Q: How come when I bake
with Splenda, everything turns out dry and crumbly? Is there another
alternative to cutting sugar, that keeps the moisture locked in???
-Sharyl King, via Facebook
A: Splenda has different properties than sugar and may not always perform like sugar when baking. Try these delicious baked goods using Splenda:
Chocolate Chip
Cookies
Makes 3 dozen
Hands-on: 15 minutes, Total: 1 hour
2/3 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
2/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Blueberry Muffins
Makes 10 muffins
Hands-on: 15 minutes, Total: 1 hour
1 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granular
½ cup margarine, softened
¼ cup honey
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup skim milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition; add vanilla, and beat just until blended.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to margarine mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon muffin batter evenly into 10 paper baking cups in muffin pan.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Col in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Alternate Sweetener: Whey Low
For another way to cut calories, try Whey Low products. Our Test Kitchen likes to use this sweetener in many desserts because it has 75% fewer calories than sugar, and it tastes like the real thing. Plus, it bakes well. Try this recipe for Reduced-Sugar Lemon-Cheesecake Bars.
What questions do you have for our test kitchen professionals? Comment here or tell us on Facebook or Twitter. Check back every Tuesday for a new Ask the Test Kitchen post.
