23.2.09

diabetic baklava?

Patisserie making at Gulluoglu in Turkey.

I am lame.  Very lame.  Busy with work.  And hence I have abandoned my blog posts.  In the meantime, please visit this website.  It will make you salivate.  My beautiful friend Aniqa, who's Turkish-American, says this company makes some of the most amazing baklava in Turkey (and can be found in markets in the States for purchase).  Gulluoglu is the name.  I found them because I was looking for a diabetic baklava.  Any ideas on that front?  I'm trying to come up with a delicious and sugar-free recipe, although I'm not a fan of aspartame. 

6 comments:

Peter M said...

Yianni, I've had the pleasure of eating Gulluoglu's baklava and kataifi Sthn' Poli 2 yrs. ago. Some of the best I've ever had.

As for diabetic baklava...I see many using Agave nectar to sub. for sugar.

Laurie Constantino said...

Splenda is a lot better sub for sugar than aspartame IMO. The brown sugar variety could be used very well for the amall amount of sweetener that's mixed with the nuts for filling.

As for the syrup, it depends on how sugarfree it needs to be. If you want it strictly sugarfree,
DaVinci makes a whole line of sugarfree syrups (http://www.davincigourmet.com/products/sugar_free_flavored_syrups/) that you could use for syruping. The sugarfree syrup is a little bit thinner than the syrup used for baklava, but I think it would work. Just make sure you pour cold syrup on hot baklava right out of the oven (or hot syrup on cold baklava).

Of the DaVinci syrups, I'd try the one called "sweetener" and simmer it with the peel from one lemon and a cinnamon stick for 15-20, turn off the heat, and let it cool completely.

If you make it, I'd be interested to hear how it turns out!

Yannis Mameletzis said...

thanks guys for the comments. Laurie eisai thea, and congrats on your first cookbook. I will try this. It's actually for a friend who's diabetic.......

aspartame is foul, I agree.
I will check this website.

I also want to do this for galaktobouriko.

Anonymous said...

stevia and agave are natural, antidiabetic sweeteners (ie good for diabetics). I made Felitsa's recipe with agave and it worked a treat. Coconut oil instead of butter also wroked, funny enough without imparting a coconut flavour.

Stevia drops found in uhuru. 1 drop = 6 teaspoons of sugar. I jest not!

Yannis Mameletzis said...

Thank you Susan....appreciate it.

This is really helpful.
By the way, we need to have a discussion on gluten-free. I need some help....

Anonymous said...

Well indeed ...Gulluoglu is one of the best in making baklava and other pastries.But to talk about diabetic baklava im not sure if its good.Baklava is a " sweet" that its ingredients cant be replaced.Is like saying that you gonna make omelet without eggs....
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