Father's Day - Sweeet & Sugar Free Dessert!

We were at the Fleetwood Country Cruizin (a sweeeet car show with over 3000 cars, including 1500 Ford Mustangs, a real 1970 orange Plymouth Superbird, countless Oldsmobiles, Chevys, Pontiacs, Mopars, race cars, motorbikes, firetrucks, Amphicars, you name it) in London, Ontario on June 5th, and a new client was purchasing Michael's GTO painting, "The Goat Farmer" (shown above), for his dad for Father's Day. Good thing too, because I had forgotten Father's Day is just around the corner! Although I talk a lot about Michael's automotive art, muscle cars and the car shows and events we attend, I thought this time I'd share a recipe instead.

My father is a diabetic, has been for over 25 years. And for the most part, until recently, has managed the whole time with diet alone. Events like Christmas, birthdays and Father's Day, have become a personal challenge for me .... to create an amazing dessert, using no sugar. Like many people afflicted with Diabetes, my father has a huge sweet tooth. Managing the disease without drugs, he has all but removed sugar from his diet, so my desserts are a real treat.

It's taken me a while, but I've managed to fine tune a couple of desserts that, by my dad's tough standards, are real winners ... and are completely sugar, glucose, fructose, etc. free! Here's one of my latest creations (by the way, this one even received the stamp of approval by my brother, a Chef of 20 years!):

SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (makes 6 servings)
Cake
1 - 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup Splenda granulated
1 - 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, beaten for 2-3 minutes on high
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 1 loaf pan (I use a pyrex one).
2. Combine flour, Spenda, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork or a pastry blender until crumbly. (This procedure may be done with a mixer at the lowest speed).
3. Stir together eggs, milk and vanilla in a small mixing bowl; add 1/3 of the egg mixture to flour mixture. Beat at low speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until batter is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of the bowl. Repeat procedure 2 times. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, cut into 12 equal slices. If cake happens to "fall" or "compress", don't worry, it still works very well in the dessert.

Strawberries
2 lbs fresh strawberries
1/4 cup Splenda granulated
6 tblsp balsamic vinegar

1. Slice strawberries.
2. Toss with Splenda and balsamic vinegar.
3. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours (a bit longer is better - makes more "syrup").
   

Topping
2 cups whipping cream
2 tblsp Spenda

1. Stir Splenda into whipping cream, whip until stiff.
2. Place 2 slices of cake, side by side, in 6 individual serving dishes.
3. Top with strawberries, distributing evenly.
4. Top each with generous dolop of whip cream.
5. Serve it up ... guilt free!!

Whether you treat your father to gifts like automotive fine art, a trip to a car show, a nice meal, or just some quiet time (without being pestered to do yard work), we hope that both you and dad enjoy it. I know Michael will. Dessert aside, I overheard him talking to our son about working on one of our cars - the 1971 Pontiac Firebird Formula (it's the gold one on the right, behind the cactus)! Have a Happy Father's Day. - Linda