Diabetic-Friendly Apricot-Mustard-Sherry Glaze (6g total carbs per serving)

OK, sorry ‘bout this; BUT, I had to revise my apricot glaze recipe as I had previously posted it. Put it back the way I originally made it, using Splenda Brown Sugar Blend rather than just the Splenda Granular. Also, I needed to decrease some of the other ingredients back to my original version amounts. I shoulda known not to mess with 'perfection'....haha

I thought at first the adjustments I'd made to the recipe made it every bit as good; BUT, no. (And Hubby-Hugh agreed tonight. That's why I'm on here confessin' my sins.) The alterations were definitely detrimental. And, the changes had only saved 1g carb per serving. I'm deleting the old recipe (No Sugar Added Apricot-Mustard-Sherry Glaze) and reposting it as "Diabetic-Friendly Apricot-Mustard-Sherry Glaze" under documents.  Sorry for the inconvenience.

Perfectly mouthwatering, low-carb, low-cal glaze for your holiday ham!  This is one of those recipes you'll absolutely love.  So easy to make and it fills your home with the oh-so-deliciously-festive scents of cloves and orange.   But, just wait 'til you have some.  Oh, my.  The savory taste of fresh rosemary and the 'bite' of both pepper and horseradish give the flavor so much more depth than a purely sweet glaze could ever hope to achieve.  Yum!  Yum! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Smucker’s Sugar Free Apricot Preserves made with SPLENDA®
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3  tablespoons SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons brown mustard
• 3 Tablespoons sherry
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce, which has high-fat mayo and other things you don't need)

Preparation:

1. Whisk together sugar-free preserves, orange juice, Splenda,  garlic, pepper, cloves, red pepper flakes, rosemary and cornstarch in a small sauce pan until well blended.  Cook over medium-low heat until slightly thickened, whisking often so mixture does not stick to bottom of pan or scorch.
2. Whisk in brown mustard, sherry and horseradish.  Continue cooking three-to-four minutes longer, whisking often.  Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.  (If not using immediately, store refrigerated in an airtight container.)
3. If you are using this as a glaze:  Use 1/4 cup (separated from the remaining glaze) to brush on a 10-pound ham.  Glaze ONLY during the last thirty minutes of roasting/baking time; but, baste often during that time.  Serve remaining glaze (from step 2) alongside meat at the table.    

Numbers you need to know:

Yields 2 cups (32 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon per serving.  Per serving:  19 Calories; trace Fat;  trace Protein; 5g Carbohydrate**; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 20mg Sodium. 

**Special 'per serving' info:  The 1/4 cup used to glaze the ham during roasting contributes approximately 1g carb per serving (assuming 20 servings per 10-pound bone-in ham).  Adding this to the 5g carbs in 1 tablespoon glaze served alongside meat raises your carbs to approximately 6g total per serving.

Nita's notes:

• Although I've been a ham-harpy here, this is a heavenly basting or side sauce for any roasted meat, pork, fowl or fish. 
• And don't forget the sandwiches, especially during the post-Thanksgiving pre-Christmas/Hanukkah  holiday frenzy!  This yields the perfect low-carb/low-cal spread for open-faced ham and/or turkey sandwiches.  Simple meals for stressful times.
• Special, SPECIAL Nita note:  mind your serving size with any and all recipes!!  You can't 'drink' this glaze like a diet cola and then wonder why on earth your blood glucose level is through the roof.  Serving sizes and their corresponding nutrition breakdown matter.  They are what you and I depend on to make healthy choices.  Hidden carbs, calories, fats, cholesterol, protein and sodium add up quickly if you're not paying attention.  So, pay attention.  Be aware of what and how much you are eating.  This is such a potent taste sensation, believe me, you don't need more than the serving size to be above-and-beyond satisfied.  Scale it down to suit your own tastes. 

Make healthier choices for a happier holiday season!

Anita Whittle Peacock

Lifelong Type 1 Diabetic

Email:  MyDiabeticBag@gmail.com

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Facebook diabetes support group:  MyDiabeticLife

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Credits:

• "Diabetic-Friendly Apricot-Mustard-Sherry Glaze" is my reinterpretation of the following carb-laden recipe: http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--2383/apricot-brandy-glaze.asp
• Smucker's is a  Registered trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company.   http://www.smuckers.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?groupId=1&categoryId=18&flavorId=94
• SPLENDA is a registered trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC.  http://www.splenda.com/