Food & Drink

Delicious Diabetic-Friendly Desserts

In You Don’t Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook, authors Andrew Friedman and Tom Valenti agree that satisfying a sweet tooth is an important part of meal planning for people with diabetes. But their cookbook goes beyond cutting sugar and carbohydrates; the Watermelon Granita, Orange Pots de Crème and Chocolate Mint Chocolate Pots de Crème recipes below are crafted without cutting taste or the true character of dessert, so that everyone (not just those at the table cutting sugars) will love them!

watermelon granita

Makes about 3 cups; Serves 8

A granita is a homemade Italian ice that requires no special equipment to produce. You make the base, freeze it on a shallow tray, and periodically scrape it with a fork, causing little ice crystals to form, which make for an elegant dessert.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups pureed seedless watermelon
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the sugar and 1 cup of water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the sugar water cool.

2. Stir the watermelon and lemon zest into the sugar water. Pour the mixture into a 13-by-9 inch baking dish and freeze it for at least 4 hours, scraping it every 45 minutes to 1 hour with a fork to form ice crystals.

3. Spoon the granita into small glasses or bowls and serve.

nutritional information

(PER SERVING)

Calories 35
Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Total Carbohydrates 9 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Total Sugars 8 g
Protein 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 1 mg

exchanges
Fruit 0.5
Other Carbohydrates 0.5

CARBOHYDRATE CHOICE: ½

Plain and simple, these are sophisticated, decadent answers to pudding, rendered here in orange and chocolate-mint.

You will need four 4- to 5-ounce ramekins or foil cups.

Orange pots de creme

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

⅔ cup heavy (whipping) cream
⅓ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Heat the cream and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just simmering.

3. Meanwhile, pour the Grand Marnier into a small saucepan, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Stir in the orange juice and zest. Let the liquid return to a boil and continue to boil until reduced by about half, 4 minutes. Whisk the orange mixture into the pan with the cream and milk.

4. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk the orange-cream mixture into the yolks, a little at a time to avoid cooking the eggs. Pour the resulting mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small pitcher or measuring cup. Set it aside and let cool for about 15 minutes.

5. Divide the mixture among four ramekins and place them in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comeshalfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the pots de crème until set but still a little wobbly when you gently shake them, 30 to 35 minutes.

6. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan with tongs or pot holder and let them cool for about an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate the pots de crème for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

nutritional information

(PER SERVING)
Calories 157
Fat 13 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Total Carbohydrates 5 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Total Sugars 3 g
Protein 3 g
Cholesterol 174 mg
Sodium 23 mg

exchanges
Fat 2.5
Medium Fat Meat 0.5

CARBOHYDRATE CHOICE: 1

mint chocolate pots de creme

Serves 4

You will need four 4- to 5-ounce ramekins or foil cups.

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (about ¾ cup)
⅓ cup whole milk
¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
⅔ cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee
Pinch of coarse salt
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.

2. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set it aside.

3. Heat the milk in a medium-size saucepan over low heat until just simmering. Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint leaves and let them steep for 15 minutes. Strain the mint leaves from the milk and discard the leaves.

4. Return the milk to the saucepan and add the cream, espresso, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just comes to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate melts and is incorporated.

5. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in another bowl. Whisk in the hot chocolate mixture, a little at a time to avoid cooking the eggs. Pour the resulting mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a small pitcher or measuring cup. Set it aside and let cool for about 15 minutes.

6. Divide the mixture among four ramekins and place them in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the pots de crème until set but still a little wobbly when you gently shake them, 30 to 35 minutes.

7. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan with tongs or pot holder and let them cool for about an hour at room temperature. Refrigerate the pots de crème for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

variations and suggestions:

You can skip Step 3 (infusing the milk with the mint leaves), and instead add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the milk along with the cream, espresso, and salt.

nutritional information

(PER SERVING)
Calories 303
Fat 28 g
Saturated Fat 15 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Total Carbohydrates 16 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Total Sugars 11 g
Protein 5 g
Cholesterol 213 mg
Sodium 63 mg

You Don’t Have to be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook
by Andrew Friedman and Tom Valenti

The book food lovers with diabetes have been waiting for: a collection of 250 dishes to meet any craving, from hot and spicy to sweet and sour, from creamy to crunchy, from pastas to dessert. You Don’t Have to Be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook is filled with recipes so delicious, so imaginative, so varied and enticing that it will turn the burden of following a diabetic regimen into a celebration of food.

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