So today I made another new variation of the mock snack cake!
First a disclaimer especially for new SBDers - agave is not an officially approved SBD sweetener but is used by many of us in Phases 2 & 3. Those of us who use it base that decision on agave's relatively low glycemic index which is consistent with other allowed SBD foods. Along that same vein tonight I baked with coconut palm sugar for the first time. It has a GI similar to agave but is a granulated sweetener and is sustainable (an important consideration in our house). In reviews it is described as a good substitute for brown sugar (something I've been looking for) with a slightly spicy (molasses like) flavor. It is also not primarily fructose, one concern I have with agave. However, like agave, it is not non-caloric. It's also not cheap but since we only use it for baking it will last awhile.
I made an apple cinnamon cake with it tonight. I replaced all the agave with coconut palm sugar, replaced the oil with yogurt, and tossed 2 diced apples in. Taste and texture were excellent. Okay, I admit it, we each ate a piece before dinner So far absolutely no negatives - no cravings for me and no blood sugar spikes for my diabetic DW. Also no weird aftertaste at all and just the right amount of sweetness. I will definitely continue to experiment with this to get a full sense of the flavor it adds along with the sweetness. For now though it's a hit in our house.
Cyndi, did you order it on-line or pick it up locally? I'll obviously have to order on-line, so if you know of any good sources, please PM me. (I don't know if we're allowed to post links like that in a thread.)
I just Googled "coconut palm sugar" and found the Wiki article. Wanna hear a funny story? I grew up in a town called Palmyra! Isn't that crazy? That's got to be a good sign!
Check out this chart I found comparing the GI effect of glucose vs. coconut palm sugar. Further down the page it lists the nutrients in coconut palm sugar, too. http://livesuperfoods.com/LSF005.html
I didn't even check Amazon. Duh. I found it from a company called Navitas Naturals but they don't ship to our military address. I sent them an e-mail to see if they'd send me a package through the USPS, and I'm hoping they will. They had the lowest price I could find - $44.99 for a ten pound bag. How much did you pay, if you don't mind me asking?
A quick day 2 update - DW's BGL was excellent this morning, the lowest healthy reading she has had, and I'm craving free. I'm feeling even more confident about this sweetener. We don't use artificial sweeteners so it's nice to find something we can use for the occasional treat without causing problems