Most of us would gladly sail away with Shirley Temple on her "Good Ship Lollipop" with its bonbons, peppermints and chocolate bars. In short, we love our sweets.

But many people must cut their sugar intake due to medical conditions such as diabetes or other diet restrictions. Artificial sweeteners can fill the void.

However, artificially sweetened homemade candy may have a coarse texture; cakes and cookies may seem dry and pale; and custards may cook up firmer and require a shorter baking time, said Cynthia Fauser, a nutrition specialist who teaches diabetic cooking classes.

For that reason, home cooks usually will get far better results by using a recipe designed for a specific sweetener rather than adjusting a recipe that calls for sugar.

In some recipes using artificial sweeteners, small amounts of honey, brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup are needed to provide structure, browning, moisture, tenderness and preservation.

In addition to natural sweeteners, other ingredients can add luster to pale, unappealing dishes. For example, sweet potatoes give color and flavor to a Splenda-sweetened pound cake created by Sylvia Woods, owner of Sylvia's Restaurant of Harlem, N.Y, a popular soul-food eatery.

If, then, expectations are kept in check, foods baked with sugar substitutes can be satisfying.

But it will just take time and experimentation to find the exact mix that is pleasing to the individual palate.

Now it's time to go forth and bake.

SYLVIA'S SWEET-POTATO POUND CAKE

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3 cups sifted cake flour (sift before measuring)

2 cups Splenda granular sweetener (see note)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes, cooled

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 large eggs

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Sprinkle walnuts in pan; set aside.

Combine flour, sweetener, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until creamy. Beat in sweet potatoes, buttermilk, lemon extract and vanilla. Add flour mixture in thirds, beating after each addition until batter is smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan; let cool completely on the wire rack, nutside up.

Makes 12 servings.