Stacey Harris: The Diabetic Pastry Chef

On a typical weekend, Stacey Harris' kitchen is full -- with the sweet, mouthwatering scent of baked goods and lucky friends charged with the task of taste-testing. Her flavor combinations and attention to detail make Stacey's treats so craveable, while her soft voice and gentle smile make this pastry chef just so lovable.

Stacey's taste for the sweeter things in life led her to leave her career as a mortgage banker to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef. But not long after entering culinary school, Stacey was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The thought of leaving desserts and her new career behind was about the worst thing Stacey could imagine. So instead she conjured a smile and baked up some ideas, including a healthier (and still sweet) approach to desserts.

This gorgeous rolled dessert is perfect for dinner parties and other special get-togethers. Look for Rawtella low-carb chocolate hazelnut spread online at rawtella.com. Made from just three organic ingredients (hazelnuts, cacao nibs, and raw coconut sugar), this creamy spread has 7 grams of carbohydrate per 2 tablespoons.

Step 1: Pour the meringue batter into a 15x10x1-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula. Step 2: After baking, let the meringue cool before inverting it onto the countertop. Spread the whipped dessert topping over the sheet of baked meringue.
Step 3: Starting from a short side, roll up the meringue and filling into a spiral.
Step 4: Cover and chill the roulade for 1 to 4 hours before serving. To serve, cut into slices and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Make these trendy cake balls to serve at a shower, graduation, or birthday party. For variation, coat some of the balls completely in vanilla coating, and top others with just a drizzle of vanilla coating. These cake balls feature Stacey's special cake flour blend.

Step 1: Crumble pieces of the baked cake into a bowl.
Step 2: Mix frosting into the crumbled cake.
Step 3: Roll scoops of the cake-frosting mixture into 1-inch balls.
Step 4: Use a fork to dip each ball into the coating, or drizzle coating over the cake balls.

Serve these lightened-up beauties at your next brunch. Top each mini cheesecake with fresh berries and sprinkle with crushed pretzels. If desired, top with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Get the best of both worlds with these gorgeous muffins that are half vanilla and half chocolate. They're so sweet and delicious, they could be served as either a tasty breakfast muffin or a fun dessert.

Make the basic batter for these muffins, then divide it into two bowls. Stir vanilla into one bowl of batter and melted chocolate into the second bowl of batter. Spoon vanilla batter into one half of a prepared muffin cup and chocolate batter into the other half. If desired, sprinkle semisweet chocolate pieces over the vanilla batter and white baking pieces over the chocolate batter before baking.

"Dissatisfied with the taste of most low-carb treats, I began baking desserts using blends of flours and sweeteners. Hallelujah! I knew I was on to something good." --Stacey Harris, PWD type 2

Stacey shares her formula for diabetes-friendly recipes in her cookbook, The Diabetic Pastry Chef (Pelican Publishing Co., 2009).

Find more information about Stacey Harris’s flour blends.