much on sugar free baking, forgive me for adding my two cents in a topic I barely know. But the few times I've explored it I found that the amount of splenda I needed to make the item taste sweet was very minute! I personally thought a light touch of it was o.k. and the taste wasn't too off. But recipes I've tried that were meant to be used with splenda all have called for way more splenda then I could tolerate.......they left me wondering if the recipes were written based on taste or to use as much splenda as possible to sell more.

Make a small batch......see how it goes/tastes/works. Many great things were invented from accidents and wild trials.

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actually when i use splenda for my baking...when it is just for me and my fiance..who is also a diabetic (both type 2).... i have always just used measure for measure..if a recipe calls for half cup of sugar..i use half a cup of splenda...you can buy the splenda in bags..much like sugar..only its far lighter...and unfortunalty more expensive..but hey..diabetic health is nothnig to mess with..so im willing to pay that extra cost..even type 2 diabetics have to be careful about how much..if any..sugar is put into the body..

back to the splenda issue...if memory serves me right...it does state soemwhere on the bag (or box) that it is measure for measure like sugar

i once made the mistake of using too much in a recipe and in truth i didnt care for the aftertaste of the overdose either...but have found when i keep it the same measurement as sugar in a given recipe..i dont have a problem with the taste..perhaps in that im the strange one?.....

i know somebody else asked me for my shortbread recipe using the splenda...i will have to dig that one out for you since ive not used it for a while..but as i recall..in a normal shortbread recipe it calls for powdered sugar..at least the ones i have run across have called for it..and i simply did a trade off with splenda...i do that same trade off with spelnda when making angel food cake as well..as for the shortbread again..i know i did something else as well..which did involve the butter..but will have to look it up later..when ido ..i will be happy to share

[scott123]

I think espresso powder would be better, actually...more concentrated flavour.  I would call them shortbread-ish...sort of but not really - but you can't duplicate the texture of shortbread without the sugar, so this is an pretty good facsimile.

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I disagree. Maltitol produces a perfect facsimile, and, for those wishing to avoid maltitol's laxative effects, there's erythritol/polyd. Both these options reproduce sugary desserts flawlessly. It's replacing the wheat flour that's the hard part.

Also, coffee and chocolate are both fairly reknowned for having issues with splenda.  Because of the bitterness they add, they require additional sweetener to compensate.  For those sensitive to Splenda's aftertaste (a small percentage of the population) this high concentration of splenda is unpalatable. Another big complaint about splenda and chocolate/coffee is that, regardless of the quantity of splenda added, the end product is too bitter.

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Granted I'm only one person, but I personally haven't found this to be the case. I always use Splenda for coffee and tea, and actually prefer it to sugar. I never bake with Splenda, but I've always thought it works great in drinks.

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The phenomenon I describe are certainly not universal, but they are common, at least common to both the members of the low carb discussion forum I moderate as well as the many forums I frequent. Out of maybe 2,000 low carbers I've come across that were/are baking with splenda, I'd say at least 200 have complained about it's issues with chocolate. There have been less complaints about splenda and coffee, but I have come across them. I think that, as with the aftertaste issue, this is a personal response.

If this were something the originator of this thread were making for themselves, I think using splenda on it's own would be fine, but making something for someone else, the insurance policy of an additional sweetener (or two) is a good one.

[Terrasanct]

I have the same issues with unsweetened chocolate sometimes--splenda can make it bitter. You have to use a combination of sweeteners. I use a dash of Stevia Plus when that's the case.

I haven't done a lot of cooking with splenda and flour, since I don't use flour most of the time. The nut flours are often a great substitute. Most people on low carb diets use almond meal/flour, which is readily available. I think Bob's Red Mill makes it. Also good is is hazelnut flour. I've made a lot of things with nut flours--you can make pretty passable cakes with them, and tarts.

Erithrytol and polydextrose can both be purchased at Netrition.com. I like them because no matter how much you order, the shipping is $4.99.

There is a pecan cake that's made with erithrytol and polydextrose that turns out really well.

Let us know how your shortbread turns out.