Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet Potatoes, how do I love thee; luscious, moist, flavorful, low glycemic, packed with vitamins and fiber - sweet! So, it naturally followed that I should develop some new, recipes using this wonder food. This is very, very good; moist and rich tasting.


1 1/4 cup/12 ounces cooked sweet potato, mashed
1/2 cup water
1 large egg
1 extra large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract OR 1 TB bourbon
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, (minus 4 TB)
2-3 TB flax meal (optional)
1 TB soy protein (optional)
1 TB whey powder (optional)
1/3 cup xylitol
4 1/2 tiny scoops stevia
3 TB +1 tsp erythritol ("Zero")
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

If you don't have access to erythritol, raise the xylitol to a scant 1/2 cup.

If sugar is not a problem for you, substitute 3/4 cup of sugar for all of the sweeteners.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes well with a potato masher, and whisk in the water. Then stir in the eggs and vanilla or bourbon until well blended.

If you are using the supplemental proteins and flax powder, measure the 2-3 TB of flax meal, 1 TB of soy protein, and 1 TB of whey powder, then fill the rest of the measure with the whole wheat pastry flour. In a medium sized bowl, add this, plus the second cup of flour, the baking soda, the salt, the spices, and all of the sweeteners, and whisk the ingredients to blend.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. Add the nuts and blend. Spoon into the loaf pan, using a spatula to get all of the batter, and bake for about an hour. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the loaf, then cool on a rack. This is quite delicious toasted, served with sweet butter or toasted nut butters.

Notes from Christine: You may have a bunch of questions as to why I've given the substitutions I have. Why whole wheat pastry flour? Pastry flour is lower in gluten than regular flour, so it makes a less dense bread. This way you get the whole grains and the reduced carbohydrates, but without the heaviness. Why one extra large egg? When I have made similar breads before using 100% whole wheat, it didn't rise as much as it did with all unbleached refined flour, or 50/50. When I baked this version, I happened to have one extra large egg and one large egg on hand, and this is what I used. Voila; it rose to perky heights! Why the flax meal? Flax meal is full of omega 3 fatty acids, which actively convert "bad" cholesterol into "good" cholesterol in your body. Here is a lovely way to sneak them into something yummy. Also, if you are cutting carbs, this substitutes a lower carb ingredient. Why the xylitol, stevia and erythritol? As I have written in previous posts, stevia is a calorie-free, completely natural sweetener extracted from stevia leaves. However, it has a funky aftertaste. Therefore, it is best to mix it with another sweetener. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, which the body metabolizes differently than sugar. It is 40% lower in calories, and metabolized 75% more slowly than cane sugar. I like those numbers! Plus, it is actually good for your teeth. However, it is extracted in weird and yucky ways from wood, so I'm not thrilled. Erythritol (marketed as Wholesome Sweeteners Zero) is my new darling; it is available made from organic sugar which has been fermented, with zero calories and zero on the glycemic index - wow! But, it is only 60% as sweet as sugar, and is wickedly expensive. So, ta da! Mix them together!

Whey powder is available from well-stocked grocery and natural food stores. Berkeley Bowl carries whey powder and flax meal in a refrigerated case near the bulk food section.

Sugar-Free Deep Dish Apple Pie

I admit it; I have O.P.D. - Obsessive Pie Disorder. Ever since I went low-carb, I've been developing new recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth. I've been averaging a pie a week, alternating between apple and sweet potato, with a chicken pot pie thrown in for good measure. Yum.

As I've gone, I've continued to fiddle with the balance of sweeteners, trying to hit the sweet spot. As I have mentioned before, stevia is a completely natural, calorie-free leaf extract, but it has a funky aftertaste. Xylitol is a sugar alchohol, slightly sweeter than cane sugar, neutral in flavor, measures like sugar, 70% lower on the glycemic index than sugar, anti-cavity, BUT - extracted in a funky fashion from wood. Then I discovered a new darling; erythritol, marketed as organic "Zero" by Wholesome Sweeteners. This is also a sugar alcohol, but made naturally through fermentation, and available as an organic product. (Be careful; some of the stuff out there is made from corn cobs in China. No thank you.) No calories, zero on the the glycemic index - Ooh - so far, so great! But it is only 60% as sweet as sugar, so you need to use more, and it is wickedly expensive; about $14 for a 12 ounce bag. Ouch!

So, the blending continues...

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Whole grain pie dough for one crust (see my earlier post for pie crust)

8-10 baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 Meyer lemons: all grated zest, plus 2 TB juice (or more to taste)
OR 1 Eureka/Lisbon lemon: all grated zest, plus 1 TB juice (or more to taste)
1/4 cup xylitol
3 tiny measuring scoops powdered stevia
3 TB erythritol (Zero)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2-4 TB (1/2 stick) sweet (unsalted) butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg whisked with 2 TB water, milk or cream for glaze
1 tsp sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425 F, and bring the crust to room temperature.

Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, put them in a large non-reactive bowl, then toss with the lemon juice and zest.

Combine the salt, sweeteners and spices in a small bowl, and whisk to combine them well.

Sprinkle sweetener/spice mixture over the apples, and toss well to combine.

Pour the apples into a deep-dish pie plate. Dot with the butter.

Roll out the pie crust, and carefully transfer it to the top of the apples. It's fragile; try using a spatula to help transfer it over. If it breaks on the way, don't freak, just patch it up with your fingers. Tuck the excess dough down into the sides of the pie dish. Cut a circle of steam slits with a sharp paring knife.

