Healthy Desserts Made with Soymilk

You can have a healthy dessert without the guilt with these recipes using soymilk. Soymilk or soy drink can be found flavored, sweetened, and fortified, and has a long shelf life, It is a milk substitute, and a healthful infant formula, which is important for infants with allergies associated with dairy milk. Also, you can buy soymilk powder and make your own soymilk. For soymilk, add 2 tablespoons of soymilk powder to 1 pint of water. Sweeten with raw sugar, honey. Keep in the refrigerator. Use this milk in any recipe as you would regular cow’s milk. It closely resembles the taste and composition of cow’s milk. Unlike store-bought soymilk, the one you make at home will sour quickly, so it should not be made too far ahead of time.

In these recipes, soymilk adds flavor and nutrition. Soy provides essential fatty acids. Medical research has revealed the role of soyfoods in preventing and treating chronic diseases such as cancers and heart diseases. Soy helps reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Soybeans have been transformed into other forms of soyfoods, such as Tofu, soy sauce, soymilk, soy sprouts, soynuts, and soy flour.

Soy contains high protein and oil and is one of the most economical and valuable agricultural crops in many parts of the world. Among cereal and other legumes, the soybean has the highest protein content, approximately 40% on a moisture-free basis, and about 20% oil, the second highest content among all food legumes. Other valuable components in soybeans are phospholipids, vitamins, minerals, and isoflavones.

DOUBLY DELICIOUS SOY-APPLE BREAD PUDDING
3 medium Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced (about 3 cups)
Cinnamon sugar: 1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon (set 1 tsp mixture aside for topping)
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
4 large eggs
2 cups Soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 or 9 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Have ready a roasting pan larger than the pie plate.

2.In a large bowl, toss apple slices with 2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar.

3.Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp butter and spread 1/2 the apples to cover bottom. Cook 1 minute per side or until partially cooked. Remove to a large plate. Repeat another 1 Tbsp butter and remaining apples. Add to plate.

4.Put egg, Soymilk, vanilla and remaining cinnamon sugar in the bowl. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter and whisk until ingredients are well blended.

5.Spread bread cubes in pie plate. Arrange apple slices on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over apples; sprinkle with reserved 1 tsp cinnamon sugar.

6.Set pie plate in roasting pan, place pan on oven rack and add very hot tap water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of pie plate.

7.Bake 40 to 45 minutes until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove pie plate from water. Serve warm.

Serves 10

SOY DOUGHNUTS

3 cups pancake mix (use the regular mix, not the “Complete” mix)
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup Soymilk
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Confectioners’ sugar

1.Combine pancake mix, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in mixing bowl. Mix eggs, Soymilk and oil together. Stir into pancake mixture. Mix well.

2.Drop by teaspoons into deep oil at 375 degrees. Fry until golden. Drain on paper towels, roll in Confectioners’ sugar.

Makes about 36 balls

SOY APPLE WALNUT MUFFINS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of each of the following: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, salt
2 large eggs
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons frozen, thawed apple juice concentrate
2/3 cup Soymilk
2 tablespoons oat bran
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled cored, and chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 standard size muffin cups or line with paper cups.

2.Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.

3.Mix together eggs, apple juice, and Soymilk.

4.Stir flour mixture and oat bran into egg mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in chopped apples and nuts.

5.Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling cups two-thirds full.

6.Bake until lightly golden and tops spring back when pressed, 25 minutes.

Variation: Other frozen or bottled juices can be used instead of apple juice.

Makes 1 dozen

SOY OAT BRAN-RAISIN MUFFINS

1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup raisins
2 egg whites
1 cup Soymilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 standard size muffin cups, or line with paper cups.

2.Mix oat bran with raisins.

3.Beat egg whites in 2/1-2-quart bowl; stir in Soymilk, oil and oat bran mixture.

4.Stir in remaining ingredients, all at once, just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).

5.Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full.

6.Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen

SOY BANANA-NUT MUFFINS

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Soymilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 12 standard size muffin cups or use paper liners.

2.Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas until smooth.

3.Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

4.Alternately stir flour mixture and Soymilk into egg mixture until dry ingredients are just moistened.

5.Stir in nuts and vanilla. Do not over mix batter.

6.Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Back until lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen

SOY APPLE PIE

3 medium Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored and sliced (about 3 cups)
Cinnamon sugar: 1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp ground cinnamon (set 1 tsp mixture aside for topping)
3 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted
4 large eggs
2 cups Soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 or 9 slices cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 5 cups)

8.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Have ready a roasting pan larger than the pie plate.

9.In a large bowl, toss apple slices with 2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar.

10.Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp butter and spread 1/2 the apples to cover bottom. Cook 1 minute per side or until partially cooked. Remove to a large plate. Repeat another 1 Tbsp butter and remaining apples. Add to plate.

11.Put egg, Soymilk, vanilla and remaining cinnamon sugar in the bowl. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter and whisk until ingredients are well blended.

12.Spread bread cubes in pie plate. Arrange apple slices on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over apples; sprinkle with reserved 1 tsp cinnamon sugar.

13.Set pie plate in roasting pan, place pan on oven rack and add very hot tap water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of pie plate.

14.Bake 40 to 45 minutes until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove pie plate from water. Serve warm.

Serves 10

ENJOY!