Hot Chocolate (Stevia Sweetened)

Who can resist a warm cup of hot cocoa after a morning playing in the cold winter snow or while sitting next to a crackling fire during a crisp, blustery fall day. Hot chocolate typically includes lots of sugar or artificial sweetener. If these are two ingredients you don't want every time you sip on a cup of hot chocolate try out this stevia sweetened cocoa drink!

Complements: Baking with Stevia

4 cups of organic milk (any kind of milk works great)
4 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon stevia extract (or to taste, I use the white powder stevia extract for this recipe)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend milk, cocoa, stevia, salt and vanilla in blender. Pour into a pan and heat. Do not boil. I place the cocoa in a crockpot and let it warm for an hour or so. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Squash Corn Muffins (Stevia sweetened)

We have yellow squash growing like crazy in our garden. These muffins were super and no sugar added. They had a lot of flavor (although you could not taste or see the purred squash) and the muffin stayed together wonderfully (not a crumbly cornbread). What a creative way to use squash (and stevia). I will be canning or freezing pured squash so we can enjoy these all fall/winter long.

Complements: Baking with Stevia by Rita DePuydt

1/2 cup safflower or olive oil
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon stevia extract (white powder form)
1 cup organic buttermilk (or unsweetened soymilk)
1/2 cup organic cows milk (or unsweetened soymilk)
1 cup pured squash (packed) (yellow, butternut or delicata squash all work well)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 cups corn flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Oil muffin pans. Yields 18 muffins. Whip together the oil, eggs, and stevia. Add the milk and beat. Fold in the pured squash, just lightly mixing. Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet without over-mixing. Spoon into muffin pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Stevia Lemonade

Next to water this is our drink of the summer!

Complements: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook

1 cup freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
8 cups water
2 -4 teaspoons stevia powder, or to taste

Place all ingredients into a large glass pitcher and mix well. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary. Enjoy!

Stevia

I did a research paper and presentation on Stevia for a Food Chemistry class over a decade ago. I was so impressed with Stevia (on paper) as a natural sweetener. Something so good seemed to good to be true and in a sense this is true. I have yet to stumble across truly yummy, doable recipes using Stevia. I have, however, become remotivated about attempting to use Stevia after buying the fully revised & updated book by Rebecca Wood titled, "The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia". Here is what Ms. Woods has to say about Stevia:
"Imagine a healthful herb that is 30 times sweeter than sugar, nonnutritive, and essentially noncaloric. Stevia, which the Guarani Indians of Paraguay call caa-hee, is such a plant. Its leaves and flower buds contain two glucosides that are 200 and 300 times, respectively, sweeter than sucrose and which cannot be metabolized in the human digestive system. Stevia is a member of the daisy family."

I will continue to give Stevia a chance and I'll be sure to pass on any amazing, sugar-free, Stevia sweetened recipes I try. (I am being hopeful)

I typically buy the white powdered form of Stevia. You can find it in the health section of your grocery store or at your local nutrition store. It isn't very expensive and it goes a long way. I have also purchased the stevia sweetened chocolate extract, but I have to experiment with it more. Maybe it'll make some great hot chocolate this winter! I'll let you know.

(Quick note: I might have to pull out my herbology book and argue the fact that Stevia is nonnutritive. Using this word to describe Stevia (or any herb) is kind of bugging me, but that is for another blog post. :))