Wondering what dessert to make for your holiday gathering, where several of your relatives, who are diabetic, will be there? Well, worry no more! Jackie Mills, a registered dietitian, (along with the American Diabetes Association) has written a “Big Book of Diabetic Desserts” to help you with your dessert ideas.

In brief, individuals with diabetes are advised on the following guidelines (along with a few others):

• use whole grains for added fiber
• limit use of “empty calories” (i.e., sugar), although sugar is NOT bad (there just aren’t a lot of nutrients in it)
• limit saturated and trans fat when possible

In this cookbook, you will find a variety (over 150 desserts to be exact) of quick breads, pies and tarts, cookies, cakes, frozen desserts, and other sweets to help you fulfill your sweet tooth without skimping on taste.

Most recipes use 67% vegetable oil spread instead of butter or stick margarine, and low-fat products (1% milk, for example) instead of the whole fat alternative. Also, most of the recipes use a no-calorie sugar substitute (like Splenda, Sweet-n-low, or Equal to name a few) and whole grains (whole wheat flour) along with all-purpose flour for extra fiber.

Taste-Test

Although I am not diabetic, I wanted to try these recipes and see if I could incorporate them into my recipe box for future use at parties and events. I tried the chocolate chip cookies (made with less sugar and chocolate chips than the “toll house cookie” recipe).

My husband, who is known as the “Cookie Monster” for his love of chocolate chip cookies, was a good test subject for the quality of this recipe. He thought the cookies were softer than “normal” chocolate chip cookies, which could be due to the vegetable oil spread instead of butter. They didn’t get as crisp as regular cookies, which made for difficult dunking. I taste-tested them with my parents, who didn’t even notice that they were different than the “normal” cookie. Overall, I thought they were tasty and were definitely a recipe I could make again.

I also tried the “chocolate spoon cake“, which was a warm cake that made its own sauce, to be served with ice cream (lite of course!). This cake, like the recipe suggested, was best served warm, and it had a richer chocolate flavor than expected. This recipe, too, passed the taste test.

One drawback to this book is that it IS paperback, and it is difficult to keep the book from closing while you are trying to make a recipe. It would have been beneficial to have the book be hardback or spiral bound so it can lay flat, and tabs for each section (tarts, cookies, etc).

Final Verdict

The book lists amount of carbohydrate servings (for the diabetic), along with total calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and protein. Since the recipes contain this other information (total cholesterol, for example), it could be used for someone who is trying to follow a “heart healthy/cholesterol lowering” diet. Overall, I think the Big Book of Diabetic Desserts is a must-have for any individual who likes to make (and eat) desserts, whether they are diabetic or not! Happy Baking!