The Big Book of Diabetic Desserts (19 page)

5. To unmold from a mold, dip the mold into hot water for 30 seconds and invert the bombe onto a serving plate. To unmold from a bowl, uncover the bombe and use the overhanging plastic wrap to loosen from the sides of the bowl. Invert onto a serving plate and peel away the plastic wrap. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh berries or sliced mango, if desired.

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate

Calories 130, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 20 mg, Total Carbohydrate 31 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 27 g, Protein 1 g.

Raspberry–Vanilla Terrine

Makes 8 servings • Serving size: 1 (1-inch) slice with 1/2 tablespoon chocolate syrup

A “terrine” is a French word for an oval or rectangular cooking dish; it's also used to describe the food prepared in such a dish. Kids will love slices of this colorful treat as a summer refresher . . . or dress it up with a tumble of raspberries to appeal to adults.

2 pints no-sugar-added fat-free vanilla ice cream, softened, divided use
1 cup raspberry sorbet, softened
8 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate-flavored syrup
Fresh raspberries (optional)

1. Line an 8 × 4-inch loaf pan with foil, allowing the foil to extend over the edges of the pan. Place 1 pint of the ice cream in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, spread the ice cream in the bottom of the pan. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.

2. Place the sorbet in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, spread the sorbet evenly over the ice cream. Freeze 1 hour or until firm.

3. Place the remaining 1 pint of ice cream in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, spread the ice cream over the sorbet. Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

4. Lift the terrine out of the pan using the foil overhang. To serve, place slices of the terrine on serving dishes and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Garnish with raspberries, if desired.

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate

Calories 117, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Sodium 95 mg, Total Carbohydrate 30 g, Dietary Fiber 6 g, Sugars 14 g, Protein 4 g.

Layered Ice Cream Squares

Makes 12 servings • Serving size: 1 (2 1/2 × 2-inch) piece

You can keep this dessert in the freezer for up to a week to serve at weeknight suppers or as a summer afternoon treat.

25 chocolate cookie wafers, crumbled
2 tablespoons 67% vegetable oil butter-flavored spread
1 egg white
2 pints no-sugar-added, fat-free vanilla ice cream, softened, divided use
1 pint no-sugar-added, fat-free chocolate ice cream, softened
12 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 × 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Place the crumbled cookies in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the butter-flavored spread and egg white. Coat your hands lightly with cooking spray and press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake 8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Place 1 pint of the vanilla ice cream in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, gently spread the ice cream evenly over the crust. Freeze 1 hour or until firm. Place the chocolate ice cream in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, gently spread the chocolate ice cream evenly over the vanilla ice cream. Freeze 1 hour or until firm. Place the remaining 1 pint of vanilla ice cream in a medium bowl, stirring until smooth. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, gently spread the vanilla ice cream over the chocolate ice cream.

4. Cover and freeze overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing. Drizzle each serving with 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup.

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate • 1/2 Fat

Calories 160, Calories from Fat 31, Total Fat 3 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Sodium 207 mg, Total Carbohydrate 32 g, Dietary Fiber 5 g, Sugars 11 g, Protein 5 g.

Frozen Lemon Tartlets

Makes 8 servings • Serving size: 1 tartlet

Serve these tartlets on their own, or deck them out for dinner with fresh berries and the
Vanilla Sauce
. The sweet gingerbread crust is just the right counterpoint to the tart lemon sorbet.

9 reduced-fat gingersnap cookies, crumbled
1 tablespoon 67% vegetable oil butter-flavored spread, melted and cooled
2 cups no-sugar-added lemon sorbet, softened

1. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Place the crumbled cookies in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the butter-flavored spread. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the cookie mixture into each muffin cup and press into the bottom. Freeze 30 minutes.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup sorbet into each muffin cup, smoothing the tops. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Allow to stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving.

Exchanges: 1 1/2 Carbohydrate

Calories 95, Calories from Fat 20, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 55 mg, Total Carbohydrate 19 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 16 g, Protein 0 g.

Sunshine Sundaes

Makes 6 servings • Serving size: 1/4 cup ice cream with 1/4 cup fruit

With a jumble of sun-drenched tropical fruits, these sundaes will brighten any day. They're simple enough to be kid-friendly, yet delicious enough to serve to special guests.

1 tablespoon 67% vegetable oil butter-flavored spread
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup fresh pineapple cubes (1-inch cubes)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small not-too-ripe banana, sliced
1/2 cup fresh mango cubes (1-inch cubes)
1 1/2 cups no-sugar-added fat-free vanilla ice cream
2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

1. Melt the butter-flavored spread in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and pineapple and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until the pineapple is lightly browned. Stir in the cinnamon. Add the banana and mango and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.

2. To serve, scoop the ice cream into individual dessert bowls. Spoon the warm fruit mixture around the ice cream, dividing evenly. Sprinkle evenly with the coconut.

