Mini Vanilla and Almond Cheescakes.

As most of you have noticed I love cheesecakes so you will find a lot of them on this blog. These delicious mini-cheesecakes are gently flavored with Vanilla and Almond Extract. Garnish with fresh or canned fruit topping. Your family and/or guest will be delighted with their delicate flavor.



INGREDIENTS

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar*

1 egg

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract

12 vanilla wafers or chocolate wafers**

Fresh or canned fruit
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and extracts; beat well.

2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups. Place a wafer in bottom of each muffin cup. Evenly divide cheese mixture among cups.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

4. Refrigerate 4 hours to overnight. Serve topped with fresh or canned fruit.

Tip; Use fresh fruit if possible or frozen in its own juices.
If you use canned fruit use the ones canned in its own juices
or no sugar added.

NUTRITION INFORMATION;

per serving

Calories: 113
Fat: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 8 g
Cholesterol: 38 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Fiber: 0 g
Makes 12 servings.

*You can reduce the carbs more by using Splenda instead of sugar and
**using milled flax seed instead of wafers.

Strawberry-Banana Cream Trifle

This dessert is fast and easy to make. Even though it was intended for diabetics anyone can enjoy this tasty treat. And it also looks as good as it taste.

Ingredients:
1 lb. strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup Splenda (sugar substitute)
1 package sugar-free strawberry flavored gelatin (4 serving size)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 package banana cream sugar-free pudding
1+3/4 cups milk (or cream)**
1 (10 & 1/2 oz.) angel food cake cut horizontally into thirds.
Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions:

Gently toss strawberries and Splenda in medium bowl; set aside

Stir gelatin into boiling water in small bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.

Stir in cold water until well blended. Pop in freezer for 5 minutes to soft-set gelatin.

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed or wisk until mixed thoroughly. Refrigerate 5 minutes to soft-set.

Place 1 layer of angel food cake in bottom of trifle bowl. Tear another cake layer into pieces to fill in any gaps and in hole in center of cake.

Stir gelatin into pudding until well blended. Gently stir in strawberries.

Spoon half of mixture over cake in trifle bowl. Arrange remaining cake layer on top of strawberry mixture. Fill in gaps and hole with remaining torn pieces of cake.

Top with remaining strawberry mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours until completely set.

** Can use Soy Milk to reduce carb count even more.
***Top with whipped cream before serving.

Calories 59
Carbohydrates 13g (Less when using soy milk)

Lemon-Cranberry Bars

The low-carb desserts or snacks you find here at Just Desserts for Diabetics have been tested to see if they will raise blood sugar. The problem I have encountered is ...most people tend to eat more than a normal serving. I know it is hard not to eat more than what we should but it puts your health at risk. Please try to have only one serving at a time. Be sure to test your blood sugar when you try something new so you will know if it is right for you.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar substitute
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 egg
1&1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F

Lightly coat 8 inch square baking pan with nostick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine sugar substitute, lemonade concentrate, margarine and egg in medium bowl; mix well.

Add flour,lemon peel,baking soda and salt; stir well.

Stir in cranberries; pour into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until light brown.

Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

1 square =1 serving
Makes 16 servings

Carbohydrates per serving= 15g
Less than 1g of fiber.

* to reduce the carbs more use soy flour or 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour.

Slow Cooker (Crock Pot) Soy Yogurt with Fruit

Every tasty, sweet snack isn't an automatic no-no for diabetics. According to one study, one of the most satisfying and nourishing snacks of all – soy yogurt with fruit – can actually help keep both diabetes and blood pressure in check. Conducted by University of Massachusetts researchers, the study was published in the Journal of Food Biochemistry. Researchers tested a range of both soy and dairy yogurt brands, finding that soy yogurt with blueberries, strawberries or peaches has the most significant effect on the enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, which are also targeted by diabetes drugs. Soy yogurt scored higher than dairy yogurt on measures of antioxidant and plant phenol content. In addition, researchers noted that soy yogurt appears to have the strongest ACE-inhibitor effect, helping manage blood pressure. Eat soy!

http://www.lifescript.com


This recipe came from Karla Kearney
We thank you for sharing.

