For almost ten years, Lisa Jobs was the owner of a company that produced two brands of stevia. During that time she developed recipes for stevia, and when her company encountered supplier discrepancies, she started Healthy Lifestyle Publishing LLC, and published Sensational Stevia Desserts, with 82 low carb recipes.
About Stevia
Stevia, of the botanical species Stevia Rebaudiana, is native to Paraguay, and used for its naturally sweet leaves. It contains no calories or carbohydrates, and depending on the plant, can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It’s a popular alternative to sugar in Japan and is now grown in other countries throughout the world.
Stevia has had a controversial journey in the United States. An embargo initially prevented it from being imported, but the ban was lifted in 1995 with stevia labeled as a food supplement, not a sweetener. Last year it was approved for use as a sweetener in the United States. While no conclusive proof has shown that stevia is harmful, it’s interesting to note that many tests have been conducted to show the harmful effects of artificial sweeteners.
Baking with Stevia
Sensational Stevia Desserts begins with a brief overview and advantages of stevia, tips for baking with stevia, sources, and a measurement conversion. The conversion chart is particularly handy, as different brands of stevia have different levels of sweetness.
Stevia recipes for all types of dessert are included—cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, cobblers, puddings, mousse, frozen and specialty desserts, confections, coffee drinks, and shakes. All have nutritional information with low carbohydrates, and some recipes have nutritional comparisons to the recipe made with sugar.
Most of Ms. Job’s recipes are made with stevia extract, which is pure stevia. Other types of stevia products may have fiber or other filers added. The extract is more expensive, but one teaspoon equals about one cup of sugar, so a little goes a long way.
The Stevia Recipes
While stevia is the focal point of the recipes, Ms. Jobs also uses low calorie and healthy ingredients to create healthier recipes. For example, the recipe for Almond Pound Cake calls for unsweetened applesauce, instant nonfat dry milk, and nonfat yogurt. The stevia recipe has 193 calories and 19 grams of carbohydrates in one slice, compared to 570 calories and 74 grams of carbohydrates in a traditional recipe.
The stevia recipe for brownies uses cocoa powder, two egg whites—in addition to two whole eggs—and two percent milk. Even with a half-cup of butter, the recipe made with stevia has 126 calories and 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving, as opposed to 321 calories and 40 grams of carbohydrates in a brownie recipe using sugar.
A Taste Test
Three recipes with stevia were tested for ease of use and as a taste comparison to conventional recipes. Chocolate Cheesecake Bites—a combination of whipped heavy cream, Neufchâtel cheese, cocoa powder, vanilla, and stevia—are spooned into mini muffin tins lined with paper cups and frozen. The texture resembles handmade truffles, has a rich chocolate flavor, and is very satisfying.
The Outrageous Oatmeal-Butterscotch Cookies and Positively (Divine) Peanut Butter Pie were also tested. All three recipes were extremely easy to prepare, and tasted delicious—the sample tasters did not know stevia was used in place of sugar until after they tasted the recipes. The recipes are also quite adaptable and Ms. Jobs provides ideas for substitutions.
Sensational Stevia Desserts
Other recipes in the book are Classic Coconut Macaroons, Almond Biscotti, Rich Ricotta Cheese Pie, Pumpkin Bars, Cannoli, Double Chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Crème Brûlée, and Frosty Coffee Frappe.
Sensational Stevia Desserts has many features to aid those who will be using stevia for the first time. Ms. Jobs offers tips and suggestions for each recipe and some chapters are prefaced with baking advice. The book includes eight pages of color photographs, a reference guide that provides Web sites and books with more information, and an index. The foreword includes an endorsement from Defeat Diabetes Foundation, Inc., and the organization receives a portion of each book’s proceeds.
Sensational Stevia Desserts retails for $19.95 and can be purchased online or by calling Healthy Lifestyle Publishing LLC at 888.878.3842. It is also available at online book stores.
The book has a wide audience – it’s for those with health issues pertaining to sugar and white carbohydrates, those interested in a naturally sweet product, and those who want to reduce their sugar intake. Anyone interested in eating healthier desserts should add a copy of Sensational Stevia Desserts to her or his cook book collection.
