Sweet talk: natural sugar alternatives - food

Better Nutrition, Dec, 2002 by Lisa Turner

Between crowded mall navigation, gift buying and late nights making merry, holidays are trying enough. Add lots of sugar from holiday parties, and you have a recipe for instant stress. White sugar has been linked to mood swings, irritability, headaches insomnia, fatigue and emotional outbursts.

But many "natural" sweeteners are little more than glorified table sugar with little or no nutritional benefit, the same number of calories and identical effects on blood sugar. To call some natural sweeteners "healthy" is to sugar-coat the facts.

If your relationship with sugar has soured, take heart: These three alternatives can help you sail through the holiday season with less stress and fewer pounds to shed in the new year.

* Stevia is extracted from a South American herb that is 100 to 400 times sweeter than conventional white sugar. It's available in powders and liquid extracts in the supplement section of most natural product stores. One teaspoon of stevia is equal to about one cup of sugar. Use it carefully--too much yields a bitter aftertaste. Why it's better: Stevia is calorie-free, doesn't upset blood sugar and can actually assist in regulating blood-sugar levels.

* Date sugar, not really a sugar at all, is made from ground, dehydrated dates, so it contains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in the fruit. It can be used in equal parts for sugar in most recipes, especially baking, and is a great substitute for brown sugar. However, because the tiny pieces won't dissolve, it can't be used to sweeten beverages. Why it's better: Unlike refined or concentrated sweeteners, date sugar is rich in nutrients and is metabolized more slowly.

* Agave nectar is a natural juice extracted from agave, the same plant that's processed into tequila. Agave nectar is 42 percent sweeter than white sugar but has the same caloric value and a low glycemic index (11), a measurement of the relative ability of a carbohydrate to raise blood glucose levels. It can be substituted in equal parts for honey in most recipes. As a substitute for sugar, use 3/4 cup agave nectar for 1 cup of sugar, and reduce the liquid content by 1/4 cup. Why it's better: Agave nectar is metabolized more slowly and is less likely to cause dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar.

Hazelnut Fudge
Brownies

SERVES 16

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup date sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts,
  plus 16 whole hazelnuts
2 Tbs. agave nectar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In medium bowl, combine
flour, cocoa powder and salt.
In separate bowl, combine date
sugar and butter, and beat together
until mixture is creamy.
Beat in milk.

3. Blend liquid ingredients into
dry, and stir until evenly moistened.
Do not overmix.

4. Fold in chopped hazelnuts
(batter will be thick). Spoon
into greased and floured 8 by 8-inch
cake pan.

5.Arrange whole hazelnuts on
top of brownies, four across and
four down. Bake 30 minutes, or
until toothpick inserted into
brownies comes out clean.

6. Remove from oven, and brush
top with agave nectar. Let cool,
and cut into 16 squares.

Raspberry Tartlets with
Vanilla-Lemon Cream

MAKES 24

Prepared dough for one pie shell
1/4 cup whole-fruit raspberry jam
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 Cup sour cream (fat-free
  yogurt may be substituted)
1/2 cup agave nectar
4 cups raspberries
Fresh mint for garnish

1.Preheat oven to 375F. Form
dough into 24 1-inch balls.

2. Press dough balls into bottoms
and up sides of 24 mini-muffin
cups. Trim overhang with knife,
and prick bottoms of shells with
toothpick.

3. Bake in middle oven rack, 12
minutes, or until golden. Cool
in cups on racks. Gently loosen
shells with knife, and remove
from cups.

4. While shells are baking, combine
jam, vanilla and lemon
juice in small saucepan, and
simmer, stirring occasionally,
1 minute. Remove from heat,
and stir in sour cream and
agave nectar.

5. Place raspberries in large bowl,
and pour warm jam mixture
over berries.

6. Stir gently with rubber spatula
to coat berries.

7. Place cooled shells on tray, and
mound berries in shells.

8. Chill tarts until filling is firm,
about 1 hour. Garnish with mint
and serve cold.

Cranberry-Walnut
Banana Bread

SERVES 8

2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup (about two) very ripe,
  mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. stevia powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, plus
  about 12 whole nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In medium mixing bowl, combine
eggs, butter, milk and vanilla,
and beat until creamy. Mix
in bananas.

3. In another bowl, sift together
flours, baking soda, salt and stevia.
Stir in chopped walnuts and
cranberries.

4. Add banana mixture to dry
ingredients, and mix until just
moistened. Don't overbear.

5. Pour into greased 9 by 5-inch
loaf pan, and bake 50 minutes.

6. Arrange walnuts on top of cake,
and continue baking, 10 minutes,
or until loaf is golden and
toothpick inserted into center
comes out clean. Cool on rack
before serving.