Lemon Pound Cake (low sugar)

Lemon Pound Cake:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter (room temp)
1 1/2 Splenda, granulated
1 Tbsp lemon zest
4 Eggs (room temp)
1/2 C. low fat sour cream
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. fresh squeezed lemon juice (not bottled)
1 3/4 C. flour
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/4 C. non fat dry milk
2 Tsp. baking powder

Lemon Glaze:
1 C. powdered sugar
1 C. Splenda, granules
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp (plus/minus) l% milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease 1 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. Beat butter and Splenda until mixed. Add sour cream, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl. Slowly add mixture, alternating with lemon juice. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Then cool on wire rack.

Beat ingredients for lemon glaze. Frost cooled cake. Store in fridge.

Note, this cake is very dense and most, almost cheesecake like and tastes great!

Adapted from Epicurious.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Yield:
10 medium pancakes

Ingredients:
3/4 Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 C. Buttermilk
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
6 ounces (give or take) of fresh blueberries
Butter, for greasing the pan

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix the batter, which will have small lumps. Allow the batter to rest at room temperature for a few minutes.

Heat your skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with butter. Spoon batter onto skillet. Sprinkle blueberries on top and press them into the batter. Cook about 2 minutes (or until bubbles begin to form on the surface). Flip and cook for about 1-2 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately, or keep the pancakes warm by placing them on a baking sheet in an oven heated to 200 degrees.

Adapted from Baking and Books.com.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread or Muffins

Ingredients:
2 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1.5 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
3 large ripe bananas
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Syrup (sugar free)
1/4 C. Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
1/3 C. Milk
1/4 C. Canola Oil
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
3/4 C. Nuts (optional)
handful of Chocolate Chips (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl. Beat bananas, Splenda brown sugar blend, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Add nuts, if you want. Pour into greased bread loaf pan or muffin tins. Sprinkle a few chips on top if you want. Bake bread for 1 hour. I think this recipe would be better if made as muffins because it is very moist and the center of the bread was somewhat soft even after baking for over an hour. Enjoy!

Adapted from Joy of Baking.

Red Velvet Cake (lower sugar and fat) - perfect for Valentines Day!

Red Velvet Cake
Ingredients:
1 C. of butter (room temp)
1 C. Splenda, granules
1/2 C. Sugar (you could try substituting the entire recipe with Splenda)
3 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 Tsp. Salt
2 ounces of food coloring (almost entire small food coloring container)
2 Eggs
1 C. Lowfat Buttermilk
1 Tsp. Vinegar
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 C. Dry Non Fat Milk
2 C. Flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Bream butter, Splenda, and sugar. Add cocoa. Add 1/2 of food coloring. Add eggs, buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Slowly beat into mixture. Add rest of food coloring.

Pour into 2 small greased bundt cake pans or 2 9 x 9 pans. Bake 30 or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost with cream cheese frosting (below) when cooled.

Frosting:
Ingredients
1/2 C. Butter (room temp)
8 Oz. Low Fat Cream Cheese
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
3/4 C. Splenda, granules

Directions:
Beat all ingredients until smooth. Frost Red Velvet Cake.

Adapted from Joy of Baking and Food Network and Diabetes Daily.

Linzer Cookies (with SUGAR) - perfect for Valentines Day!

Ingredients:
2.5 C. Flour
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1 1/4 C. Butter
1 C. Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Strawberry or Raspberry (no sugar added) Preserves or Jam
Extra Powdered Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Add dry ingredients.
Divide dough in half. Wrap in wax or parchment paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Roll dough out onto onto piece of wax paper with flour on it into 1/8 inch thickness with floured rolling pin. Keep extra flour around in case dough sticks to paper or pin. Cut out hearts with larger heart shaped cookie cutter. Put on (cool) baking pan. Cut out same number of hearts with larger heart shaped cookie cutter. With these hearts, cut out inside of heart with smaller heart shaped cookie cutter. Put these on second (cool) baking pan. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes. The second pan of cookies may take a minute or so less to bake. Remove cookies from oven and let sit on the pan for 5 minutes. Let cool on wire racks or paper towels. Sprinkle powdered sugar on cut out heart tops (once cooled).

When cookies are completely cooled, spread preserves on the whole cut out heats. Add cut out hearts on top.

Adapted from About.com.

Linzer Cookies, low sugar - perfect for Valentines Day!

Ingredients:
1/2 C. Butter (room temp)
2 C. Flour
1 C. Splenda, granulated
1/3 C. low fat Sour Cream
1 egg
1 Tsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 cup no sugar added Preserves (flavor of your choice I used Strawberry and Raspberry)
2 sizes of heart shaped cookie cutters
Extra Splenda, granules

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and Splenda with an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Add sour cream and lemon juice.
Divide dough in half. Wrap in wax or parchment paper and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Roll dough out onto onto piece of wax paper with flour on it into 1/8 inch (no thicker because these are made with Splenda so they will not spread much) thickness with floured rolling pin. Keep extra flour around in case dough sticks to paper or pin. Cut out hearts with larger heart shaped cookie cutter. Put on (cool) baking pan. Cut out same number of hearts with larger heart shaped cookie cutter. With these hearts, cut out inside of heart with smaller heart shaped cookie cutter. Put these on second (cool) baking pan. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. The second pan of cookies may take a minute or so less to bake. Remove cookies from oven and let sit on the pan for 5 minutes. Let cool completely on wire racks or paper towels. Sprinkle Splenda on cut out heart tops.

When cookies are completely cooled, spread preserves on the whole cut out heats. Add cut out hearts on top.

Adapted from Home Cooking Kitchen.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. ground Allspice
1 Tbsp. dried Thyme
1 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh ground Black Pepper
3/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
3/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
2 Tbsp. minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 C. Olive Oil
1/4 C. Soy Sauce (low sodium)
3/4 C. White Vinegar
1/2 C. Orange Juice (no sugar added)
1 Lime squeezed or 2 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 Habanero Peppers
5 Scallions, finely chopped
1 C. White Onion, finely chopped
4 Chicken Breasts
Brown Rice & Black Beans

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar. With a wire whisk, slowly add the olive oil, say sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice.
Add the Habanero pepper, onions, and mix well. Add the chicken breasts, cover and marinate for 4 (or more) hours.
Pour into large Pyrex pan. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with brown rice and black beans.

I also served it with veggies - zucchini, mushrooms and peppers - saute the veggies in the jerk sauce.

Adapted from Diana's Kitchen.