Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
Someone pointed me to Xylitol as a sugar substitute, particularly for
baking. It apparently has dental benefits and fewer calories than
sugar. This person said that she has even made a creme brule that
turned out beautifully. I think she said that, in a recipe calling
for sugar, she uses half that amount of Xylitol instead.
Has anyone else used this, either as a sweetener or in baking? What
are your experiences?
I read that it can have a laxative effect in large doses ... that
doesn't sound wonderful, but I wonder if the average person using it
in normal situations notices the effect.
Xylitol isn't a sugar substitute, it's sugar derived from birch trees,
if I remember correctly. A little like maple syrup but from birches. And
I do believe it to be of Finnish origin.
Here's some info:
http://www.xylitol.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol
I don't personally use it in baking. I mainly come across it in chewing
gum I usually take after eating something, as Xylitol is tooth friendly
and stops the "acid attac" in your mouth when you've eaten something.
--
Christine in Vantaa, Finland
christal63 (at) gmail (dot) com
photos:
http://photos.yahoo.com/christal63
photos:
http://community.webshots.com/user/chkr63