Put the pie onto a cookie sheet to catch the drips. Bake the pie at 425 for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F, and bake until the fruit is tender when pierced with a skewer and the crust is golden brown; about 25 more minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes or to room temperature before eating; this helps thicken the juices.

Note: This makes a delectably sweet pie. If you want it a little less sweet, cut back the xylitol by a couple of tablespoons and check the taste.

Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Pie

Despite the brown rice, whole wheat bread, massive vegetable portions, and frequent trips to the gym, at my last check-up my doctor told me my glucose was too high, and it was time to change my diet. Sigh. She recommended the Atkins diet to me; high in protein, as much fat as you want, and very, very limited carbohydrates. Okey, doke. No more jam, honey, sugar, pasta, baguette, white flour, cookies, cake..... WINE - ack! COFFEE - double ack! (Although I simply did not find the explanation for dropping the caffeine compelling enough to do it, so I'm still having that double cappucino in the morning.)

Well, I really like sugar; always have. This was not so easy. A week in, and the holiday ads for Trader Joe's were looking like dieter's porno. Then came the holiday parties - ack again! It was time to cook up something delicious, but that Dr. Atkins would (possibly) approve; Sweet Potato Pie!

Despite their natural sweetness, the sweet potato (often erroneously referred to as the yam) is very low on the "glycemic index;" the measure of how quickly the body metabolizes the food into glucose. In addition, it is absolutely PACKED with nutrients - it's really a miracle food!

I decided to cook up a sweet potato pie, but with some major changes to the James McNair recipe I'd been using. The crust would have to be whole grain, of course. My friend Susan had been raving about the butter crust she makes using spelt flour for quite a while. Spelt is a relative of wheat, often used by people with wheat allergies. Susan recommended it because it is not as heavy tasting as whole wheat in a crust. Okay, spelt crust, 1/2 butter, 1/2 lard, check.

I'd just been reading about how good cinnamon is for your blood pressure (also an issue for me) so I decided to raise the amount of cinnamon. Now for the sweeteners; the McNair recipe calls for a cup of sugar - fuggeddaboutit! Stevia, a completely natural, calorie-free extract from the stevia leaf, is very sweet, but has a weird aftertaste, so you have to use it sparingly, and use other sweeteners to help mask the weirdness. I knew that Erythritol, a neutral tasting sugar alcohol, works well, but is 60% as sweet as sugar.  Then there's Xylitol, another sugar alcohol extract, which is fairly neutral and is as sweet as sugar.  The three make an excellent sweetening blend. Okay, stevia plus erythritol plus xylitol; check.

I made the pie over and over again, each time reducing the xylitol and balancing the sweeteners until I had the perfect balance. On my eighth pie, I knew I had hit the perfect balance.

Tonight I gave a little piece of pie to friends Heidi and Richard; Richard told me that the world NEEDS this pie recipe; I'd better blog it right away. So, here goes.



Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Pie

Pie Crust: Follow the recipe posted here -
http://foodierthanthou.blogspot.com/2010/09/pie-crust.html
but substitute spelt flour for the wheat flour
The recipe makes two crusts - save one for later.

1 1/4 pounds orange sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup Erythritol
2 TB Xylitol
1/4 tsp of stevia powder
1 TB coconut palm sugar (optional but delicious)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 generous tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk



While the crust is resting in the refrigerator:

Preheat the oven to 400 F
Wash the Sweet Potatoes, cut out any bad blemishes, poke a few holes in them, and pop them in the oven until a fork or knife slips into them easily.



After chilling the crust for at least 15 minutes, let it come to room temperature for about 5 minutes. (Save the parchment you wrapped it in - you'll need it in a minute!) Sprinkle your pastry cloth and the dough with flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking. Roll it out until it is even and about 1-2" larger than the widest diameter of the dish. Line a 9" shallow pie dish with the dough, leaving an overlap at the top of about 1". Gently fold the excess crust down, and pinch it into place just above the top of the pan. (It will shrink as it cooks.) Crimp the edges with a fork.

Using the parchment paper you have discarded, cover the interior of the crust and fill it with dried beans, chickpeas, or pie weights. Bake until the crust is just set, 7-10 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, prick the crust all over the bottom, and bake until the crust is almost done but not completely browned, another 5-10 minutes. The crust tends to poof up as it bakes, so carefully poke holes in the poofy spots to deflate them. Meanwhile, the sweet potatoes are baking at the same time as the crust. Remove the pie shell, reduce the oven to 375F, and let the crust cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile...

When the sweet potatoes are done, take them out and remove their skins. In a large bowl, using a fork, potato ricer or masher, mash the potatoes until they are pretty evenly crushed. (If they are still hot, you can add the butter now and use the heat to melt it.) Mix in the sweeteners, spices, baking soda and salt. Then add the vanilla, eggs and milk, and mix it all thoroughly.

Place the pie crust onto a baking sheet, and pour the filling into the crust. Bake until the top feels just firm to the touch and just begins to brown, about 40-50 minutes. If the crust begins to brown too much, you can cover it with strips of foil. (I find this very difficult to do; I prefer to be really careful about not pre-baking the crust too long.)

Notes from Christine:  If you don't have erythritol (it's hard to find), substitute 1/3 cup of xylitol.