I agree entirely. Splenda (Altern from Wal-Mart) works very well as a sugar substitute (not the bitterness typical of other artificial sweeteners) and using it in recipes I've worked with doesn't seem to make any noticeable difference for any reduction of liquid (i.e. sugar as a liquid ingredient) in the recipe. I do, from time to time, add a bit more liquid in the form of natural fruit juice (no sugar added) in very small amounts. Most of the diabetics I am acquainted with can ingest some sugar but not large quantities so the natural sugars in very small amounts of fruit juices in an entire recipe are almost insignificant as a component in a single serving portion. 2 grams of natural fruit sugar in a pie divided into eight pieces amounts to .25 grams of sugar per serving and, for those I serve, that's not a huge factor.
I like Mezzaluna's practice of increasing the spices just a bit as it can help round out the flavor of the finished "sugar free" product. If you're a diabetic or cooking for a diabetic I suggest you contact the diabetic's nutritionist for information about calculating the level of carbohydrate influence, cup for cup, of Spenda, Altern, or other artificial sweeteners compared to sugar in a recipe. That'll provide a good basis for comparison where portion size is critical to a very fragile diabetic patient.
My failures in life are few. The most blatant of these is my attempts at retirement. I've studied the process carefully but cannot begin to understand how it is done.
