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unsweetened. Even if you don’t have issues with sugar, you need to use unsweetened milk because that’s how the recipes are formulated, so sweetened products will affect the final flavor. Other than that consideration, choose from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, or nondairy milks made from soy, almonds, coconut, or hemp seeds, depending on your dietary needs or taste preferences. All work equally well in these recipes, where the function of the milk is to tenderize the dough and contribute additional nutrients. If you prefer, you can even substitute water for the milk, though the final product may not be quite as tasty. You will see that unsweetened soy milk is often listed as the suggested choice; this is because it adds no net carbs to a recipe, which will be especially helpful to those whose concern is more focused on the glycemic issues rather than the gluten-free aspect.
    One word of caution in regard to reduced-fat milk: We believe that people with severe problems with blood sugar control should generally steer clear of reduced-fat milk and dairy products. Though it may seem odd, milk does contain carbs (primarily in the form of the sugar lactose). The fat in whole milk helps balance the glycemic load from these carbs. But as we’ve said elsewhere, everyone is different, and we understand that for some folks other dietary issues may make full-fat milk products inadvisable. Again, choose the form of milk that works best for you and your body, and that best supports your health.
    Other Ingredients
    Butter-flavored sprinkles: This may seem like an unusual ingredient, but they’re widely available—and essential for our pretzels! We also call for them in a few other recipes. You can find them at almost any supermarket. Look for them in the area where spices or baking ingredients are stocked.
    Cheese: As discussed in regard to milk, we believe that people with severe problems with blood sugar control should generally steer clear ofreduced-fat dairy products, including cheese.Nondairy cheeses, such as Galaxy Nutritional Soy Cheese brand Veggie Slices or shredded cheese, can be used in any recipe calling for cheese. These soy and other nondairy cheeses now come in a variety of styles, including mozzarella, Cheddar, pepper Jack, and Swiss.
    Chocolate: There are a number ofsugar-free semi-sweet chocolate bars and baking chips on the market. We think ChocoPerfection is by far the tastiest sugar-free chocolate (see Resources ). Unfortunately, it doesn’t come in chips (it did at one time but was no longer available at the time of publication, though this could change), but you can always buy the bars and chop them up. However, most brands of sugar-free chocolate should perform just fine in these recipes.
    Cocoa powder: Most of our recipes will work with either standard cocoa powder (also called natural cocoa) or European cocoa (also called Dutched or Dutch-process). Some recipes specifically call for European cocoa, which means that the cocoa has been alkalized to make it darker and taste less acidic, because we prefer that flavor in the recipe. However, you can use regular cocoa in any recipe that calls for cocoa and it will work fine.
    Erythritol, powdered: While erythritol is widely used as a sugar replacer, we don’t recommend it for our recipes because it has a lower melting point than the suggested substitutes and, thus, causes too much spread. However, it also comes in a powdered form that is appropriate for use as a dusting or garnishing ingredient. Powdered erythritol is sold under a few brand names that are of equal quality, and is mainly available through mail order (see the Resources section for details). Some natural foods markets may also carry it. When you order it just be sure that you are ordering the powdered version, not the granules. The granules do not work well as a garnish.
    Fresh fruit and vegetables: If you’re very sensitive to sugar, fruit and even some vegetables may be an issue. There are plenty