I have 2 huge bags of Splenda that I brought over here with me (you can't buy it here) but haven't used yet. 1 bag is opened, 1 is still factory sealed. They are the 5lb ziplock-style Splenda bags.

Does it go bad? It's been stored in a cool dry place. I don't see any expiration date on the packaging.

Also, can I substitute it in my holiday baking? FIL is a diabetic and I am making edible Christmas presents this year. Can I just use it instead of sugar in my cookies, icings, etc? Is there some type of formula for substituting it to get the correct texture, etc or is it really cup for cup substitutable?

If anyone has any tips on using Splenda, I'd appreciate hearing them!

Thanks!

No it should not go bad. I would be concerned about the opened bag though as I have stated here sugar is hygroscopic meaning it attracts moisture. The closed bag should be fine though. Have you checked the open bag to see if it has clumped? Personally I would not worry about using it unless you have gotten little unwanted critters in the open bag.
Hope this helps.
Splenda is a high potency non nutritive sweetner. Made from sucrose which most sugar is unless you get into sugar alcohols and all that other stuff which are called polyols. Sugars made from sugar alcohols don't digest well and therefore having a restroom handy helps when you are consuming foods with these critters in them.
Has far as baking with it you should be able to find numerous recipes using splenda for baking. I think I have seen splenda in the stores specially for baking.

Thanks SugarCreations!

The opened bag isn't clumped, and there aren't any bugs in there either, so I guess I am good to go. I've never baked with Splenda before but I've heard that there's a new baking blend that is (I think?) half sugar and half Splenda.

I know that sugar is more to a recipe than just sweetness, so I was concerned that if I replaced it all with Splenda perhaps my icings etc wouldn't come out well. I can't afford to experiment because like I said, you can't buy it here, so once it's gone, it's gone.

Anyone else have anything to add? Have you ever used it 100% in your frostings or baked goods?

What part of Germany are you in? I was in Vilseck for about 8 months I think thats about 28 kilometers from Graf. My fathers side of the family orginally came from there.

Splenda is more or less a direct replacement for White Sugar, and can be used 1:1 as white sugar would be. You shouldn't have any problems using it for icing, I didn't.

As for diabetics, I'm not sure about that part.

Thanks Cakeman!

SC- I'm in Hessen right now, but I've lived all over the place in middle and lower Germany.

As long as you have regular splenda and not the sugar blend for baking you can substitute it cup for cup for sugar in any of your recipes, just as cakeman66 said.

I found info somewhere quite awhile ago to put splenda in the food processor w/ some corn starch to make it like powdered sugar for icing and tried it but it really just didn't do well in icing.

The only problem I have encountered in using splenda in place of sugar in my baked goods is they don't raise as well as w/ sugar. I'm not sure why, but they never bake up quite as high, though they still taste good!

And my fil and grandmother-in-law are both diabetic and said their dr's and dieticians both recommended splenda over any other sweetener available.

HTH, happy baking!

I tried the regular splenda some time ago in cookies and I thought it was awful! It doesn't cream well with butter so the cookies turned out bad. I like it in my drinks but I think that's as far as I'll go with it unless I have a request.

I have got to tell you that Splenda tastes like absolute crap and will make anything you put it in taste like crap. It is beyond nasty and is in no way an acceptable sugar substitute. Do not be fooled by the ads--it does not taste like sugar in ANYTHING. It's quite possibly the most revolting thing ever.

My FIL is diabetic, and MIL uses splenda in baked goods all the time.

Before Splenda, her pumpkin pies used to taste like chemicals and my kids wouldn't even eat them, LOL, but now that she uses splenda we can't tell the difference between the stuff made with it and the "regular" stuff.

She uses it in pies, cakes, muffins, and things like that. I don't think she's ever used it to make icing, so I can't help you there.

hth!
Laura.

Thanks guys!
Tomorrow is the day of reckoning. lol. Tomorrow starts the big bake-off, so I appreciate all of your tips. I think I am going to make a cake, a pie and 2 types of cookies with Splenda, then the rest of the goodies regularly. That way, FIL can enjoy some, too but the rest of us don't have to eat it, if we don't want to. lol. I decided not to try to make frosting for the cookies (so chose ones that don't need it) or the cake.

Thanks for all of your tips. I really appreciate them!

i know this is an old post but for future viewers, i made banana bread with SUPER browned bananas and splenda, it was better than my bread with sugar. it was devoured in a night. im baking m&m cookies atm with splenda and will post results :) 

loves and luck happy baking!

~mimi 

UPDATE: m&m cookies with regular splenda is a hit in my book!!!!