How Sweet it is...

...or isn't! I'm talking about SPLENDA® Sweetener. Cooking & baking with SPLENDA® Sweeteners means less calories from added sugar. While I don't do a lot of baking, there are times (ahem, Thanksgiving) where sweet sides makes their way into my menus.

I've been trying to live a lower-sugar lifestyle since March, and being able to still enjoy sweet dishes and desserts without depriving myself of the occasional treat makes me happy! I don't use a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners, but when I do, I much prefer the taste of sucralose (which is what SPLENDA® Sweetener is) to aspartame.

In October, I was lucky enough to try four different SPLENDA® Sweeteners, thanks to their company's generosity. They included SPLENDA® ESSENTIALS™ No Calorie Sweetener with 1 Gram of Fiber, SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener (Granulated), SPLENDA® Sugar Blend and SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.

The first recipe I made was Apple and Squash Bake from the SPLENDA® Sweetener website and uses the granulated SPLENDA® Sweetener. This recipe is quick, easy, and only has 120 calories per serving! I easily halved the recipe and used a 1.5qt (6"x9") casserole dish. Speaking of casserole dishes, if you're in the market for some new ones, these are the greatest! And here's a recipe tip: if you don't have Mace (the spice, not the weapon!) that's called for in the recipe (considering a lot of people don't keep that in their kitchens), you can easily substitute nutmeg. Mace can be pretty pricey, but since I'm a spice hoarder (over 100 *cough* different spices/herbs *cough*), I just happened to have some in my cupboard.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1 teaspoon molasses
1/4 cup light butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
2 pounds butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 large apples - cored, and cut into 1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, stir together SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, molasses, butter, flour, salt, and mace.

Peel and chop the butternut squash into 1/2" pieces and place in an ungreased dish.

Top with the apples.

Pour the topping mix on the apples and squash.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F for 50-60 mins. Seriously, how easy is that? And OMG, does it smell amazing when it's baking. While waiting for this treasure to bake, I made myself some apple cider. The recipe can be found on allrecipes.com. Instead of the full amount of maple syrup that was called for, I subsituted half for SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener.

Finally the 50 minutes were up and I ran over to the oven to extract the deliciousness, hoping it would taste as good as it smelled.

And the taste? A whole lotta WOW with the perfect hint of molasses and mace, and the salty/sweet thing I love so much. I should clarify that this is NOT a very sweet side, which in my books is a bonus. This recipe is such a welcome change from the marshmallowy, brown sugary, cloying sweetness of those sweet potato casseroles that seem to pop up at every holiday. *shudder* This recipe will become a staple in my home, especially since it's so quick to make. You should consider serving this as part of your Thanksgiving meal this year!

Stay tuned for my second SPLENDA® Sweetener recipe that I'll be making soon, Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I know, I'm already drooling all over my keyboard.

* I participated in a campaign on behalf of allrecipes.com for SPLENDA® Sweetener. I received samples to facilitate my unbiased review as well as promotional items as a thank-you for participating.