I’ve been proven, that sugar from a long-term friend can become ‘not a friend any more’ , but you don’t really have to be some sort of strong person and totally ignore food that has been sweetened somehow. I love sweetness. The subtle one. When those delicious things that go down your mouth do not sweeten your body up, but bring lovely color into your everyday. There are desserts, that prepared alone in your mind make your saliva rund down the lip for a long time… But I’m in such period in my life, I can’t have any sugar… So what’s left? Alternatives. That’s what. And there are a few. And not so bad ones.

For example: tested many times, praised by others and so loved by my family – a dough recipe, that with a bit of correction and the house fills up with vanilla smell again. For your table and your tummies – sugarless muffins or cake with berries.

100g butter or vegetable spread

284ml soured cream or natural yoghurt (I use plain soya one)

2 large org. eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

zest of 1 lemon

280g plain flour (I use whole spelt or wholemeal, can be 50×50)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

200g caster sugar (I only used 2 brushed off spoons of agave syrup, sometimes honey or black molasses)

4 tsp. poppy seeds

140g fresh or frozen berries (summer berries, winter ones or cranberries)

Leave on the rack to cool before you ‘demolish’ the final thing. You also could spoon over some maple or agave syrup and eat while they are still warm. Whatever way you choose – enjoy!

Kad cukrus is ilgamecio draugo gali patapti nedraugu – isitikinau, bet zmogus neprivalai but kokia ten be galo stipria asmenybe ir visiskai ignoruoti maista, kuris kazkuo pasaldintas. As salduma megstu. Subtilu. Kuomet burnon keliaujantys skanestai neapsaldina kuno, bet paspalvina kasdienybe. Eh. Yra desertiniu patiekalu kuriuos vien mintyse pasigaminus seiles per lupa ilgai varva… Bet dabar toks laikmetis, man cukraus negalima… Tad kas lieka? Alternatyvos. Va kas. O ju yra. Ir visai neblogu.

Stai pvz mano seniai patikrintas, kitu isgirtas ir seimos pamiltas teslos receptukas, kuri kiek pakoregavus namuose pakvipo vanile. Jusu stalui ir skrandziui – becukriai keksiukai arba pyragas su vaisiais

Teslon desim:

100g nesudyto sviesto augalinio pakaitalo

284ml grietines arba naturalaus jogurto (tinka ir sojos)

2 didesni kiausiniai

1arb.s. vaniles ekstrakto

1-os citrinos tarkuota zievele

280g miltu (labai gerai naudojasi ir speltos ir rupesni kvietiniai, galima per puse)

2arb.s. kepimo milteliu

1arb.s. sodos

1/2 arb.s. druskos

200g cukraus (as naudoju agave sirupa, medu, juodaji molases… dedu vos 2 nubrauktus saukstus pasirinktinai)

4 arb.s. aguonu

140g svieziu ar saldytu uogu (spanguoles, braskes, avietes, serbentai… )

Orkaite isildoma iki 190C. Istirpdytas sviestas paliekamas atvesti, tuomet imaisom greitine ar jogurta, kiausinius, citrinos zievele ir vaniles ekstrakta. Kitame dubenyje sumaisom visus sausuosius produktus. Supilame skystaja mase, lengvai ismaisome. Suberiam uogas ir vel pamaisom. Jei kepami keksiukai, i spec forma susideliojama keksiuku popierinius krepselius, dosniai juos pripildome tesla ir kepame apie 20-25min. kol graziai paruduoja. Visada patikrinu mediniu dantu krapstuku ar gaminys iskepes. Isimtus is orkaites paliekam atvesti, o toliau tai jau kas kaip.Galima apslakstyti klevu ar agavo syrupu ir valgyt dar siltus…

Kepant pyrago varijanta, zema forma istepu sviestu, pripildau tesla ir lygiai taip pat, kepu 20-25 min.

These were with frozen summer berries: raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants

Cia puikuojasi keksiukai su saldytom vasarinem uogom: avietem, gervuogem, serbentais

and this beauty – with fresh cranberries

o cia – grazuolis su spanguolem

The berries work wonders, you don’t miss sweetness (unless, of course, you love deserts to be obviously sweet) in these and the moist and soft texture doesn’t leave your taste buds doubting whether it’s some sort of bread, or realla a reminder of a cake you’re munching.  It’s good and in moderation – much better than the sweeter version. I think.

Uogos pagrindines darbininkes, nepasigesit saldumo (nebent jus megstat akivaizdziai saldzius desertus) situose ir dregna, svelni tekstura jusu skonio receptoriu neuzklausines ar duona kazkokia valgot ar tikra pyrago uzuomina. Tikrai geras, o saikingai vartojant – daug geresnis nei saldzioji versija. Taip galvoju.