Sugar, Four and Butter Substitutes in Baking

Over the years, I have utilized all sorts of ingredients in baking. In the Macrobiotic days, I would substitute barley malt, rice syrup, maple syrup and apple sauce for sugar in baking. In later years I tried stevia and agave. Stevia has a bitter taste to me. I hear agave is highly processed, so I avoid them both. More recently, I have tried monk fruit sugar. I also avoid gluten, so I don't use barley malt any more. I rarely eat sugar, but on occasions I will. Monk fruit sweetener seems to work really well as a sugar substitute. It's not quite as sweet but, it is very low on the glycemic index. For flour, I am experimenting with gluten free flour and so far I like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour. I don't bake that often, but while eliminating wheat from my diet, I am finally coming around to figure out how to enjoy home made baked goods. As for butter and fats..I learned long ago how to make a good dough with organic cold pressed, non GMO corn oil. It is golden and buttery and although it is high in Omega 6..I don't use it that often. It is like melted butter. Non GMO corn oil is called Maize oil. It is hard to find, but on occasion it is an ingredient I have used with pleasure. I limit my dairy intake. Yet I still recommend organic Ghee. In baking you can use coconut oil, organic grass fed butter for your baking. You still can use applesauce, olive oil or nut butters. Some people talk about the health benefits of lard. Others use avocados. Diet is still the number one thing you can do to maintain your health. You do it three times a day. More than exercise or meditation or..almost any thing except for breathing! Try to have a philosophy of simplicity in your diet choices. Keep it really simple 85%. Avoid processed foods, packaged foods, restaurant foods. Cook at home, using whole foods, organic, local and in season. Here is the Plum Cake recipe:

1 cup flour (of your choice)

1 stick butter, oil or fat substitute

1 cup sugar (your choice)

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

Italian plums

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients (Only use 1/2 c. sugar), butter and egg. Form into a dough..Press into your tart pan. Arrange your cut plums over the dough. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the plums and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!