Making soy yogurt at home is an inexpensive way to enjoy the health benefits of soy. Soy yogurt can be used in recipes that call for dairy yogurt. It can also be enjoyed all on its own with a little honey and fruit added. Using a slow cooker as an incubator for your soy yogurt adds convenience to this method.


Things You'll Need:

* 6 cups of cold soy milk (homemade or store bought)
* 4 cups of boiling hot soy milk (homemade or store bought)
* 1 packet of dairy-free yogurt culture (available at health food stores)
* 1/2 cup of tapioca or potato starch
* 1 + 1/2 tsp of agar powder (from health food store)
* large slow-cooker or crock pot
* small canning jars with lids(jelly size)**
* clean kitchen towel
* large saucepan
* candy thermometer
* wooden spoon
** I like to use the 4 oz. baby food jars because they hold exactly one serving. No guessing....always the right portion.

Step 1

Make sure all of your jars are clean. You may wish to sterilize them first. Dry them and set aside.

Step 2

In the saucepan, stir together a cup of the cold soy milk with the agar and starch, until it is no longer lumpy. Add to it 3 cups of the hot soy milk and stir until blended. Allow to cook over medium heat until it has thickened.

Step 3

Add the remaining soy milk (hot and cold) and stir until the temperature is around 115 degrees. Then add your active cultures. Make sure the temperature of the milk mix is no hotter than 115, or else it will kill your bacteria!

Step 4

Pour milk into the jars and cover with lids (do not screw on caps). Place jars into slow cooker with a folded kitchen towel placed on the bottom as a cushion. Put lid onto the slow cooker and set it on "warm". Allow the jars to rest for 10-12 hours.

Step 5

Remove from slow cooker and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating.

Busy as a Bee

I feel like a busy bee!!!
I have been so busy since the New Year started I haven't had time to post many new recipes. I have been testing some new recipes and working on some other programs.
I did enjoy the holidays even if I did get lost coming home from my daughters home in
Pensacola. I saw some of Florida I have never seen before so it was worth the extra time. Lucky I had my I Phone to help me find my way back. I am now ready to get back to my blogs and sharing some great tasting dessert recipes with everyone. Sure hope you enjoyed your holidays and had a safe and healthy one.

Airy Almond Cookies

This is a light and chewy cookie that everyone can enjoy as a snack or after dinner.
Even the kids like their crunchy nutty taste.
Ingredients:

3 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole almonds , toasted and finely chopped
1 cooking spray


Directions:

Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add in the salt; gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla. Continue to beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Gently fold in the almonds.
Drop the batter one teaspoonful at a time onto the baking sheets; lift the spoon as you drop to create a peak in the center. Work quickly so batter does not spread.
Bake until the cookies are lightly browned and hard to the touch on top, about 20-30 minutes. Gently remove cookies from baking sheets and place on a wire rack to cool.
Additional Information
Replace the almonds with any nut like pecans, walnuts, or pistachios.


Nutrition Facts
Makes 40 servings
Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 16
Total Carbs: 3.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.1 g
Sugars: 3.6 g
Total Fat: 0.2 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Unsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Potassium: 7.3 mg
Protein: 0.4 g
Sodium: 11.4 mg
* You can reduce the carbs more by using Splenda instead of sugar.

Soy Milk

I have been experimenting with using SOY MILK in some of the recipes that use milk.
Much to my surprise it has given me great results and it has less carbs as well as less fat than regular or low-fat milk. It also lets me use a little less of the artificial sweetener because it has a sweeter taste than regular milk. So if you want to have less carbs and less fat in your recipes that use milk, try using Soy Milk, it works great.