I recently posted about Agave, and how it’s made my life as the wife of a diabetic so much easier. See, with Agave syrup you don’t get the nasty aftertaste that artificial sweeteners leave. And while I cook with Stevia, another natural sweetener, quite frequently, it has a bitterness that doesn’t do well with baked goods and desserts.

As I previously mentioned, though, Agave is a fructose sugar- so it will raise your blood sugar, but slowly. And slow is good.

This Agave chocolate cake has become one of our staples here at home- even if you’re not diabetic, it just tastes great. Try it out, and let me know what you think:

Agave Chocolate Cake Recipe
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup agave syrup/nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, whip the butter until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by agave syrup and vanilla extract. Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the milk, before stirring in the remaining flour mixture. Mix only until just combined.

Bake for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry or with some moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake.

Frost with a Ganache made with sugar-free or low-sugar chocolate.

It isn’t easy being married to a diabetic, especially when you run a home baking business and are up to your elbows in granulated sugar on most days. I’ve posted several diabetic recipes before, but today I want to talk about one of my favorite ingredients ever, and something that’s made life so much easier for my dear husband: Agave syrup.

Agave syrup is a natural sweetener- which means that it’s not artificial like Splenda or Aspartame- from the Agave, a succulent plant common to Mexico (see photo above). Also known as Agave “nectar”, it’s similar to honey- but, as we soon discovered after receiving our first bottle, so much better.

It’s better because, unlike honey, Agave is sweeter in taste- so you need less of it. It also tastes less “floral” than honey, giving it a flavor closer to real sugar. It’s also better than honey because it has a much lower glycemic load.

It’s important to note, though, that Agave will affect your blood sugar levels. It’s made up mostly of fructose, so it’s definitely not a free-for-all food for diabetics. What is is is a worthy alternative for diabetics like my husband.

Having a diabetic husband makes preparing our sweets just a little bit harder- I say that because while I used to moan about not being able to make any desserts we could both enjoy, I’ve developed an absolutely delicious, comforting, mouthwatering Apple Pie recipe that’s sugar-free! And I’m here today to share it with you:

Sweet Sugar-Free Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds tart apples (I use Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 packets splenda sweetener
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 double piecrust, unbaked

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 425F. Make sure rack is in the bottom third of the oven. Peel and core apples. Cut each half into 6 wedges. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add splenda and spices (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg) and salt. Stir over heat until well mixed. Add apple wedges, lower heat and let simmer for around ten minutes.

Prepare your piecrust. I make my own, but storebought will do. When your filling’s ready, fill bottom crust. Cut vents (I use a small fondant cutter) in the top crust, and cover pie with it. Brush with mixture of egg yolk and cream. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.