Exchanges: 1 1/2 Carbohydrate

Calories 115, Calories from Fat 20, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 2 mg, Sodium 57 mg, Total Carbohydrate 25 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugars 14 g, Protein 2 g.

Cantaloupe Popsicles

Makes 6 servings • Serving size: 1 popsicle

Keep these on hand as a cool treat for kids of all ages. Try the popsicles with watermelon or honeydew cubes instead of cantaloupe, too.

3 cups fresh cantaloupe cubes (1-inch cubes)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Combine the cantaloupe and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour into 6 (2 1/2-ounce) freezer pop molds or into small paper cups.

2. Freeze 1 1/2 hours or until slushy. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze 6 hours or until firm. The popsicles will keep up to 1 week in the freezer.

Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit

Calories 29, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 8 mg, Total Carbohydrate 7 g, Dietary Fiber 1 g, Sugars 6 g, Protein 1 g.

Cranberry–Orange Sorbet

Makes 8 servings • Serving size: 1/4 cup sorbet with 1/4 cup orange segments

Guests will never guess the simple ingredients in this fancy-looking dessert. It has the texture of soft-serve ice cream, but none of the fat.

1 (16-ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon fresh grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
4 large navel oranges

1. Freeze the cranberry sauce in the can overnight.

2. Stand the unopened can under hot running water for 30 seconds. Spoon the cranberry sauce into a food processor, add orange zest and orange juice, and process 1 minute or until smooth. The sorbet may be served immediately or stored in the freezer in an airtight container up to 1 day.

3. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of each of the oranges, exposing the flesh. Stand each fruit upright, and using a sharp knife, thickly cut off the peel, following the contour of the fruit and removing all the white pith and membrane. Holding the fruit over a bowl, carefully cut along both sides of each section to free it from the membrane. Discard any seeds and let the sections fall into the bowl.

4. To serve, spoon the sorbet into individual dessert bowls. Spoon the orange segments around the sorbet, dividing evenly.

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate

Calories 131, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 16 mg, Total Carbohydrate 33 g, Dietary Fiber 3 g, Sugars 30 g, Protein 1 g.

Mango–Ginger Sorbet

Makes: 4 servings • Serving size: 1/2 cup

You can't get a bigger punch of flavor with less effort than with this smashing sorbet. Be sure to use ripe mangos—they'll be yellow with a blush of red and will give slightly to gentle pressure—and you're in for a knock-your-socks-off treat.

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup granular no-calorie sweetener
4 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Combine the water, sugar, and no-calorie sweetener in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool slightly.

2. Combine the sugar mixture, mangos, ginger, and lime juice in a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze overnight or until firm. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Exchanges: 2 Carbohydrate

Calories 110, Calories from Fat 0, Total Fat 0 g, Saturated Fat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 29 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Sugars 26 g, Protein 0 g.

Real Frozen Yogurt

Makes 12 servings • Serving size: 1/3 cup

This is genuine frozen yogurt—sweet and tangy all in one bite—and far better than what you buy at the supermarket. Try the stir-in options for an even more scrumptious dessert.

2 (32-ounce) containers plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup granular no-calorie sweetener
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Line a sieve or a colander with several thicknesses of cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the sieve, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

2. Combine the drained yogurt, corn syrup, no-calorie sweetener, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately for a soft-serve ice cream texture, or spoon into an airtight container and freeze overnight for firmer texture. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Variations

Amaretto Crunch: Stir in 1 cup crumbled biscotti and 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur after freezing in the ice cream maker.

Chocolate Cherry: Stir in 1/4 cup grated bittersweet chocolate and 1 cup fresh pitted cherries after freezing in the ice cream maker.

Peachy Pecan: Stir in 1 cup chopped fresh peaches and 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans after freezing in the ice cream maker.

Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate • 1/2 Fat

Calories 110, Calories from Fat 20, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Sodium 95 mg, Total Carbohydrate 15 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 8g

Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 6 servings • Serving size: 1/2 cup

This better-than-store-bought vanilla ice cream is a special treat on its own, and it makes an excellent starting point for all kinds of additions. Try the ideas below or invent your own.

2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup granular no-calorie sweetener
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the milk, eggs, sugar, no-calorie sweetener, and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, about 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly (do not allow to boil or mixture will curdle).

2. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in the vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve at once for a soft-serve ice cream texture, or spoon into an airtight container and freeze overnight for firmer texture. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.

Variations

Chocolate: Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa to the milk mixture before cooking.

Strawberry: Stir 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries into the ice cream after freezing in the ice cream maker.

Lemon: Substitute 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest for the vanilla.

Peppermint: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract for the vanilla; garnish each serving with crushed sugar-free hard peppermint candies.

Exchanges: 1 Carbohydrate • 1/2 Fat

Calories 99, Calories from Fat 22, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 76 mg, Sodium 89 mg, Total Carbohydrate 14 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 13 g, Protein 5 g.