Low Sugar,Sugar-Free Chocolate Cherry Almond Biscotti

Low–sugar or Sugar–free is the latest health trend, given the health risks of all the sugar in the average diet.Responsible experts say to use artificial sweeteners sensibly and certainly natural sweeteners are better choices.
Some Common Sugar substitutes chart with Glycemic index(GI).
SUBSTITUTENATUREGlycemic Index
Agave nectarNaturalLow
SteviaNaturalLow
SplendaArtificialLow
Sweet N LowArtificialLow
NutrasweetArtificialLow
Pure HoneyNaturalMedium
Pure Maple SyrupNaturalMedium
Brown Rice SyrupNaturalMedium
Barley MaltNaturalMedium

Substitutes with low GI is best for diabetics.Substitutes with medium GI when used in moderation are good for a low-suger diet.Adding fruits to your recipe is also a healthy way to substitute sugar.Stevia is considered best substitute for diabetics.

Biscotti,the toasty twice-baked biscuits with sugar substitutes are just the right start for a healthy low-sugar or sugar-free diet.
(Following recipe with honey\maple syrup\brown rice syrup\barley malt is low in sugar and with a natural\artificial sweetener is sugar-free)
Ingredients
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder(Aluminum free)
1/4 cup pure honey or 1/2 cup agave nectar(also available in health stores) or 3/4 cup artificial sweetener(Splenda)
2 Organic eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries(unsweetened)
1/4 kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil.
Method
The method is same as the Biscotti recipe I posted earlier.
See Recipe

Make the dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flours,cocoa powder and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend then stir in the almonds and cherries\cranberries. Beat the eggs,sugar, Olive oil, and salt in a large bowl . Mix the flour mixture and egg mixture until blended.
Form the dough into wide log shape and place on the baking sheet.
Bake
Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes.
Cool and cut
Cool for at least 30 minutes on a rack.Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet.
Bake Again
Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely. Enjoy this crunchy delight with tea ,coffee or milk

Enjoy this crunchy delight with tea ,coffee or milk. Gift them to some one health conscious and let them know about the sugar secret of the recipe.

Other Low-sugar wonders to try :


Fig Linzer CookiesBlueberry Almond Banana Muffins
Fruit Dark Chocolate and Almond Granola BarsWhole Wheat Biscuits with Apple Butter
Plum ClafoutisNutty Fruity Granola
Cherry Blueberry Scones

All of the above Low Sugar and Sugar free recipes are off to Sangeeth's Eat Healthy : Fight Diabetes Contest.

Comments

Adam said…
I agree with you on the different sweetners, I wish we used things like honey more. I think part of the problem is maybe the honey taste when we don't want it. I've never used agave, and I totally should.

Great job on the biscotti, cherries and almonds are a super team :)
Thanks for the substitution index, they are handy and Biscotti with naturally low sugar thats interesting... I shall start using Agave, thanks for the index again...
Bharti said…
I didn't know that agave nectar had a low glycemic index. I'll try it out soon. I tried stevia recently and it has a strange after taste. The biscotti looks delicious.
Yasmeen said…
Thanks Adam, When you buy honey make sure it Pure and organic. Agave tastes more like honey, give it a try if you can buy:)
Thanks ramya,good to know ur thinking about going low-sugar\sugar-free:)

Thanks Bharti,Agave is better than stevia in taste.
lubnakarim06 said…
Subsitution index is helpfull. Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe.
Deb Schiff said…
They look delightful! I use agave nectar exclusively in my baking and love the results. :D
Anjum said…
That was a nice informative chart on sugar free.n and nice recipe to go along with tht...i loved all ur entries.
MamaFaMi said…
Looks delicious! Yummy!
Hey, I like your post, It is very useful.
sugar free chocolate

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