Sweet treats without all the sugar

When former Galveston resident Luanne Stovall began her campaign to link pies and the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, she found enthusiastic cooperation from many segments of the Austin community, where she currently lives. One group who couldn’t muster much enthusiasm, though, were people who limited their sugar intake.

“Here I was trying to make the holiday more about inclusion, and, unfortunately, some people were being excluded,” Stovall said. “Gathering friends and family to bake and share pie is a perfect expression of Dr. King’s message of inclusivity and equality, and we didn’t want to leave out anyone because of dietary restrictions.”

This year, Stovall’s ServeaDream organization will include a special category for sugar-free and special-diet pies in their Dream Pie contest, part of the Dream Pie Social at the heart of ServeaDream’s celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

“Pie is an American tradition, and we knew that some of the fantastic pie bakers who have participated in pie socials can make pies for restricted diets.”

Cutting the refined sugar from pie requires some adjustments. Sugar substitutes can deliver the sweet taste of sugar but lack the chemical properties that make sugar a browning and moisture-retaining ingredient.

Some sugar substitutes, such as Splenda (sucralose), are heat-stable and recommended for baking but generally cook quicker than food made with sugar and have to be watched carefully.

Fruit sweetener, made from concentrated fruit juice, is one natural substitute for refined sugar that works in many pie recipes.

Fruit sweetener is available at grocery stores and also can be made at home by reducing frozen fruit juice concentrate.

Fruit sweetener can be used in place of corn syrup in pecan pie, though the finished product will have a pronounced fruity undertone.

Other pies reduce sugar and replace it with other naturally sweet ingredients, such as carrots. Carrot pie uses carrots for sweetening, not for flavoring. A layer of peach slices contributes the dominant taste.

“Having some pies that our participants could enjoy, while still being mindful of their health conditions, has been a challenge, but as ServeaDream spreads out to more communities, we’re looking for more of those kinds of pies,” Stovall said.

Stovall hopes to involve individuals and organizations throughout the country in ServeaDream’s goal of elevating the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday “one piece at a time.”

ServeaDream’s Web site offers step-by-step instructions for hosting a Dream Pie Social.

“ServeaDream aims to rekindle the pie social, an age-old tradition of celebrating community through the gathering of family and friends to share a piece of the pie — what we call the Dream Pie,” she said.

This year’s ServeaDream events include pie-making at a high school and homeless shelter, as well as the centerpiece Dream Pie Social, a fundraiser for Austin’s historic Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church.

To host a pie social, visit ServeaDream.org.

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Southern Pecan Pie

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
1 cup fruit sweetener
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon very strong coffee or espresso, prepared
24 pecan halves

Prepare pastry and place in 9-inch pie pan.

In large bowl, combine fruit sweetener, cornmeal and applesauce.

Beat with an electric mixer.

In a small bowl, blend water and cornstarch until smooth.

Add to fruit sweetener mixture and blend.

Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Stir in the vanilla and coffee.

Pour mixture into pie shell.

Decorate top with pecan halves.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until custard is set, at 375 degrees.

Cool slightly before cutting. Serves 10.

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Carrot Pie

Crust

1 small package sugar-free vanilla pudding mix, regular, not instant
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/8 cup 2 percent milk
3 tablespoons 30 percent calorie-reduced margarine (such as Imperial)
2 cups carrots, peeled & shredded
1 (20-ounce) can sliced peaches, drained and juice reserved

Filling

1 (8-ounce) package Neufchâtel (light) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/8 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1/8 cup sugar
3 tablespoons reserved peach juice

Topping

1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, pudding mix, baking powder, salt, egg, milk and margarine. Mix at high speed of mixer for two minutes.

Fold in carrots and pour into a 10-inch pie plate, which has been coated with a nonstick vegetable spray.

Top with well-drained peach slices.

Combine cream cheese with sugar and 3 tablespoons of reserved peach juice.

Beat at medium speed of mixer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Fold in carrots.

Spread on top of the peach slices in pie plate, to within one inch of edge.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until sides and bottom are golden brown.

— Recipe courtesy of Diabetic Gourmet magazine

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Sugar-free Lemon Meringue Pie

1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups Splenda sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
4 eggs, separated
1/3 cup lemon juice, strained
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 9-inch baked pie shell
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup Splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cornstarch, flour, Splenda and salt in top of double boiler. Add boiling water, blend thoroughly. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly until mixture is thick and clear.

Beat egg yolks and stir in a little of the hot mixture. Pour back into double boiler and cook 2 minutes longer, constantly stirring.

Remove from heat; slowly add lemon juice, butter and lemon rind. Mix well.

Pour into cooled pie shell. Let cool while preparing meringue.

Place egg whites from above in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until frothy. Add cornstarch, cream of tartar, Splenda and vanilla. Beat on high speed until slightly stiff peaks form.

Swirl over pie filling so as to touch edges of crust all around.

Bake in 350-degree oven 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to cake rack to cool before cutting.

Recipe courtesy of LifeCLinic Health management