Xagave Cookbook "Delicious is Nutritious" - for Cooking with Agave

Xagave is the sweet, satisfying and sensible choice to sweeten your foods. The following outlines the key benefits of this wonderful sweetener. Sweeter than Sugar. Xagave is sweeter than sugar. In fact, it is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar so you use less to achieve the same level of sweetness. Saves Calories. Xagave can be used in all of your favorite recipes. Typically, you will substitute 1/2 cup of Xagave for every cup of sugar called for. Thus, Xagave saves between 25 to 40% in carbohydrate calories. In addition, the inulin permits the reduction of fats in baked items which significantly reduces calories even further. Tastes Delicious. Xagave is a great-tasting, natural sweetener. It is even being used by restaurants in beverages and sauces and is preferred over sugar. It has even been teenage-tested in Kool-Aid, Zucchini Bread and numerous other recipes without detection or rejection! Low Glycemic Index. Xagave is a very low glycemic index food. It is approximately 30 on the glycemic index scale. Anything below 50 is considered to be in the low category, which is recommended for a healthy diet. Xagave’s low glycemic index also make it diabetic friendly. Contains Inulin, a Prebiotic Fiber. Xagave contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber, that studies have shown promotes healthy function of your lower intestine. It has also been shown to promote regularity, boost the immune system, increase calcium absorption and increase bone density. More Satisfying and Great for Dieters. The combination of low GI and inulin make Xagave a very satisfying sweetener. Unlike sugar, honey or high fructose corn syrup, Xagave does not spike blood sugar levels; thereby avoiding the highs and lows of sugar and corresponding cravings and over consumption associated with roller coaster blood sugar levels. Versatile and Easy to Cook With. Xagave is highly soluble in hot or cold water, making it easy to work with in the kitchen. It is a wonderful sweetener for coffee, tea and cereal. It is also an amazing sweetener for cooking, canning and baking as evidenced by the highly-rated recipes in Delicious Meets Nutritious™ for jams, cakes, breads, salad dressing, desserts, cookies and sauces. In addition, the cookbook and Xagave.com have a Sugar Exchange Table that shows how to use Xagave in any recipe—it truly is the Complete Sugar Replacement™. Contains Calcium, Iron and other Vitamins and Minerals. Xagave is a natural and organic certified product, derived from the root of the agave plant. The nectar is processed, in order to prevent fermentation, at temperatures that do not exceed 117℉ which is considered “raw” by most standards. Xagave is not derived from an animal and is appropriate for a vegan diet. Due to its raw condition, Xagave retains its naturally occurring vitamins and minerals and has a particularly high concentration of calcium—17% of daily requirements in one (1) tablespoon.

Cooking Qualities

Xagave is the Complete Sugar Replacement™ and is truly where Delicious Meets Nutritious.™ Xagave tastes great, is very versatile, and is easy to use in the kitchen. Xagave can be used for cooking, canning and baking or as a table top sweetener for cereal, coffee or tea. In order to use Xagave, it is best to understand its cooking qualities. Please keep the following in mind. Highly Soluble. Xagave mixes well in anything whether hot or cold. In fact, it dissolves into water, coffee, tea or any mix better than sugar and does not leave any residual on the bottom. As a result, you can minimize the sweetness level and add more later. For example, when making cranberry sauce, you can use less Xagave and add more to taste after the sauce has been cooked. Use Lower Temperatures. Xagave sweetened baked goods should be cooked at lower temperature. Most baked items are baked at 350°F. As a general rule, you should reduce the heat by 25° to 325° and cook for approximately the same amount of time. Promotes Rise. Xagave is great for whole grain cooking as it promotes rise. You will find that baked goods are lighter, fluffier and moister when cooked with Xagave over sugar or honey. We recommend grinding you own flour and have recommended a number of white flour options in the cookbook, Delicious Meets Nutritious. Acts as a Natural Preservative. Xagave is a natural preservative because of its hygroscopic effect. Baked goods will taste fresher longer and generally taste better on the second day. Reduce Liquid Volumes. Xagave is a liquid and sugar is a dry ingredient in recipes. I have found that you do not need to make adjustments unless you want to. You can add a little flour or reduce the other liquids in a recipe. We have found that you can reduce oils and save even more calories without sacrificing taste and texture. Remember that inulin is used in commercial baking to enhance the flavor and texture of low fat and low sugar baked items. A perfect example of this is a Zucchini Bread Recipe in Delicious Meets Nutritious. We reduced the oil from 1 cup to 1/2 cup and saved 1000 calories in addition to the 500 calories already saved by using Xagave instead of sugar. If you choose to reduce the liquids, and it is a choice, reduce the fats and oils. Storage and Shelf Life. Xagave has a naturally long shelf life and will last up to 18 months after it is opened. It does not require refrigeration or any special care. So go ahead and keep it on your countertop for ready access!

Sample Recipes!

Classic Pound Cake

Simple to make and guaranteed delicious. This Classic Pound Cake recipe, when sweetened with Xagave, will save you 285 calores over using sugar. We suggest that each slice be sweetened with Xagave-sweetened Strawberry Topping or fresh berries and Xagave-sweetened Whipped Cream. Wet Ingredients: 2/3 cup butter 1 cup Xagave (vs. 1 1/2 cups of sugar) 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp almond extract (optional) Dry Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt Steps: Preheat oven to 325°F. Soften butter in microwave. Mix wet ingredients in blender until smooth. Add dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Grease and flour a standard size bread pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until fork stuck in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Kansas City BBQ Sauce

This is a dark, rich and thick barbecue sauce that is great on chicken, pork or beef. Ingredients: 2 cups tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup Xagave 1/2 Tbsp onion powder 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp French's mustard 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce Steps: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, immediately reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 45 minutes until thick. Stores well in the refrigerator for weeks.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whole Grain Cookies

A light and fluffy pumpkin cookie that is absolutely delicious. This is a five star recipe for pumpkin lovers and it’s very easy to make. Makes 20 large cookies. Ingredients: 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree 4 eggs 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups Xagave 1 tsp vanilla 3 1/2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp ground cloves 2 cup milk chocolate chips 1-2 cup rolled oats (optional) Steps: Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix pumpkin, eggs, butter, Xagave and vanilla with electric blender until smooth consistency. Add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and mix with pumpkin mixture. Add chocolate chips and oats (optional). Use ice cream scooper and scoop about 6 cookies per cookie sheet, leaving 2 to 3 inches between cookies. Bake at 325°F for 18 minutes or until fork stuck in middle of cookie comes out clean. Tips and Notes: For a crunchier cookie, add rolled oats. Extra delicious with spelt, barley and brown rice flour blend. Steps: Mix all the ingredients in a blender and turn on high or “liquefy."

Sugar Exchange Table