Just add some semi sweet chocolate to the vanilla pastry cream... For a recipe calling for 4 egg yolks, I use 1/2 a bag of semi sweet dark chocolate chips....and melt them right into the mixture. Linda C

Lars here is my quiche recipe. It has a whole grain crust, which I must admit I have never made, but I make the filling all the time. You can sub any vegetable for the broccoli if you don't like it. I got the recipe from "Vegetarian Times" magazine years ago. Low-Calorie Quiche Crust: 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unbleached white flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. baking powder 1/4-1/3 cup canola oil 2 TBLSP lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp. honey 2-3 TBLSP COLD water 1-2 tsp. toasted ground sesame seeds Preheat oven to 375. Grind oats to coarse flour in blender or food processor. Mix dry ingredients. Drizzle in oil until mixture looks like coarse sand. Add lemon, honey and 2 TBLSP water til dough forms ball. Add more water if necessary. Roll between wax paper. Sprinkle sesame in pie pan first (optional). After shaping dough into pie pan, prick crust on sides and bottom. Bake 10 min. then remove from oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Filling: 1 tsp. water or olive oil 1 cup minced diced onion 1 tsp. minced garlic 3 cups small broccoli florets or other veggies chopped small 1-2 TBLSP water 2 large egg whites 10 oz package soft silken tofu 1 TBLSP prepared mustard (dijon) 1 tsp. dried basil or rosemary 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper (I use white) 1-2 TBLSP grated parmesean (I have to admit I use about double that!) Heat 1 tsp. water or oil in a nonstick skillet over med. heat. Add onion and saute 3-5 min. Add garlic and broccoli and 1-2 TBLSP water. Steam until broccoli is bright green ~2 min. (Note: this is a lowfat recipe, so you could saute the veggies in more olive oil if you weren't worrying too much about calories. I often just use frozen broccoli and no water.) Drain veggies if necessary. Place veggies in the pre-baked crust. Whip egg whites until frothy. Add tofu, spices and parmesean cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour into pie crist. Garnish with red pepper if desired. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Note: can sub brewer's yeast or fake parmesean for the parmesean cheese. I've had it that way, it is good too. Not a traditional quiche, more like a "tofu vegetable pie" but still good if you like veggies. Seems like it would be good with artichoke hearts too, I like the combo of artichoke and red pepper. I have also made it with zuchinni and yellow squash.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but my daughter, who is a wilton method instructor, takes canned frosting, melts it in the microwave and pours it on the cake.

1. Think whole foods like fruit, instead of your typical ooey-gooey, high-sugar desserts. CHOCOLATE-COATED FRUIT PARTY PLATTER (source: "Get The Sugar Out" by Anne Louise Gittleman) 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares 1 T. unsalted butter (coconut oil is a great substitute for butter - and if you are avoiding dairy because of lactose, the higher the fat content of a dairy product, the lower the lactose - butter has very little lactose) 1/2 c. unsweetened apple-juice concentrate 1 t. natural vanilla extract 4 c. fruit (whole strawberries, bananas, navel oranges, kiwis, etc.) Spray a baking sheet with a vegetable cooking spray (or cover with parchment paper or Release aluminum foil); set aside. In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally; remove from heat and cool slightly. Whisk in juice concentrate a little at a time until chocolate is smooth; add vanilla extract. If mixture is too thick, add a little more concentrate until it thins out. Dip ends of fruit into chocolate mix, twirling to coat lower half of each piece of fruit; let excess drip back into pan until all chocolate is used. Place fruit on prepared baking sheet; place in freezer 10 minutes to set chocolate. refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 12 servings of 3 pieces each. --------------- Marinated Fresh Fruit Kabobs Marinade: 1/2 c. honey (agave nectar or no-calorie substiute) 1/4 c. water 1/4 c. lime juice 1/4 c. orange juice Fruit: 1 c. honeydew melon balls or cubes 1 c. watermelon balls or cubes 1 c. cantaloupe melon balls or cubes 2 large nectarines or peaches, cut into cubes 8-12 bamboo skewers In small saucepan, combine honey (or substitute) and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice and orange juice. Cool completely. Combine fruit in medium bowl. Pour marinade over fruit; toss gently. Cover; refrigerate 1-2 hours to blend flavors. When ready to serve, place about 12 pieces of fruit on each bamboo skewer. 8-12 kabobs ------------- Instead of Apple Pie... Orange Sauced Apples 3 T. agave nectar (or other sweetener) 1 T. cornstarch 1/4 t. nutmeg or cinnamon or apple pie spice 1 c. orange juice 3 cooking apples (For French Apple, add some raisins.) Combine agave nectar, cornstarch, spice, juice, and blend well. Stir in apple slices. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Serve warm. You can top this with sprinkles of crunchy cereal, homemade sugar-free granola or nuts to give it a "crust". 2. Check your local library for cookbooks on the subject. Here are a few that I have in my library that would have appropriate recipes in them. Have your library get them through inter-library loan if they don't have them on the shelf. The "allergy" cookbooks have recipes for frosting/fillings that are dairy-free, as well as other dessert items. -The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook - by Marilyn Gioannini -How Sweet It Is...Without The Sugar - by Jean C. Wade -The Allergy Self-help Cookbook - by Marjorie Hurt Jones -Stevia (Naturally sweet recipes for desserts, drinks and more!) by Rita DePuydt 3. If you can use agave nectar (a natural, low-glycemic, honey-like sweetener), I have many recipes you could use. If you are dealing with Candida, then that requires a whole different approach to foods and agave nectar wouldn't be a suitable sugar substitute. I've used agave nectar as a substitute for "sugar" for many years now. An easy way to use agave nectar is as a substitute in recipes that use honey as a sweetener. "Sugar-Free" is a bit broad. Do you mean free of white table sugar, since things like concentrated fruit juices are also full of "sugar"? White flour and white rice raises blood glucose as quickly as white table sugar, if you are avoiding "sugar" for blood sugar problems. It's easy to substitute agave nectar for sugar in recipes. Muffins and other quick breads also make great "treats" and snacks. Make up batches of mini-muffins and freeze them. 4. Tortillas are a great substitute for yeast-free bread. They can be used for quick meals, including wraps. They are also fun and easy to make at home. 5. Nut milk and rice milk is a great substitute for milk and is easy (and much cheaper) to make at home. Personally, I avoid soy, since it's high on the list of allergens. If it's lactose in milk you are avoiding, then Whey Milk is a great substitute - www.wheymilkusa.com. -Grainlady