Sugar Free Sunday--Peach Cobbler

This week I took one of my tried and true quick and easy recipes for peach cobbler and converted it to sugar-free--and this one was a great success! I know it's kind of funny looking, but trust me, the picture doesn't do it justice.


Ingredients:

• 1 c flour
• 1 c Splenda (or sugar if you're not doing sugar-free)
• 1 c milk
• 1 stick butter or margarine
• 1/2 c powdered milk (leave this out if you're using regular sugar)
• 1 can of sliced peaches

Cut the butter or margarine up into small pieces, and place in the oven in your baking dish while the oven is preheating to 350 degrees.

Remove from the oven when the butter is melted.

Meanwhile, mix together the dry ingredients, then add the milk and stir until well blended. (Don't forget the powdered milk if you're using Splenda--because Splenda dissolves more easily than sugar, the powdered milk creates the bulk you need when baking.) This makes a very thin batter, regardless of which sweetener you use.

Pour the batter into the melted butter in your baking dish.

Then add the peaches. I use the peaches canned in either juice or light syrup, drained of almost all of the juice. My mom makes a regular (not sugar-free) version of this, and she puts juice and all. I find that if I do that, especially in the round dish that I usually use, I have a hard time getting the center to firm up. She usually uses a sqaure dish, and her resulting cobbler is little more juicy than mine. Either way is delicious.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or so, or until the top browns and the center is set.

The only difference I found in the sugar-free version is that it doesn't brown the same. At this point I usually sprinkle just a bit more sugar on top and let it sort of crystalize on top--doesn't work with Spenda, though!

This quick and easy dessert is one that's great hot or cold, plain or served with cream, whipped topping, or even vanilla ice cream. I've made the regular (not sugar-free) version with both peach and pears---the only difference in recipes is that I usually add a little cinnamon when I make use pears. I think this would be good with cooked apples, as well.

Thanks to Chaya from Sweet and Savory and Comfy Food Blog for linking Dulce De Leche Half-Moons and Dried Fruit Bars to the last Sugar-Free Sunday!

This post it linked to:

Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory

Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale

Just Something I Whipped Up at the Girl Creative

Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

Soup-er Simple---Chicken Corn Chowder

You know I'm all about quick and easy in the kitchen, and what fits that bill better than a one-pot meal like soup? I happen to like soup, stew, and chili year-round, but the beginning of (slightly) cooler weather really brings it out in me. This week I decided to try this practically fool-proof version of chicken corn chowder, made up almost exclusively of canned items that you can stock up on when they go on sale and keep in your pantry practically indefinitely.

Ingredients:

• chicken--I used 5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cans cream of potato soup
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 2 cups milk

The original recipe for this stated to cube up the chicken and saute in 1/2 stick of butter, along with some onions, until the chicken was done. My chicken was frozen, so I cooked it in some chicken stock with some dried onion flakes. Once the chicken was done, I diced it up, and saved the stock to use later in another recipe. Mix together the cream of chicken and potato soup and the corn, and add the diced chicken. This will be a very thick mixture, so heat it slowly on between low and medium. Cook for a few minutes to blend flavors, then add milk and additional seasonings to taste. (I added some Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning blend and some additional dried onion flakes.) Add the milk, and stir well, then heat, again slowly, making sure not to boil after the milk is added. And voila', quick and easy chicken corn chowder.

I really liked the simplicity of this recipe, but I did find it just a bit sweet tasting. Next time I'll use only whole kernel corn, I think that would make a bit of difference.

What "Soup-er Simple" one-pot meals do you like to make during these cool(-er) months?

This recipe is linked to:

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Food on Friday at Ann Kroeker

Recipe Swap at the Grocery Cart Challenge

Recipe Swap at Prairie Story

Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

What's Cooking Wednesday at King's Court IV

Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life As Mom

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

Sugar Free Sunday--Cheesecake, Part 3

Welcome to this week's edition of Sugar-Free Sunday! I'd love to have you link your sugar-free, reduced sugar, or no-sugar added recipes, as well as product reviews or recommendations for sugarless products.



After last week's less-than-spectacular apple noodle kugel, I wanted something else to satisfy my sugar-free sweet tooth, so I decided to whip up a quick and easy sugar-free cheesecake, crustless again, but this time with a sour cream topping.

Ingredients:

• 2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 c sugar or Splenda
• 2 eggs
• 2 t vanilla
• 2 T flour

Mix all ingredients, and spread in a greased or cooking-sprayed pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until puffed and "set" in the middle, and browned around the edges. At this point it will look beautiful and puffy, but it will "de-puff" and settle when it cools.

Meanwhile, mix for topping:

• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 2 T sugar or Splenda

Spread the topping over the cheesecake, then return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or so, to set the topping. Cool completely and serve as is or with fresh fruit.

I may be getting slightly cheesecake obsessed--this is the third sugar-free version I've done. They're all fairly similar, but I think I like this one the best so far!

Thanks to Chaya from my Sweet and Savory for linking her Apple Rice Pilaf with toasted almonds last week!

Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

This post is linked to:

Meatless Monday at My Sweet and Savory
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at At the Well
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesday at the Table at All the Small Stuff
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
What's Cooking Wednesday at The King's Court IV

Sugar Free Sunday--Sour Cream Apple Noodle Kugel

Sugar Free Sunday is back after a brief hiatus! With all of the back-and-forth involved with our recent move, trying to get settled back into life in my small rural hometown in Louisiana, I took a break from doing much cooking--and I confess, from watching my sugar intake, to boot! I'm trying to get back on the straight-and-narrow again, though, so I hope to have some yummy goodies than be made either "regular" or sugar-free!


This week's recipe is a new one for me in any form, it's a sweet noodle kugel flavored with apples, sour cream, and cinnamon. I adapted it from a recipe I found in 1,000 Jewish Recipes by Faye Levy.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pkg of wide egg noodles
• 3 T butter, melted
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 4 T sugar (I used Splenda)
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 1/2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• cinnamon

The recipe I made this from called for a 14 oz pkg of noodles, but when I got ready to make it, I realized my package was only 8 ounces, so I basically made about half of the original. The first step is to boil the noodles--mine was actually wide noodle dumplings--for about 5 minutes. They won't be fully tender, but you don't want them to overcook and turn into mush later. Rinse well with cold water, and pour into a medium mixing bowl. Add about 2 tablespoons of melted butter, and stir to coat the noodles. Add the sour cream, vanilla, 2 tablespoons of sugar or Splenda, and the eggs, mixing well. Stir in about half of the apples. Pour half of the noodle mixture into a greased or cooking sprayed 9 x 9 casserole. Add a layer of sliced apples, then sprinkle with cinnamon and some additional sugar or Splenda. Top with remaining noodle mixture, and more cinnamon and sugar or Splenda. Cover, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and cook and additional 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Kugel does not photograph well! It tasted better than it looks in this picture, but I would make some changes to this recipe if I make it again. The apples to be mixed with the noodles should have been diced--the slices don't really cook through enough, and it's hard to "mix in" slices. It also needed more liquid of some kind--maybe an additional egg or more sour cream--I thought it was just a bit dry, although since I've never made a noodle kugel, I didn't exactly know what to expect. I actually liked the taste of it--the sour cream, apples, and cinnamon made a good combination--so this is a maybe-if-adapted keeper.

How about you? Have you made any sugar free or adaptable to sugar-free recipes lately? Be sure to link up!



Until next time, good cooking, and good eating!

This post is linked to:

Meatless Mondays at Sweet and Savory

Mouthwatering Mondays at a Southern Fairytale