Desserts

From
Thom's Recipe File

Dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food but sometimes of a strongly-flavored one, such as some cheeses.

The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common desserts include cakes, cookies, fruits, pastries, ice cream, and candies.

The word dessert is most commonly used for this course in U.S., Canada, Australia, and Ireland, while sweet, pudding or afters would be more typical terms in the UK and some other Commonwealth countries, including India. According to Debrett's, pudding is the proper term, dessert is only to be used if the course consists of fruit, and sweet is colloquial. This, of course, reflects the upper-class/upper-middle-class usage. More commonly, the words simply form a class shibboleth; pudding being the upper-class and upper-middle-class word to use for sweet food served after the main course.

Desserts are often eaten with a dessert spoon, intermediate in size between a teaspoon and a tablespoon.

Diabetes generally have desserts removed from their diet.  This can and most often does lead to a feeling of deprivation.  However, there are some diabetic desserts available.  Some of the simplest to make and least expensive are sugar free gelatins and puddings.  There are many flavors of these diabetic desserts offered, and they can be found in any supermarket.  I use them quite often.

Many diabetic desserts are made with fruit.  Fruit salads made from a combination of different types of fresh fruit are one example.  Another option is sliced fruit with a small amount of whipped topping.  Whipped toppings are also available in “lite” formulas, which can be added to sugar free Jell-O or pudding as well.

When it comes to canned fruits as options for diabetic desserts, the best choices are those packed in natural juices with no sugar added.  A person with diabetes can eat them alone, eat them with whipped topping, or add them to special low sugar cake mixes.

Most grocery stores have sections that include foods made particularly for special types of diets.  This is a good place to find a variety of diabetic desserts including low glucose candies.  Also, check the freezer section at your market for diabetic desserts.  There are many different types of frozen treats such as sugar free ice pops, fudge pops, ice cream, and sherbets.

Recipes for diabetic desserts can be found in many cookbooks and online.  You can follow recipes precisely or use them as inspiration to create other diabetic desserts.  Using a cookbook is a good way to learn how to use other ingredients in place of sugar and how to convert particular amounts of products like Splenda or other sugar substitutes to replace sugar in standard recipes.

Remember that just because something is labeled low sugar, that does not mean it can be eaten in large quantities.  It is best to continue limiting desserts.  Check with your health care provider to learn which types of substitutions he or she recommends.

I know and agree that the best desserts are those we prepare at home whether from fresh fruit or those we cook.  Please don't ignore the diabetic in your life by not giving them some dessert prepared with sweeteners other than white sugars.